Esther Chapter 1

The Banquets of the King

1Now it happenedH1961 in the daysH3117 of 1AhasuerusH325, the AhasuerusH325 who reignedH4427 2from IndiaH1912 to 3CushH3568 over 4127H7651H6242H3967 provincesH4082, 2in thoseH1992 daysH3117 as KingH4428 AhasuerusH325 5satH3427 on his royalH4438 throneH3678 whichH834 was at the citadelH1002 in 6SusaH7800, 3in the thirdH7969 yearH8141 of his reignH4427 7he heldH6213 a banquetH4960 for allH3605 his officialsH8269 and attendantsH5650, the armyH2428 officers of PersiaH6539 and MediaH4074, the noblesH6579 and the officialsH8269 of his provincesH4082, in his presenceH6440. 48At that time he displayedH7200 the richesH6239 of his royalH4438 gloryH3519 and the splendorH3366 of his greatH1420 majestyH1420 for manyH7227 daysH3117, 180H8084H3967 daysH3117.

5When theseH428 daysH3117 were finishedH4390, the kingH4428 heldH6213 a banquetH4960 lasting sevenH7651 daysH3117 for allH3605 the peopleH5971 who wereH4672 presentH4672 at the citadelH1002 in SusaH7800, from the greatestH1419 to the leastH6996, in the courtyardH2691 of 9the gardenH1593 of the king’sH4428 palaceH1055. 6There were curtains of fineH3768 whiteH2353 and violetH8504 linenH3768 heldH270 by cordsH2256 of fineH948 purpleH713 linenH948 on silverH3701 ringsH1551 and marbleH8337 columnsH5982, and 10couchesH4296 of goldH2091 and silverH3701 on a mosaicH7531 floorH7531 of porphyryH923, marbleH8337, mother-of-pearlH1858, and mineralH5508 stonesH5508. 7DrinksH8248 were servedH8248 in goldenH2091 vesselsH3627 of variousH8132 kindsH3627, and the royalH4438 wineH3196 was plentifulH7227 11in proportion to the king’sH4428 12bountyH3027. 8But the drinkingH8360 was done according to the royal lawH1881; thereH369 wasH369 noH369 compulsionH597, for soH3651 the kingH4428 had givenH3245 ordersH3245 to eachH3605 officialH7227 of his householdH1004, that he was to doH6213 as eachH376 personH376 pleasedH7522. 9QueenH4436 VashtiH2060 alsoH1571 heldH6213 a banquetH4960 for the womenH802 in the 13palaceH1004 whichH834 belonged to KingH4428 AhasuerusH325.

Queen Vashti’s Refusal

10On the seventhH7637 dayH3117, when the heartH3820 of the kingH4428 was 14cheerfulH2895 with wineH3196, he orderedH559 MehumanH4104, BizthaH968, HarbonaH2726, BigthaH903, AbagthaH5, ZetharH2242, and CarkasH3752, the sevenH7651 eunuchsH5631 who servedH8334 in the presenceH6440 of KingH4428 AhasuerusH325, 11to bringH935 QueenH4436 VashtiH2060 beforeH6440 the kingH4428 with her royalH4438 15turbanH3804 in order to displayH7200 her beautyH3308 to the peopleH5971 and the officialsH8269, for she was beautifulH2896H4758. 12But QueenH4436 VashtiH2060 refusedH3985 to comeH935 at the king’sH4428 orderH1697 16deliveredH3027 by the eunuchsH5631. So the kingH4428 becameH7107 veryH3966 angryH7107, and his wrathH2534 burnedH1197 within him.

13Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to 17the wiseH2450 menH2450 18who understoodH3045 the timesH6256--for it was the customH1697 of the kingH4428 to speak thisH3651 wayH3651 beforeH6440 allH3605 who knewH3045 Persian lawH1881 and justiceH1779 14and were closeH7138 to him, namely, CarshenaH3771, ShetharH8369, AdmathaH133, TarshishH8659, MeresH4825, MarsenaH4826, and MemucanH4462, the sevenH7651 officialsH8269 of PersiaH6539 and MediaH4074 19who 20hadH7200 accessH7200 to the king’sH4428 presenceH6440 and satH3427 in the firstH7223 place in the kingdomH4438-- 15“According to lawH1881, whatH4100 is to be doneH6213 with QueenH4436 VashtiH2060, sinceH5921H834 she did not 21obeyH6213 the commandH3982 of KingH4428 AhasuerusH325 22delivered by the eunuchsH5631?” 16And in the presenceH6440 of the kingH4428 and the other officialsH8269, MemucanH4462 saidH559, “QueenH4436 VashtiH2060 has wrongedH5753 not onlyH905 the kingH4428 but also allH3605 the officialsH8269 and allH3605 the peoplesH5971 whoH834 are in allH3605 the provincesH4082 of KingH4428 AhasuerusH325. 17For the queen’sH4436 conductH1697 will 23becomeH3318 knownH3318 to allH3605 the womenH802 so as to makeH959 their own husbandsH1167 despicableH959 in their sightH5869, when they sayH559, ‘KingH4428 AhasuerusH325 24commandedH559 that QueenH4436 VashtiH2060 be broughtH935 inH935 to his presenceH6440, but she did not comeH935.’ 18And thisH2088 dayH3117 the wivesH8282 ofH8282 theH8282 officialsH8282 of PersiaH6539 and MediaH4074 whoH834 have heardH8085 about the queen’sH4436 conductH1697 will talkH559 about it to allH3605 the king’sH4428 officialsH8269, and there will be plentyH1767 of contemptH963 and angerH7110. 19IfH518 it pleasesH2895 the kingH4428, let a royalH4438 25edictH1697 be issuedH3318 by him and let it be writtenH3789 in the lawsH1881 of PersiaH6539 and MediaH4074 so 26that it cannotH3808 27be repealedH5674, that VashtiH2060 may not comeH935 into the presenceH6440 of KingH4428 AhasuerusH325, and let the kingH4428 giveH5414 her royalH4438 positionH4438 to 28anotherH7468 who is moreH4480 worthyH2896 thanH4480 she. 20When the king’sH4428 edictH6599 whichH834 he will makeH6213 is heardH8085 throughoutH3605 his kingdomH4438, 29greatH7227 as it is, then 30allH3605 womenH802 will giveH5414 honorH3366 to their husbandsH1167, greatH1419 and smallH6996.”

21Now this wordH1697 pleasedH3190H5869 the kingH4428 and the officialsH8269, and the kingH4428 didH6213 31as MemucanH4462 proposedH1697. 22So he sentH7971 lettersH5612 to allH3605 the king’sH4428 provincesH4082, 32to eachH4082 provinceH4082 according to its scriptH3791 and to everyH5971 peopleH5971 according to their languageH3956, that everyH3605 manH376 was to 33beH8323 theH8323 rulerH8323 in his own houseH1004 and the one who speaksH1696 in the languageH3956 of his own peopleH5971.