Esther 1
Evangelical Heritage Version
1 These events happened during the time of Xerxes,[a] when Xerxes was ruling over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Cush.[b] 2 King Xerxes was ruling on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel.[c]
3 In the third year of his reign[d] he gave a banquet[e] for all his officials and administrators, for the leaders of the army of Persia and Media, and for the nobles and officials of the provinces. 4 He displayed the glory and splendor of the riches of his kingdom, the grandeur of his majesty, for many days (one hundred eighty days in all).
5 When this was completed, the king gave a banquet for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the most important to the least significant. It lasted for seven days in the courtyard of the garden in the king’s palace.
6 There were white and blue linen hangings, attached to marble[f] pillars with white and purple cords and silver rings.[g] There were couches made of gold and silver, standing on a mosaic floor made of purple porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in gold goblets. Each goblet was unique. The royal wine was plentiful, in keeping with the king’s extravagance. 8 No directions were given about the amount each person was to drink because the king had ordered all the waiters to serve the amount each man desired.
9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the palace of King Xerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when the king was feeling good from the wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Karkas, seven of the eunuchs who served him, 11 to bring before him Queen Vashti wearing the crown of the kingdom, in order to show the people and the officials her beauty. She was very good-looking.
12 Queen Vashti refused to come in response to the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. The king was infuriated and his anger burned within him.
13 So the king spoke to his advisors who understood the times. (It was the king’s custom to consult with those who were acquainted with law and legal principles.) 14 His close advisors were Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, seven officials of Persia and Media who were allowed to see the king’s face and were ranked first in the kingdom.
15 He asked, “According to the law, what should be done with Queen Vashti since she did not obey the command of the king delivered by the eunuchs?”
16 In the presence of the king and the officials, Memucan said, “Queen Vashti has not only committed an offense against the king, but she has also committed an offense against all the officials and all the people in the provinces of King Xerxes, 17 because the action of the queen, when it is reported to all the women, will cause them to look upon their husbands with contempt. They will say, ‘King Xerxes said to bring Queen Vashti before him, but she did not come.’ 18 Today the noble ladies of Persia and Media, who have heard about the action of the queen, will be talking about it to their husbands, who are the officials of the king. There will be more than enough contempt and anger. 19 If the king agrees, he should issue a royal decree. It should be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be changed. Vashti shall not come into the presence of King Xerxes. The king will give her status as queen to a different person, one better than she is. 20 The decree of the king will be heard throughout all of his vast kingdom. Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, both the most important and the least significant.”
21 The advice seemed good to the king and the officials, so the king did as Memucan had said. 22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom—to each province in its own writing system and to each people in its own language. The letters stated that each man should be lord in his own house. The letters were addressed to every man in his own language.[h]
Footnotes
- Esther 1:1 Also known as Ahasuerus
- Esther 1:1 Cush was located in the present-day country of Sudan, south of Egypt.
- Esther 1:2 Or fortress. The term designates cities as royal cities of the Persian Empire, but at times it refers only to the palace complex of such a city.
- Esther 1:3 That is, 483 bc
- Esther 1:3 The word translated banquet refers more to drinking than to eating.
- Esther 1:6 Or alabaster
- Esther 1:6 Or rods
- Esther 1:22 Or the letters stated that he should be lord in his own house, speaking the language of his own people. This sentence is not in the Greek Old Testament.
Esther 1
Lexham English Bible
The King’s Banquets
1 And it happened in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Cush[a]—over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces.[b] 2 In those days as King Ahasuerus was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which was in the citadel of Susa, 3 he gave a banquet in the third year of his reign for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and officials of the provinces were in his presence 4 as he displayed the wealth of the glory of his kingdom and the glorious splendor of his greatness for many days, one hundred and eighty days[c].
5 And when those days were completed, the king gave for all the people that were present at the citadel of Susa, both great and small, a banquet in the courtyard of the king’s palace garden that lasted seven days. 6 There were curtains of finely woven linen and blue cloth tied with cords of fine white linen and purple cloth to silver curtain rings and pillars of alabaster, and couches of gold and silver on a paved floor of alabaster, precious stone, mother-of-pearl, and costly stones.[d] 7 Drinks were served in goblets of gold and goblets of different kinds,[e] and there was plentiful royal wine according to the bounty of the king.[f] 8 There were no restrictions on the drinking, for the king had instructed every official of his palace to do as each one pleased. 9 Furthermore, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the palace[g] that belonged to King Ahasuerus.
Queen Vashti Refuses the King’s Request
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven of the eunuchs attending King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown[h] to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was very attractive.[i] 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king that was conveyed by[j] the eunuchs. And the king became very angry, and his anger burned in him.
13 And the king said to the wise men, the ones who know the times[k]—for it was the procedure of the king before all those who knew law and rights;[l] 14 and those next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king[m] and sat first in the kingdom— 15 “According to the law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she has not done the command of King Ahasuerus conveyed by[n] the eunuchs? 16 And Memucan said before the king and the officials, “Not only has Queen Vashti done wrong to the king, but to all the officials and all of the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For this deed of the queen will be known[o] to all the women, causing them to look with contempt on their husbands,[p] as they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him but she did not come!’ 18 This day the women of nobility from Persia and Media will respond to all the officials of the king and there will be no end to contempt and anger. 19 If it pleases[q] the king, let a royal edict[r] go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of Persia and Media so that it will not be altered, that Vashti cannot come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to her neighbor who is better than she. 20 And let the king’s decree that he will make be proclaimed in all his kingdom, because it is vast and all the women will honor their husbands, great and small.”[s]
21 This advice pleased the king[t] and the officials, and the king acted according to the word of Memucan. 22 And he sent letters to all the provinces of the king, to each province according to its own script, and to every people in their own language,[u] that every man should be the master of his house and who speaks in the language[v] of his people.
Footnotes
- Esther 1:1 That is, “Ethiopia”
- Esther 1:1 Hebrew “province”
- Esther 1:4 Hebrew “day”
- Esther 1:6 Hebrew “stone”
- Esther 1:7 Literally “goblets from changing goblets”
- Esther 1:7 Literally “much wine of the kingdom according to the hand of the king”
- Esther 1:9 Literally “in the house of the reign” or “in the house of the kingdom”
- Esther 1:11 Literally “with her headdress of the kingdom”
- Esther 1:11 Literally “for she was of good appearance”
- Esther 1:12 Literally “by the hand of”
- Esther 1:13 Literally “the knowers of the times”
- Esther 1:13 Or “custom and legalities”
- Esther 1:14 Literally “saw the face of the king”
- Esther 1:15 Literally “by the hand of”
- Esther 1:17 Literally “will go out”
- Esther 1:17 Literally “to despise their husbands in their eyes”
- Esther 1:19 Literally “If it is good to”
- Esther 1:19 Literally “a word of the kingdom”
- Esther 1:20 Or “high and low”
- Esther 1:21 Literally “The word was good in the eyes of the king
- Esther 1:22 Literally “tongue”
- Esther 1:22 Literally “tongue”
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