The Banquets of the King

1 Now it took place in the days of ^(A)Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned ^(B)from India to ^[a]Ethiopia over ^(C)127 provinces, ² in those days as King Ahasuerus ^(D)sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in ^(E)Susa, ³ in the third year of his reign ^(F)he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence. ^4 [b]And he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days.

⁵ When these days were completed, the king gave a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of ^(G)the garden of the king’s palace. ⁶ There were hangings of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and ^(H)couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. ⁷ Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful ^(I)according to the king’s ^[c]bounty. ⁸ The drinking was done according to the law, there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household that he should do according to the desires of each person. ⁹ Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the ^[d]palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

Queen Vashti’s Refusal

¹⁰ On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was ^(J)merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, ¹¹ to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal ^(K)crown in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful. ¹² But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. Then the king became very angry and his wrath burned within him.

¹³ Then the king said to ^(L)the wise men ^(M)who understood the times—for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice ¹⁴ and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media ^(N)who ^[e]had access to the king’s presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom— ¹⁵ “According to law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not ^[f]obey the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” ¹⁶ In the presence of the king and the princes, Memucan said, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the princes and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. ¹⁷ For the queen’s conduct will ^[g]become known to all the women causing them ^[h]to look with contempt on their husbands by saying, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.’ ¹⁸ This day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s conduct will speak in the same way to all the king’s princes, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. ¹⁹ If it pleases the king, let a royal ^[i]edict be issued by him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media so ^(O)that it cannot ^[j]be repealed, that Vashti may no longer come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to ^[k]another who is more worthy than she. ²⁰ When the king’s edict which he will make is heard throughout all his kingdom, ^[l]great as it is, then ^(P)all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small.”

²¹ This word pleased the king and the princes, and the king did ^[m]as Memucan proposed. ²² So he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, ^(Q)to each province according to its script and to every people according to their language, that every man should ^(R)be the master in his own house and the one who speaks in the language of his own people.

Vashti’s Successor Sought

2 After these things ^(S)when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and ^(T)what had been decreed against her. ² Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said, “^(U)Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. ³ Let the king appoint overseers in ^(V)all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of ^(W)Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and ^(X)let their cosmetics be given them. ⁴ Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

⁵ Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was ^(Y)Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, ^6 (Z)who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. ⁷ He was bringing up Hadassah, that is ^(AA)Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and ^[n]face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Esther Finds Favor

⁸ So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and ^(AB)many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of ^(AC)Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s ^[o]palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. ⁹ Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her ^(AD)cosmetics and ^[p]food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. ^10 (AE)Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known. ¹¹ Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

¹² Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women— ¹³ the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she ^[q]desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the ^[r]custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

¹⁵ Now when the turn of Esther, ^(AF)the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what ^(AG)Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, ^[s]advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. ¹⁶ So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Esther Becomes Queen

¹⁷ The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that ^(AH)he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ Then ^(AI)the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts ^(AJ)according to the king’s bounty.

^19 (AK)When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai ^(AL)was sitting at the king’s gate. ^20 (AM)Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did ^[t]what Mordecai told her as she had done ^(AN)when under his care.

Mordecai Saves the King

²¹ In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, ^(AO)Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to ^[u]lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ²² But the ^[v]plot became known to Mordecai and ^(AP)he told Queen Esther, and Esther ^[w]informed the king in Mordecai’s name. ²³ Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a ^[x]gallows; and it was written in ^(AQ)the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

3 After these events King Ahasuerus ^(AR)promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^(AS)the Agagite, and ^(AT)advanced him and ^[y]established his authority over all the princes who were with him. ² All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down ^[z]and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But ^(AU)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage. ³ Then the king’s servants who were at ^(AV)the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “^(AW)Why are you transgressing the king’s command?” ⁴ Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ When Haman saw that ^(AX)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. ⁶ But he ^[aa]disdained to ^[ab]lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman ^(AY)sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

⁷ In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, ^[ac]Pur, that is the lot, was ^(AZ)cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, ^[ad]until the twelfth month, that is ^(BA)the month Adar. ⁸ Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; ^(BB)their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. ⁹ If it is pleasing to the king, let it be ^[ae]decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.” ¹⁰ Then ^(BC)the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^(BD)the Agagite, ^(BE)the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ The king said to Haman, “The silver is ^[af]yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.”

^12 (BF)Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to ^(BG)the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written ^(BH)in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³ Letters were sent by ^(BI)couriers to all the king’s provinces ^(BJ)to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, ^(BK)in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to ^(BL)seize their possessions as plunder. ^14 (BM)A copy of the edict to be ^[ag]issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. ¹⁵ The couriers went out impelled by the king’s command while the decree was ^[ah]issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, ^(BN)the city of Susa was in confusion.

Avoid Israel’s Mistakes

10 For ^(A)I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all ^(B)under the cloud and all ^(C)passed through the sea; ² and all were ^(D)baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³ and all ^(E)ate the same spiritual food; ⁴ and all ^(F)drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was ^[a]Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for ^(G)they were laid low in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things happened as ^(H)examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as ^(I)they also craved. ⁷ Do not be ^(J)idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “^(K)The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to ^(L)play.” ⁸ Nor let us act immorally, as ^(M)some of them ^[b]did, and ^(N)twenty-three thousand fell in one day. ⁹ Nor let us try the Lord, as ^(O)some of them ^[c]did, and were destroyed by the serpents. ¹⁰ Nor ^(P)grumble, as some of them ^[d]did, and ^(Q)were destroyed by the ^(R)destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as an ^(S)example, and ^(T)they were written for our instruction, upon whom ^(U)the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let him who ^(V)thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and ^(W)God is faithful, who will not allow you to be ^(X)tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

¹⁴ Therefore, my ^(Y)beloved, flee from ^(Z)idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. ¹⁶ Is not the ^(AA)cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the ^[e](AB)bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Since there is one ^[f]bread, we ^(AC)who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one ^[g]bread. ¹⁸ Look at ^[h]the nation ^(AD)Israel; are not those who ^(AE)eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? ¹⁹ What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or ^(AF)that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they ^(AG)sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. ^21 (AH)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^(AI)the table of demons. ²² Or do we ^(AJ)provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not ^(AK)stronger than He, are we?

^23 (AL)All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things ^(AM)edify. ²⁴ Let no one ^(AN)seek his own good, but that of his ^[i]neighbor. ^25 (AO)Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; ^26 (AP)for the earth is the Lord’s, and ^[j]all it contains. ²⁷ If ^(AQ)one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, ^(AR)eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But ^(AS)if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; ²⁹ I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for ^(AT)why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, ^(AU)why am I slandered concerning that for which I ^(AV)give thanks?

³¹ Whether, then, you eat or drink or ^(AW)whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ^32 (AX)Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to ^(AY)the church of God; ³³ just as I also ^(AZ)please all men in all things, ^(BA)not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, ^(BB)so that they may be saved.