The Feasts of the King and Queen

1 Now it happened 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 held a feast for all his princes and servants, the military officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence, ^4 [b]while he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days.

⁵ And when these days were fulfilled, the king held a feast 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 ^[c]blue linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble pillars, and ^(H)couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. ⁷ And drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful ^(I)according to the king’s hand. ⁸ And the drinking was done according to the law; there was no compulsion, for so the king had established it for each official of his household—that he should do according to what pleased each person. ⁹ Queen Vashti also held a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus.