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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

  1. Esther 1:1 That is, “Ethiopia”
  2. Esther 1:1 Hebrew “province”
  3. Esther 1:4 Hebrew “day”
  4. Esther 1:6 Hebrew “stone”
  5. Esther 1:7 Literally “goblets from changing goblets”
  6. Esther 1:7 Literally “much wine of the kingdom according to the hand of the king”
  7. Esther 1:9 Literally “in the house of the reign” or “in the house of the kingdom”
  8. Esther 1:11 Literally “with her headdress of the kingdom”
  9. Esther 1:11 Literally “for she was of good appearance”
  10. Esther 1:12 Literally “by the hand of”
  11. Esther 1:13 Literally “the knowers of the times”
  12. Esther 1:13 Or “custom and legalities”
  13. Esther 1:14 Literally “saw the face of the king”
  14. Esther 1:15 Literally “by the hand of”
  15. Esther 1:17 Literally “will go out”
  16. Esther 1:17 Literally “to despise their husbands in their eyes”
  17. Esther 1:19 Literally “If it is good to”
  18. Esther 1:19 Literally “a word of the kingdom”
  19. Esther 1:20 Or “high and low”
  20. Esther 1:21 Literally “The word was good in the eyes of the king
  21. Esther 1:22 Literally “tongue”
  22. Esther 1:22 Literally “tongue”
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Esther 1
International Standard Version

The Wealth of King Ahasuerus

1 This is a record of[a] what happened during the reign[b] of Ahasuerus,[c] the Ahasuerus who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Cush.[d] 2 At that time King Ahasuerus was ruling from[e] Susa the capital.[f] 3 In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers,[g] and the military leaders[h] of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the provincial officials were present.[i] 4 He displayed the enormous wealth of his kingdom, along with its splendid beauty and greatness for many days—for 180 days in all.[j]

The Banquet of King Ahasuerus

5 When those days were over, the king held a seven-day banquet in the courtyard of the garden of his[k] palace for all the people who were present in Susa the capital, from the greatest to the least important. 6 There were curtains of white and blue linen tied with cords of fine linen and purple material[l] to silver rings on[m] marble columns. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in gold vessels of various kinds, and there was plenty of royal wine because the king was generous.[n] 8 According to the king’s[o] decree the drinking was not compulsory because the king instructed[p] every steward in his house to serve each individual what he desired. 9 Queen Vashti also held a banquet in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus for the women.

Vashti Refuses to Obey the King

10 A week later, when the king was under the influence of all that wine,[q] he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti to the king, wearing[r] the royal crown to display her beauty to the people and the officials, since she was lovely to look at. 12 Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s order that was brought by the eunuchs.

The King Removes Vashti as Queen

Then the king flew into a rage. 13 The king spoke to the wise men who understood the times, for it was the king’s custom to consult[s] all those who understood law and justice. 14 (His closest advisors[t] were: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had direct access[u] to the king and who held the highest rank[v] in the kingdom.) 15 The king inquired,[w] “According to law, what should be done to Queen Vashti because she did not obey the order of King Ahasuerus that was delivered by the eunuchs?”

16 Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and his officials, “It is not the king alone whom Vashti has wronged, but rather all of the officials and all of the people who are in the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 When the report about the queen goes out to all the women, it will cause them to despise their husbands.[x] They’ll say, ‘King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she wouldn’t come.’ 18 This very day the wives of the officials[y] of Persia and Media who hear the report about the queen will speak in the same way to all the officials of the king, and there will be more than enough contempt and anger. 19 If it seems good to the king, let a royal decree go out from him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Ahasuerus. Let the king give her royal position to another woman who is better than she. 20 When the edict of the king that he issues is heard throughout his kingdom—for it’s vast—then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the greatest to the least important.”

21 This seemed like a good idea[z] to the king and his officials, so the king did what Memucan suggested.[aa] 22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the king, written in the script of that province,[ab] and to each people in their own language, ordering that every man should be the master in his house and speak the language of his own people.

Footnotes

  1. Esther 1:1 The Heb. lacks a record of
  2. Esther 1:1 Lit. days
  3. Esther 1:1 Or possibly Xerxes, and so throughout the book
  4. Esther 1:1 I.e. the upper Nile region
  5. Esther 1:2 Lit. was sitting on his royal throne in
  6. Esther 1:2 Or Susa the fortress, and so throughout the book
  7. Esther 1:3 Or his servants
  8. Esther 1:3 Lit. army
  9. Esther 1:3 Lit. before him
  10. Esther 1:4 The Heb. lacks in all
  11. Esther 1:5 Lit. the king’s
  12. Esther 1:6 The Heb. lacks material
  13. Esther 1:6 Lit. and
  14. Esther 1:7 Lit. wine according to the hand of the king
  15. Esther 1:8 The Heb. lacks king’s
  16. Esther 1:8 Lit. established
  17. Esther 1:10 Lit. the heart of the king was happy with wine
  18. Esther 1:11 Lit. with
  19. Esther 1:13 Lit. to speak before
  20. Esther 1:14 Lit. Those closest to him
  21. Esther 1:14 Lit. saw the face of
  22. Esther 1:14 Lit. sat first in the kingdom
  23. Esther 1:15 The Heb. lacks The king inquired
  24. Esther 1:17 Lit. husbands in their eyes
  25. Esther 1:18 Or women of nobility
  26. Esther 1:21 The Heb. lacks idea
  27. Esther 1:21 Lit. according to the word of Memucan
  28. Esther 1:22 Lit. to each province according to its writing
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Nehemiah 13
Esther 2
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