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The King’s Banquet

These events happened in the days of King Xerxes,[a] who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia.[b] At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty.

When it was all over, the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. The courtyard was beautifully decorated with white cotton curtains and blue hangings, which were fastened with white linen cords and purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.

Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an abundance of royal wine, reflecting the king’s generosity. By edict of the king, no limits were placed on the drinking, for the king had instructed all his palace officials to serve each man as much as he wanted.

At the same time, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

Queen Vashti Deposed

10 On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas— 11 to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. 12 But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger.

13 He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. 14 The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven nobles of Persia and Media. They met with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire.

15 “What must be done to Queen Vashti?” the king demanded. “What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king’s orders, properly sent through his eunuchs?”

16 Memucan answered the king and his nobles, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. 17 Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. 18 Before this day is out, the wives of all the king’s nobles throughout Persia and Media will hear what the queen did and will start treating their husbands the same way. There will be no end to their contempt and anger.

19 “So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she. 20 When this decree is published throughout the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!”

21 The king and his nobles thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan’s counsel. 22 He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases.[c]

Footnotes

  1. 1:1a Hebrew Ahasuerus, another name for Xerxes; also throughout the book of Esther. Xerxes reigned 486–465 B.c.
  2. 1:1b Hebrew to Cush.
  3. 1:22 Or and should speak in the language of his own people.

The Wealth of King Ahasuerus

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] At that time King Ahasuerus was ruling from[e] Susa the capital.[f] 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] 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

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. 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. Drinks were served in gold vessels of various kinds, and there was plenty of royal wine because the king was generous.[n] 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. 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