1
Now it came to pass in the days[H3117] of Ahasuerus[H325],(this is Ahasuerus[H325] which reigned[H4427], from India[H1912] even unto Ethiopia[H3568], over an hundred[H3967] and seven[H7651] and twenty[H6242]provinces[H4082]:)
2
That in those days[H3117], when the king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325]sat[H3427] on the throne[H3678] of his kingdom[H4438], which was in Shushan[H7800] the palace[H1002],
3
In the third[H7969]year[H8141] of his reign[H4427], he made[H6213] a feast[H4960] unto all his princes[H8269] and his servants[H5650]; the power[H2428] of Persia[H6539] and Media[H4074], the nobles[H6579] and princes[H8269] of the provinces[H4082], being before[H6440] him:
4
When he shewed[H7200] the riches[H6239] of his glorious[H3519]kingdom[H4438] and the honour[H3366] of his excellent[H8597]majesty[H1420]many[H7227]days[H3117], even an hundred[H3967] and fourscore[H8084]days[H3117].
5
And when these days[H3117] were expired[H4390], the king[H4428]made[H6213] a feast[H4960] unto all the people[H5971] that were present[H4672] in Shushan[H7800] the palace[H1002], both unto great[H1419] and small[H6996], seven[H7651]days[H3117], in the court[H2691] of the garden[H1594] of the king[H4428]'s palace[H1055];
6
Where were white[H2353], green[H3768], and blue[H8504], hangings, fastened[H270] with cords[H2256] of fine linen[H948] and purple[H713] to silver[H3701]rings[H1550] and pillars[H5982] of marble[H8336]: the beds[H4296] were of gold[H2091] and silver[H3701], upon a pavement[H7531] of red[H923], and blue[H8504], and white[H1858], and black[H5508], marble[H8336].
7
And they gave them drink[H8248] in vessels[H3627] of gold,(the vessels[H3627] being diverse[H8138] one from another[H3627],) and royal[H4438]wine[H3196] in abundance[H7227], according to the state[H3027] of the king[H4428].
8
And the drinking[H8360] was according to the law[H1881]; none did compel[H597]: for so the king[H4428] had appointed[H3245] to all the officers[H7227] of his house[H1004], that they should do[H6213] according to every man's pleasure[H7522].
9
Also Vashti[H2060] the queen[H4436]made[H6213] a feast[H4960] for the women[H802] in the royal[H4438]house[H1004] which belonged to king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325].
10
On the seventh[H7637]day[H3117], when the heart[H3820] of the king[H4428] was merry[H2896] with wine[H3196], he commanded[H559]Mehuman[H4104], Biztha[H968], Harbona[H2726], Bigtha[H903], and Abagtha[H5], Zethar[H2242], and Carcas[H3752], the seven[H7651]chamberlains[H5631] that served[H8334] in the presence[H6440] of Ahasuerus[H325] the king[H4428],
11
To bring[H935]Vashti[H2060] the queen[H4436]before[H6440] the king[H4428] with the crown[H3804]royal[H4438], to shew[H7200] the people[H5971] and the princes[H8269] her beauty[H3308]: for she was fair[H2896] to look on[H4758].
12
But the queen[H4436]Vashti[H2060]refused[H3985] to come[H935] at the king[H4428]'s commandment[H1697]by[H3027] his chamberlains[H5631]: therefore was the king[H4428]very[H3966]wroth[H7107], and his anger[H2534]burned[H1197] in him.
13
Then the king[H4428]said[H559] to the wise men[H2450], which knew[H3045] the times,(for so was the king[H4428]'s manner[H1697]toward[H6440] all that knew[H3045]law[H1881] and judgment[H1779]:
14
And the next[H7138] unto him was Carshena[H3771], Shethar[H8369], Admatha[H133], Tarshish[H8659], Meres[H4825], Marsena[H4826], and Memucan[H4462], the seven[H7651]princes[H8269] of Persia[H6539] and Media[H4074], which saw[H7200] the king's face[H6440], and which sat[H3427] the first[H7223] in the kingdom[H4438];)
15
What shall we do[H6213] unto the queen[H4436]Vashti[H2060] according to law[H1881], because she hath not performed[H6213] the commandment[H3982] of the king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325]by[H3027] the chamberlains?[H5631]
16
And Memucan[H4462]answered[H559]before[H6440] the king[H4428] and the princes[H8269], Vashti[H2060] the queen[H4436] hath not done wrong[H5753] to the king[H4428] only, but also to all the princes[H8269], and to all the people[H5971] that are in all the provinces[H4082] of the king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325].
17
For this deed[H1697] of the queen[H4436] shall come abroad[H3318] unto all women[H802], so that they shall despise[H959] their husbands[H1167]in[H935] their eyes[H5869], when it shall be reported[H559], The king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325]commanded[H559]Vashti[H2060] the queen[H4436] to be brought in[H935]before[H6440] him, but she came[H935] not.
18
Likewise shall the ladies[H8282] of Persia[H6539] and Media[H4074]say[H559] this day[H3117] unto all the king's princes[H8269], which have heard[H8085] of the deed[H1697] of the queen[H4436]. Thus shall there arise too much[H1767]contempt[H963] and wrath[H7110].
19
If it please[H2895] the king[H4428], let there go[H3318] a royal[H4438]commandment[H1697] from him[H6440], and let it be written[H3789] among the laws[H1881] of the Persians[H6539] and the Medes[H4074], that it be not altered[H5674], That Vashti[H2060]come[H935] no more before[H6440]king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325]; and let the king[H4428]give[H5414] her royal[H4438]estate[H4438] unto another[H7468] that is better[H2896] than she.
20
And when the king's decree[H6599] which he shall make[H6213] shall be published[H8085] throughout all his empire,(for it is great[H7227],) all the wives[H802] shall give[H5414] to their husbands[H1167]honour[H3366], both to great[H1419] and small[H6996].
21
And the saying[H1697]pleased[H3190] the king[H4428] and the princes[H8269]; and the king[H4428]did[H6213] according to the word[H1697] of Memucan[H4462]:
22
For he sent[H7971]letters[H5612] into all the king's provinces[H4082], into every province[H4082] according to the writing[H3791] thereof, and to every people[H5971] after their language[H3956], that every man[H376] should bear rule[H8323] in his own house[H1004], and that it should be published[H1696] according to the language[H3956] of every people[H5971].