Esther 1
1 Now it came to pass in the
days of
Ahasuerus, (this is
Ahasuerus which
reigned, from
India even unto
Ethiopia, over an
hundred and
seven and
twenty provinces:)
2 That in those
days, when the
king Ahasuerus sat on the
throne of his
kingdom, which was in
Shushan the
palace, 3 In the
third year of his
reign, he
made a
feast unto all his
princes and his
servants; the
power of
Persia and
Media, the
nobles and
princes of the
provinces, being
before him:
4 When he
shewed the
riches of his
glorious kingdom and the
honour of his
excellent majesty many days, even an
hundred and
fourscore days. 5 And when these
days were
expired, the
king made a
feast unto all the
people that were
present in
Shushan the
palace, both unto
great and
small, seven days, in the
court of the
garden of the
king's palace; 6 Where were
white, green, and
blue, hangings,
fastened with
cords of fine
linen and
purple to
silver rings and
pillars of
marble: the
beds were of
gold and
silver, upon a
pavement of
red, and
blue, and
white, and
black, marble. 7 And they gave them
drink in
vessels of
gold, (the
vessels being
diverse one from another,) and
royal wine in
abundance, according to the
state of the
king. 8 And the
drinking was according to the
law; none did
compel: for so the
king had
appointed to all the
officers of his
house, that they should
do according to every
man's pleasure. 9 Also
Vashti the
queen made a
feast for the
women in the
royal house which belonged to
king Ahasuerus. 10 On the
seventh day, when the
heart of the
king was
merry with
wine, he
commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and
Abagtha, Zethar, and
Carcas, the
seven chamberlains that
served in the
presence of
Ahasuerus the
king, 11 To
bring Vashti the
queen before the
king with the
crown royal, to
shew the
people and the
princes her
beauty: for she was
fair to look
on. 12 But the
queen Vashti refused to
come at the
king's commandment by his
chamberlains: therefore was the
king very wroth, and his
anger burned in him.
13 Then the
king said to the wise
men, which
knew the
times, (for so was the
king's manner toward all that
knew law and
judgment: 14 And the
next unto him was
Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and
Memucan, the
seven princes of
Persia and
Media, which
saw the
king's face, and which
sat the
first in the kingdom;)
15 What shall we
do unto the
queen Vashti according to
law, because she hath not
performed the
commandment of the
king Ahasuerus by the
chamberlains? 16 And
Memucan answered before the
king and the
princes, Vashti the
queen hath not done
wrong to the
king only, but also to all the
princes, and to all the
people that are in all the
provinces of the
king Ahasuerus. 17 For this
deed of the
queen shall come
abroad unto all
women, so that they shall
despise their
husbands in their
eyes, when it shall be
reported, The
king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the
queen to be brought
in before him, but she
came not.
18 Likewise shall the
ladies of
Persia and
Media say this
day unto all the
king's princes, which have
heard of the
deed of the
queen. Thus shall there arise too
much contempt and
wrath. 19 If it
please the
king, let there
go a
royal commandment from
him, and let it be
written among the
laws of the
Persians and the
Medes, that it be not
altered, That
Vashti come no more
before king Ahasuerus; and let the
king give her royal
estate unto
another that is
better than she.
20 And when the
king's decree which he shall
make shall be
published throughout all his
empire, (for it is great,) all the
wives shall
give to their
husbands honour, both to
great and
small. 21 And the
saying pleased the
king and the
princes; and the
king did according to the
word of
Memucan: 22 For he
sent letters into all the
king's provinces, into every
province according to the
writing thereof, and to every
people after their
language, that every
man should bear
rule in his own
house, and that it should be
published according to the
language of every
people.