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JULY 31
the officials, for she was beautiful to behold.
But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s
July 31 12 command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the
king was furious, and his anger burned within
him.
Esther 1:1–2:23
13 Then the king said to the wise men who
Now it came to pass in the days of understood the times (for this was the king’s
1 Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who manner toward all who knew law and justice,
reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven 14 those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar,
provinces, from India to Ethiopia), in those Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and
2
days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and
of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the cit- Media, who had access to the king’s presence,
adel, that in the third year of his reign he and who ranked highest in the kingdom):
3
made a feast for all his officials and servants— 15 “What shall we do to Queen Vashti, according
the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, to law, because she did not obey the command
and the princes of the provinces being before of King Ahasuerus brought to her by the
him— when he showed the riches of his glo- eunuchs?”
4
rious kingdom and the splendor of his excel- 16 And Memucan answered before the king
lent majesty for many days, one hundred and and the princes: “Queen Vashti has not only
eighty days in all. wronged the king, but also all the princes, and
And when these days were completed, the all the people who are in all the provinces of
5
king made a feast lasting seven days for all the King Ahasuerus. For the queen’s behavior
17
people who were present in Shushan the cita- will become known to all women, so that they
del, from great to small, in the court of the gar- will despise their husbands in their eyes,
den of the king’s palace. There were white and when they report, ‘King Ahasuerus com-
6
blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine manded Queen Vashti to be brought in before
linen and purple on silver rods and marble pil- him, but she did not come.’ This very day the
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lars; and the couches were of gold and silver noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to all
on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, the king’s officials that they have heard of the
and white and black marble. And they served behavior of the queen. Thus there will be
7
drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being dif- excessive contempt and wrath. If it pleases
19
ferent from the other, with royal wine in abun- the king, let a royal decree go out from him,
dance, according to the generosity of the king. and let it be recorded in the laws of the Per-
In accordance with the law, the drinking was sians and the Medes, so that it will not be
8
not compulsory; for so the king had ordered altered, that Vashti shall come no more before
all the officers of his household, that they King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her
should do according to each man’s pleasure. royal position to another who is better than
20
9 Queen Vashti also made a feast for the she. When the king’s decree which he will
women in the royal palace which belonged to make is proclaimed throughout all his empire
King Ahasuerus. (for it is great), all wives will honor their hus-
bands, both great and small.”
21 And the reply pleased the king and the
princes, and the king did according to the
word of Memucan. Then he sent letters to all
22
1:9 Queen Vashti.Greek literature records her
name as Amestris. She gave birth (ca. 483 B.C.) the king’s provinces, to each province in its
to Ahasuerus’s third son, Artaxerxes, who later own script, and to every people in their own
succeeded his father Ahasuerus on the throne language, that each man should be master in
(Ezra 7:1). his own house, and speak in the language of
his own people.
After these things, when the wrath of King
2 Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the Vashti, what she had done, and what had been
king was merry with wine, he commanded decreed against her. Then the king’s servants
2
Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, who attended him said: “Let beautiful young
Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in virgins be sought for the king; and let the
3
the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen king appoint officers in all the provinces of his
11
Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful
in order to show her beauty to the people and young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the
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