Vashti refuses to entertain the king's drunken guests
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.
King Ahasuerus invited guests from all of his 127 provinces to his palace in Shushan for a 180-day party.
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.
When the six-month party was over, he invited everyone to his palace for a seven-day feast.
7And 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.
The king encouraged everyone to drink as much wine as they wanted.
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.
On the seventh day of the party, when the king was merry with wine, he commanded his servants to bring
Queen Vashti to show off her beauty to his drunken guests while wearing (only?) the royal crown. [
1]
12But 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.
But Vashti refused, and the king was very angry.
13Then 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;)
15What shall we do unto
the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the
commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
So he asked his wise men,
What should we do to Queen Vashti for disobeying the king?
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.
One of his wise men, Memucan, answered the king, saying,
Vashti has not only wronged you, but she has wronged every man in the kingdom.
17For 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.
Now every woman will despise her husband.
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.
So you should write a decree, saying that Vashti will never see you again, and that someone better
than her will become queen in her place.
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.
The decree should also command all wives to honor their husbands.
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.
So the king did as Memucan suggested and sent out a decree saying that every man should rule in his own house.
1:1-22
