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is what happened in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. 2 In those days King Ahasuerus reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the governors of the provinces were present.
4 He displayed the wealth of his glorious kingdom and the splendour and honour of his majesty for many days, a total of 180 days in all. 5 When these days were over, the king held a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace for all people, from the greatest to the least, who were present in the citadel of Susa. 6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of fine white linen and purple linen to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in goblets of gold, each goblet being different one from another, and the royal wine was abundant, according to the generosity of the king, 8 and there was no restraint placed on the drinking. The king had given orders to all the wine stewards in his household to serve each man what he wanted.
9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus.
10 On the seventh day, when King Ahasuerus was in high spirits from wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served him, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, to display her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was very beautiful. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command that was delivered by his eunuchs. Then the king became furious, and his anger burned within him.
13 So the king consulted the wise men who understood the times, for it was his normal procedure to speak with those experts who knew law and justice 14 and were closest to him—Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and occupied the highest positions in the kingdom.
15 The king asked, “According to the law, what must be done to Queen Vashti, since she has refused to obey King Ahasuerus’s command that was delivered to her by the eunuchs?”
16 Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and his officials, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king, but also against all the officials and the peoples of all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will look with contempt on their husbands and say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come’. 18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will speak in the same way to all the king’s officials, resulting in more contempt and anger!
19 “If it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and Medes, so that it cannot be revoked, that Vashti may never again enter the presence of King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20 When the king’s decree which he will make is proclaimed throughout all his vast kingdom, all the women will give honour to their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own script, and to every people in their own language, that each man should be master in his own house and speak in the language of his own people.