1In the time of King Ahasuerus (who ruled from India to Ethiopia, over 127 provinces),
2during those days, when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in the palace of Shushan,
3in the third year of his reign, he held a banquet for all his officials and servants. The most powerful people of Persia and Media, along with the nobles and leaders of the provinces, were all present.
4For 180 days, he showed off the wealth of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his great majesty.
5After these days were over, the king held a seven-day banquet for all the people in the Shushan palace, both important and unimportant, in the garden court of the king’s palace.
6The courtyard was decorated with white, green, and blue curtains, held by ropes of fine linen and purple fabric, attached to silver rings and marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a pavement of red, white, yellow, and black marble.
7Drinks were served in various types of gold cups, and royal wine was plentiful, thanks to the king’s generosity.
8Drinking was not forced, as the king had instructed all the servants in his palace to let each person drink as much or as little as they wished.
9Queen Vashti also held a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus.
10On the seventh day, when King Ahasuerus was feeling good from the wine, he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcass—the seven eunuchs who served him personally—
11to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown. He wanted to show her beauty to the people and the officials, because she was very beautiful.
12But Queen Vashti refused to come when the king’s eunuchs delivered his command. So the king became extremely angry, and his rage burned within him.
13Then the king consulted with his wise advisors, who understood legal matters and customs (because it was the king’s custom to seek advice from those who knew the law and justice.
14The closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. These were the seven princes of Persia and Media who had direct access to the king and held the highest positions in the kingdom).
15He asked, “According to the law, what should be done to Queen Vashti because she disobeyed the command of King Ahasuerus, delivered by the eunuchs?”
16Memucan replied in front of the king and the officials, “Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the officials and all the people in every province of King Ahasuerus.”
17“Because of the queen’s action, all women will hear about it and will despise their husbands, saying, ‘King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti to be brought to him, but she refused to come.’”
18Today, the wives of the Persian and Median princes, who have heard what the queen did, will tell all the king's princes. This will cause a lot of disrespect and anger.
19“If it pleases the king, let him issue a royal command, and let it be written into the laws of Persia and Media, so that it cannot be changed, that Vashti may never again appear before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another woman who is better suited.
20When the king’s order, which he will make, is announced throughout his entire kingdom (because it is vast), all wives will honor their husbands, both rich and poor.”
21This advice pleased both the king and the princes, so the king acted according to Memucan's suggestion.
22He sent letters to all the king’s provinces, in their own writing and language, stating that every man should be the head of his own household and speak in the language of his own people.