Xerxes’ Royal Feast 1 ULT Now it happened in the days of Ahasuerus(he was Ahasuerus, the one who ruled from India even as far as Ethiopia, 127 provinces); BSB BSB: This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.
3 ULT in year three of his reign, he made a feast for all his officials and his administrators, the army of Persia and Media, the noblemen, and the officials of the provinces before his face, BSB BSB: In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.
4 ULT when he displayed the wealth of the glory of his kingdom and the splendor of the beauty of his greatness for many days, 180 days. BSB BSB: And for a full 180 days he displayed the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness.
5 ULT And when those days were fulfilled, the king made a feast for all the people who were found in Susa the citadel, from the greatest even to the least, for seven days, in the courtyard of the garden of the palace of the king. BSB BSB: At the end of this time, in the garden court of the royal palace, the king held a seven-day feast for all the people in the citadel of Susa, from the least to the greatest.
6 ULT Linens cotton and blue were hanging by cords of byssus and purple on rings of silver and pillars of marble. Couches of gold and silver were on the pavement of porphyry and alabaster and pearl and precious stone. BSB BSB: Hangings of white and blue linen were fastened with cords of fine white and purple material to silver rings on the marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.
7 ULT And the serving was in vessels of gold, with vessels differing from other vessels, and the wine of royalty was abundant according to the hand of the king. BSB BSB: Beverages were served in an array of goblets of gold, each with a different design, and the royal wine flowed freely, according to the king’s bounty.
8 ULT And the drinking was according to the law“There is no compulsion,” for thus the king had established for every overseer of his house to do according to the desire of man by man. BSB BSB: By order of the king, no limit was placed on the drinking, and every official of his household was to serve each man whatever he desired.
Queen Vashti’s Refusal 9 ULT Also Vashti the queen made a feast of women in the palace of royalty that belonged to the king Ahasuerus. BSB BSB: Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10 ULT On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was pleased by the wine, he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas(the seven eunuchs who served before the face of the king Ahasuerus), BSB BSB: On the seventh day, when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—
11 ULT to bring Vashti the queen to the face of the king in a crown of royalty in order to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was pleasing of appearance. BSB BSB: to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown, to display her beauty to the people and officials. For she was beautiful to behold.
12 ULT But the queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king that was by the hand of the eunuchs. Then the king became very angry, and his rage burned within him. BSB BSB: Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs. And the king became furious, and his anger burned within him.
Queen Vashti Deposed 13 ULT Then the king said to the wise men, who were knowers of the times(for thus was the manner of the king before the face of all those who were knowers of law and judgment, BSB BSB: Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice.
14 ULT and the ones near to him were Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Mersena, Memukan, seven officials of Persia and Media who were seers of the face of the king, the ones who sat first in the kingdom): BSB BSB: His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom.
15 ULT “According to law, what is to be done with the queen Vashti on account of this, that she did not perform the command of the king Ahasuerus by the hand of the eunuchs?” BSB BSB: “According to law,” he asked, “what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey the command of King Xerxes delivered by the eunuchs?”
16 ULT And Memukan replied before the face of the king and the officials,“Not toward the king alone has Vashti the queen done wrong, but toward all the officials and toward all the peoples who are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus. BSB BSB: And in the presence of the king and his princes, Memucan replied, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces of King Xerxes.
17 ULT For the matter of the queen will go out to all the women in order to make their husbands despised in their eyes when they say,‘The king Ahasuerus said to bring Vashti the queen before his face, but she did not come.’ BSB BSB: For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’
18 ULT Now this day, the noblewomen of Persia and Media who have heard the matter of the queen will speak to all the officials of the king. And there will be contempt and wrath enough! BSB BSB: This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath.
19 ULT If it is good to the king, let a decree of royalty go out from before his face, and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media(which do not pass away) that Vashti shall never come before the face of the king Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royalty to her female neighbor, the woman who is better than she. BSB BSB: So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she.
20 ULT And the decree of the king will be heard that he will make for all his kingdom, though it is great. Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the greatest to the least.” BSB BSB: The edict the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom—and so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands.”
21 ULT And the word seemed good in the eyes of the king and the officials. And the king acted according to the word of Memukan. BSB BSB: The king and his princes were pleased with this counsel; so the king did as Memucan advised.
22 ULT And he sent letters to all the provinces of the king, to province by province according to its own writing, and to people by people according to its own tongue: that every man should be ruling in his house and speaking according to the tongue of his people. BSB BSB: He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his own household.
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