¹And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus – that is Ahasuerus who was reigning from India to Ethiopia, over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces – ²in those days, when King Ahasuerus was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which was in the citadel of Shushan, ³in the third year of his reign, that he held a banquet for all his officials and his servants – from the forces in Persia and Media, the nobles and the officials of the provinces – in his presence, ⁴when he exhibited the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the extravagance of his majestic magnificence, for many days – for one hundred and eighty days. ⁵And at the conclusion of those days, the king held a feast for all the people present in the citadel of Shushan, for both great and small, for seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace, ⁶where there was linen and fine cotton and blue material, fastened with byssus cords, and purple material on silver rings, and columns of white marble, and beds of gold and silver on a pavement of porphyry and marble, with pearl and black marble, ⁷and where they served drink in vessels of gold, the vessels differing from one another, with royal wine in abundance according to the means of the king. ⁸And drinking was according to the law: no-one compelled anyone, for so the king had decreed to every dignitary of his house, so that everyone should do as he pleased. ⁹Vashti the queen also held a banquet for the women in King Ahasuerus's royal house. ¹⁰On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he told Mehuman, Bizzetha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas – seven eunuchs serving in the presence of King Ahasuerus – ¹¹to bring Vashti the queen before the king, with the royal diadem, to show the various peoples and the officers her beauty, for she was fair in appearance. ¹²But Vashti the queen refused to come at the king's bidding, which was conveyed by his eunuchs, and the king became very angry and his fury burned in him. ¹³And the king said to the wise men, who knew the times, for so was the word of the king before all those that knew the law and judicial system, ¹⁴with those near him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, seven officials of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and who were pre-eminent in the kingdom, ¹⁵“According to law, what should be done with Vashti the queen, for not doing the bidding of King Ahasuerus conveyed by his eunuchs?” ¹⁶And Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Vashti the queen has not done wrong to the king alone, but to all the officials and all the various peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. ¹⁷For the matter of the queen will go out to all the women, inducing them to despise their husbands in their eyes, when it is said, ‘King Ahasuerus gave orders to bring Vashti the queen before him, but she did not come.’ ¹⁸And on this day, the official consorts of Persia and Media who hear the matter of the queen will say likewise to all the king's officials, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. ¹⁹If the king approves, let a royal decree go out from him, and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which shall not lapse, that Vashti should not come before King Ahasuerus, and that the king shall give her royal estate to another better than she. ²⁰And the king's decree which he will make will be heard in all the kingdom, for it is great, that all wives should give honour to their husbands, to both great and small.” ²¹And the wording pleased the king and the officials, and the king acted according to the word of Memucan. ²²And he sent letters to all the king's provinces, to each individual province according to its script, and to each individual people according to their language, that every man should rule in his house, so declaring it in each language of his people.