Esther 1 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Feasts of the King and Queen

1 Now it happened ^H1961 in the days ^H3117 of Ahasuerus ^H325, the Ahasuerus ^H325 who reigned ^H4427 from India ^H1912 to [fn]Ethiopia ^H3568 over 127 ^{H7651 H6242 H3967} provinces ^H4082,

2 in those ^H1992 days ^H3117 as King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 sat ^H3427 on his royal ^H4438 throne ^H3678 which ^H834 was at the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800, 3 in the third ^H7969 year ^H8141 of his reign ^H4427, he held ^H6213 a feast ^H4960 for all ^H3605 his princes ^H8269 and servants ^H5650, the military ^H2428 officers of Persia ^H6539 and Media ^H4074, the nobles ^H6579 and the princes ^H8269 of his provinces ^H4082 being in his presence ^H6440, 4 [fn]while he displayed ^H7200 the riches ^H6239 of his royal ^H4438 glory ^H3519 and the splendor ^H3366 of his great ^H1420 majesty ^H1420 for many ^H7227 days ^H3117, 180 ^H8084 H3967 days ^H3117.

5 And when these ^H428 days ^H3117 were fulfilled ^H4390, the king ^H4428 held ^H6213 a feast ^H4960 lasting seven ^H7651 days ^H3117 for all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who were ^H4672 present ^H4672 at the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800, from the greatest ^H1419 to the least ^H6996, in the court ^H2691 of the garden ^H1593 of the king’s ^H4428 palace ^H1055. 6 There were hangings of fine ^H2353 white ^H2353 and [fn]blue ^H8504 linen ^H3768 held ^H270 by cords ^H2256 of fine ^H948 purple ^H713 linen ^H948 on silver ^H3701 rings ^H1551 and marble ^H8336 pillars ^H5982, and couches ^H4296 of gold ^H2091 and silver ^H3701 on a mosaic ^H7531 pavement ^H7531 of porphyry ^H923, marble ^H8336, mother-of-pearl ^H1858, and precious ^H5508 stones ^H5508. 7 And drinks ^H8248 were served ^H8248 in golden ^H2091 vessels ^H3627 of various ^H8132 kinds ^H3627, and the royal ^H4438 wine ^H3196 was plentiful ^H7227 according to the king’s ^H4428 hand ^H3027. 8 And the drinking ^H8360 was done according to the law ^H1881; there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 compulsion ^H597, for so ^H3651 the king ^H4428 had established ^H3245 it for each ^H3605 official ^H7227 of his household ^H1004—that he should do ^H6213 according to what pleased ^H7522 each ^H376 person ^H376. 9 Queen ^H4436 Vashti ^H2060 also ^H1571 held ^H6213 a feast ^H4960 for the women ^H802 in the royal ^H4438 house ^H1004 which ^H834 belonged to King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325.

Queen Vashti’s Refusal

10 On the seventh ^H7637 day ^H3117, when the heart ^H3820 of the king ^H4428 was merry ^H2895 with wine ^H3196, he said ^H559 for Mehuman ^H4104, Biztha ^H968, Harbona ^H2726, Bigtha ^H903, Abagtha ^H5, Zethar ^H2242, and Carkas ^H3752, the seven ^H7651 eunuchs ^H5631 who attended ^H8334 to the presence ^H6440 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325,

11 to bring ^H935 Queen ^H4436 Vashti ^H2060 before ^H6440 the king ^H4428 with her royal ^H4438 crown ^H3804 in order to display ^H7200 her beauty ^H3308 to the people ^H5971 and the princes ^H8269, for she was [fn]beautiful ^H2896 in appearance ^H4578. 12 But Queen ^H4436 Vashti ^H2060 refused ^H3985 to come ^H935 at the word ^H1697 of the king ^H4428 which was delivered by the hand ^H3027 of the eunuchs ^H5631. Then the king ^H4428 became ^H7107 exceedingly ^H3966 furious ^H7107, and his wrath ^H2534 burned ^H1197 within him.

13 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to the wise ^H2450 men ^H2450 who knew ^H3045 the times ^H6256—for it was the custom ^H1697 of the king ^H4428 thus ^H3651 to speak before ^H6440 all ^H3605 who knew ^H3045 law ^H1881 and justice ^H1779 14 and were close ^H7138 to him: Carshena ^H3771, Shethar ^H8369, Admatha ^H133, Tarshish ^H8659, Meres ^H4825, Marsena ^H4826, and Memucan ^H4462, the seven ^H7651 princes ^H8269 of Persia ^H6539 and Media ^H4074 who [fn]had ^H7200 access ^H7200 to the king’s ^H4428 presence ^H6440 and sat ^H3427 in the first ^H7223 place in the kingdom ^H4438— 15 “According to law ^H1881, what ^H4100 is to be done ^H6213 with Queen ^H4436 Vashti ^H2060, because ^H5921 H834 she did not do ^H6213 the declaration ^H3982 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 delivered by the hand ^H3024 of the eunuchs ^H5631?” 16 Then in the presence ^H6440 of the king ^H4428 and the princes ^H8269, Memucan ^H4462 said ^H559, “Queen ^H4436 Vashti ^H2060 has committed iniquity ^H5753 against not only ^H905 the king ^H4428 but also against all ^H3605 the princes ^H8269 and all ^H3605 the peoples ^H5971 who ^H834 are in all ^H3605 the provinces ^H4082 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325. 17 For the word ^H1697 about the queen ^H4436 will get ^H3318 out ^H3318 to all ^H3605 the women ^H802 causing them to despise ^H959 their husbands ^H1167 in their eyes ^H5869 by saying ^H559, ‘King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 said ^H559 for Queen ^H4436 Vashti ^H2060 to be brought ^H935 in ^H935 to his presence ^H6440, but she did not come ^H935.’ 18 This ^H2088 day ^H3117 the ladies ^H8282 of Persia ^H6539 and Media ^H4074 who ^H834 have heard ^H8085 of the word ^H1697 about the queen ^H4436 will speak ^H559 in the same way to all ^H3605 the king’s ^H4428 princes ^H8269, and there will be plenty ^H1767 of spite ^H963 and indignation ^H7110. 19 If ^H518 it seems good ^H2895 to the king ^H4428, let a royal ^H4438 word ^H1697 go ^H3318 forth ^H3318 from him, and let it be written ^H3789 in the laws ^H1881 of Persia ^H6539 and Media ^H4074 so that it cannot ^H3808 [fn]be repealed ^H5674, that Vashti ^H2060 may no ^H3808 longer come ^H935 into the presence ^H6440 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325, and let the king ^H4428 give ^H5414 her royal ^H4438 position ^H4438 to [fn]another ^H7468 who is better ^H2896 than ^H4480 she. 20 And the king’s ^H4428 sentence ^H6599, which ^H834 he will make ^H6213, will be heard ^H8085 throughout all ^H3605 his kingdom ^H4438, for it is [fn]vast ^H7227, and all ^H3605 women ^H802 will give ^H5414 respect ^H3366 to their husbands ^H1167, great ^H1419 and small ^H6996.”

21 And this word ^H1697 was good ^H3190 in the eyes ^H5869 of the king ^H4428 and the princes ^H8269, and the king ^H4428 did ^H6213 according to the word ^H1697 of Memucan ^H4462. 22 So he sent ^H7971 letters ^H5612 to all ^H3605 the king’s ^H4428 provinces ^H4082, to each ^H4082 province ^H4082 according to its script ^H3791 and to every ^H5971 people ^H5971 according to their tongue ^H3956, that every ^H3605 man ^H376 should be ^H8323 the ^H8323 ruler ^H8323 in his own house ^H1004 and the one who speaks ^H1696 in the tongue ^H3956 of his own people ^H5971.