Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from
India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, in those days when King
Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, in the
third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and
servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors
of the provinces were before him, while he showed the riches of his
royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many
days, 180 days. And when these days were completed, the king gave
for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and
small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of
the king's palace. There were white cotton curtains and violet
hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver
rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a
mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious
stones. Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different
kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of
the king. And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no
compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his
palace to do as each man desired. Queen Vashti also gave a feast
for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with
wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha,
Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of
King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her
royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her
beauty, for she was lovely to look at. But Queen Vashti refused to
come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the
king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.
Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this
was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and
judgment, the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha,
Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia
and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom):
“According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because
she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by
the eunuchs?” Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the
officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong,
but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in
all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For the queen's behavior will
be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands
with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen
Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ This very
day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the
queen's behavior will say the same to all the king's officials, and
there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. If it please the king,
let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the
laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed,
that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let
the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.
So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all
his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their
husbands, high and low alike.” This advice pleased the king and the
princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. He sent letters to
all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to
every people in its own language, that every man be master in his
own household and speak according to the language of his people.
