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¹ And it happened, in the days of Ahasuerus (he is Ahasuerus who reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty seven provinces)² in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom in Shushan the palace,³ in the third year of his reign, he made a banquet for all his rulers and his servants. The power of Persia and Media, the nobles and the rulers of the provinces, were before him,⁴ when he made known the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the honor of his excellent greatness many days, even a hundred and eighty days.⁵ And when these days were fulfilled, the king made a banquet for all the peoples who were found in Shushan the palace, both to great and to small, for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace.⁶ There was overlaying with white linen and violet, with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of white marble. The couches were of gold and silver, on a red and white and pearl and black marble pavement.⁷ And they gave out drink in vessels of gold, the vessels differing from one another, and royal wine in abundance, according to the hand of the king.⁸ And the drinking was according to the law, no one compelling; for so the king had ordered every first one of his house that they should do according to every man's pleasure.⁹ Also Vashti the queen made a banquet for the women in the royal house which King Ahasuerus owned .

¹⁰ In the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who served before the face of Ahasuerus the king,¹¹ to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the royal crown, in order to make known to the people and the princes her beauty. For she was beautiful to look upon.¹² But Vashti the queen refused to come at the king's command by his eunuchs. And the king was very angry, and his fury burned within him.¹³ And the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for so was the king's manner toward all who knew law and judgment;¹⁴ and the ones next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven rulers of Persia and Media who saw the king's face, who sat first in the kingdom),¹⁵ What shall be done with Queen Vashti according to law, because she has not done the command of King Ahasuerus by the eunuchs?¹⁶ And Memucan answered before the king and rulers, Vashti the queen has not only done wrong to the king, but also to all the rulers, and to all the people who are in all the provinces of Ahasuerus the king.¹⁷ For the matter of the queen shall go out to all women, to make their husbands despised in their eyes, in their saying that King Ahasuerus said to bring in Vashti the queen before him, but she did not come.¹⁸ And this day the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard the queen's word shall say the same to all the king's rulers and there shall be contempt and strife.¹⁹ If it please the king, let there be a royal decree from him, and let it be written among the laws of Persia and Media so that it shall not pass away, that Vashti come no more before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal power to a neighbor who is better than she is.²⁰ And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, for it is great, all the wives shall give their husbands honor, both the small and the great.²¹ And the saying pleased the king, and the rulers. And the king did according to the word of Memucan.²² And he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to its writing, and to people and people, according to their language, so that every man should be ruling in his house; and speaking according to the language of hispeople.