Esther 1
1 In the dayes of Ahashuerosh (this is Ahashuerosh that reigned, from India euen vnto Ethiopia, ouer an hundreth, and seuen and twentie prouinces)
And it cometh to pass, in the days of Ahasuerus — he [is] Ahasuerus who is reigning from Hodu even unto Cush, seven and twenty and a hundred provinces —
2 In those dayes when the King Ahashuerosh sate on his throne, which was in the palace of Shushan,
in those days, at the sitting of the king Ahasuerus on the throne of his kingdom, that [is] in Shushan the palace,
3 In the third yeere of his reigne, he made a feast vnto all his princes and his seruants, euen the power of Persia and Media, and to the captaines and gouernours of the prouinces which were before him,
in the third year of his reign, he hath made a banquet to all his heads and his servants; of the force of Persia and Media, the chiefs and heads of the provinces [are] before him,
4 That he might shewe the riches and glorie of his kingdome, and the honour of his great maiestie many dayes, euen an hundreth and foure score dayes.
in his shewing the wealth of the honour of his kingdom, and the glory of the beauty of his greatness, many days — eighty and a hundred days.
5 And when these dayes were expired, the King made a feast to all the people that were founde in the palace of Shushan, both vnto great and small, seuen dayes, in the court of the garden of the Kings palace,
And at the fulness of these days hath the king made to all the people who are found in Shushan the palace, from great even unto small, a banquet, seven days, in the court of the garden of the house of the king —
6 Vnder an hanging of white, greene, and blue clothes, fastened with cordes of fine linen and purple, in siluer rings, and pillars of marble: the beds were of golde, and of siluer vpon a pauement of porphyre, and marble and alabaster, and blue colour.
white linen, white cotton, and blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on rings of silver, and pillars of marble, couches of gold, and of silver, on a pavement of smaragdus, and white marble, and mother-of-pearl, and black marble —
7 And they gaue them drinke in vessels of golde, and changed vessel after vessel, and royall wine in abundance according to the power of the King.
and the giving of drink in vessels of gold, and the vessels [are] divers vessels, and the royal wine [is] abundant, as a memorial of the king.
8 And the drinking was by an order, none might compel: for so the King had appoynted vnto all the officers of his house, that they should do according to euery mans pleasure.
And the drinking [is] according to law, none is pressing, for so hath the king appointed for every chief one of his house, to do according to the pleasure of man and man.
9 The Queene Vashti made a feast also for the women in the royall house of King Ahashuerosh.
Also Vashti the queen hath made a banquet for women, in the royal house that the king Ahasuerus hath.
10 Vpon the seuenth daye when the King was merie with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seuen eunuches, (that serued in the presence of King Ahashuerosh)
On the seventh day, as the heart of the king is glad with wine, he hath said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who are ministering in the presence of the king Ahasuerus,
11 To bring Queene Vashti before the King with the crowne royall, that he might shewe the people and the princes her beautie: for shee was fayre to looke vpon.
to bring in Vashti the queen before the king, with a royal crown, to shew the peoples and the heads her beauty, for she [is] of good appearance,
12 But the Queene Vashti refused to come at the Kings worde, which he had giuen in charge to the eunuches: therefore the King was very angry, and his wrath kindled in him.
and the queen Vashti refuseth to come in at the word of the king that [is] by the hand of the eunuchs, and the king is very wroth, and his fury hath burned in him.
13 Then the King said to the wise men, that knew the times (for so was the Kings maner towards all that knew the law and the iudgement:
And the king saith to wise men, knowing the times — for so [is] the word of the king before all knowing law and judgment,
14 And the next vnto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan the seuen princes of Persia and Media, which sawe the Kings face, and sate the first in the kingdome)
and he who is near unto him [is] Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, seven heads of Persia and Media seeing the face of the king, who are sitting first in the kingdom —
15 What shall we do vnto the Queene Vashti according to the law, because she did not according to the worde of the King Ahashuerosh by the commission of the eunuches?
'According to law, what — to do with queen Vashti, because that she hath not done the saying of the king Ahasuerus by the hand of the eunuchs?'
16 Then Memucan answered before the King and the Princes, The Queene Vashti hath not only done euill against the King, but against all the princes, and against all the people that are in all the prouinces of King Ahashuerosh.
And Memucan saith before the king and the heads, 'Not against the king by himself hath Vashti the queen done perversely, but against all the heads, and against all the peoples that [are] in all provinces of the king Ahasuerus;
17 For the acte of the Queene shall come abroade vnto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their owne eyes, and shall say, The King Ahashuerosh comanded Vashti the Queene to be brought in before him, but she came not.
for go forth doth the word of the queen unto all the women, to render their husbands contemptible in their eyes, in their saying, The king Ahasuerus said to bring in Vashti the queen before him, and she did not come;
18 So shall the princesses of Persia and Media this day say vnto all the Kings Princes, when they heare of the acte of the Queene: thus shall there be much despitefulnesse and wrath.
yea, this day do princesses of Persia and Media, who have heard the word of the queen, say [so] to all heads of the king, even according to the sufficiency of contempt and wrath.
19 If it please the King, let a royal decree proceede from him, and let it be written among the statutes of Persia, and Media, (and let it not be transgressed) that Vashti come no more before King Ahashuerosh: and let the King giue her royal estate vnto her companion that is better then she.
'If to the king [it be] good, there goeth forth a royal word from before him, and it is written with the laws of Persia and Media, and doth not pass away, that Vashti doth not come in before the king Ahasuerus, and her royalty doth the king give to her companion who [is] better than she;
20 And when the decree of the King which shalbe made, shalbe published throughout all his kingdome (though it be great) all the women shall giue their husbands honour, both great and small.
and the sentence of the king that he maketh hath been heard in all his kingdom — for it [is] great — and all the wives give honour to their husbands, from great even unto small.'
21 And this saying pleased the King and the princes, and the King did according to the worde of Memucan.
And the thing is good in the eyes of the king, and of the princes, and the king doth according to the word of Memucan,
22 For he sent letters into all the prouinces of the King, into euery prouince according to the writing thereof, and to euery people after their language, that euery man should beare rule in his owne house, and that he should publish it in the language of that same people.
and sendeth letters unto all provinces of the king, unto province and province according to its writing, and unto people and people according to its tongue, for every man being head in his own house — and speaking according to the language of his people.
