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Esther: The Book of
Esther: The Book of
ESTHER
CHAPTER 1 bounty of the king.
1 In the days of Ahasu-e'rus, 8 And drinking was according
the Ahasu-e'rus who reigned to the law, no one was com-
from India to Ethiopia over pelled; for the king had given
one hundred and twenty-seven orders to all the officials of his
provinces, palace to do as every man de-
2 in those days when King sired.
Ahasu-e'rus sat on his royal 9 Queen Vashti also gave a
throne in Susa the capital, banquet for the women in the
3 in the third year of his reign palace which belonged to King
he gave a banquet for all his Ahasu-e'rus.
princes and servants, the 10 On the seventh day, when
army chiefs of Persia and Me- the heart of the king was mer-
dia and the nobles and gover- ry with wine, he commanded
nors of the provinces being Mehu'man, Biztha, Harbo'na,
before him, Bigtha and Abag'tha, Zethar
4 while he showed the riches and Carkas, the seven eu-
of his royal glory and the nuchs who served King Ahasu-
splendor and pomp of his e'rus as chamberlains,
majesty for many days, a hun- 11 to bring Queen Vashti be-
dred and eighty days. fore the king with her royal
5 And when these days were crown, in order to show the
completed, the king gave for peoples and the princes her
all the people present in Susa beauty; for she was fair to be-
the capital, both great and hold.
small, a banquet lasting for 12 But Queen Vashti refused
seven days, in the court of the to come at the king's com-
garden of the king's palace. mand conveyed by the eu-
6 There were white cotton nuchs. At this the king was en-
curtains and blue hangings raged, and his anger burned
caught up with cords of fine within him.
linen and purple to silver rings 13 Then the king said to the
and marble pillars, and also wise men who knew the times
couches of gold and silver on — for this was the king's pro-
a mosaic pavement of por- cedure toward all who were
phyry, marble, mother-of-pearl versed in law and judgment,
and precious stones. 14 the men next to him being
7 Drinks were served in gold- Carshe'na, Shethar, Adma'tha,
en goblets, goblets of different Tarshish, Meres, Marse'na, and
kinds, and the royal wine was Memu'can, the seven princes
lavished according to the of Persia and Media, who saw
1
ESTHER
the king's face, and sat first in give honor to their husbands,
the kingdom — : high and low."
15 "According to the law, 21 This advice pleased the
what is to be done to Queen king and the princes, and the
Vashti, because she has not king did as Memu'can pro-
performed the command of posed;
King Ahasu-e'rus conveyed by 22 he sent letters to all the
the eunuchs?" royal provinces, to every prov-
16 Then Memu'can said in ince in its own script and to
presence of the king and the every people in its own lan-
princes, "Not only to the king guage, that every man be lord
has Queen Vashti done wrong, in his own house and speak
but also to all the princes and according to the language of
all the peoples who are in all his people.
the provinces of King Ahasu-
e'rus. CHAPTER 2
17 For this deed of the queen 1 After these things, when
will be made known to all the anger of King Ahasu-e'rus
women, causing them to look had abated, he remembered
with contempt upon their hus- Vashti and what she had done
bands, since they will say, and what had been decreed
`King Ahasu-e'rus commanded against her.
Queen Vashti to be brought 2 Then the king's servants
before him, and she did not who attended him said, "Let
come.' beautiful young virgins be
18 This very day the ladies of sought out for the king.
Persia and Media who have 3 And let the king appoint of-
heard of the queen's behavior ficers in all the provinces of
will be telling it to all the his kingdom to gather all the
king's princes, and there will beautiful young virgins to the
be contempt and wrath in harem in Susa the capital, un-
plenty. der custody of Hegai the
19 If it please the king, let a king's eunuch who is in charge
royal order go forth from him, of the women; let their oint-
and let it be written among ments be given them.
the laws of the Persians and
the Medes so that it may not 4 And let the maiden who
be altered, that Vashti is to pleases the king be queen in-
come no more before King stead of Vashti." This pleased
Ahasu-e'rus; and let the king the king, and he did so.
give her royal position to an- 5 Now there was a Jew in
other who is better than she. Susa the capital whose name
20 So when the decree made was Mor'decai, the son of Ja'ir,
by the king is proclaimed son of Shim'e-i, son of Kish, a
throughout all his kingdom, Benjaminite,
vast as it is, all women will 6 who had been carried away
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CHAPTER 10
1 King Ahasu-e'rus laid trib-
ute on the land and on the
coastlands of the sea.
2 And all the acts of his pow-
er and might, and the full ac-
count of the high honor of
Mor'decai, to which the king
advanced him, are they not
written in the Book of the
Chronicles of the kings of Me-
dia and Persia?
3 For Mor'decai the Jew was
next in rank to King Ahasu-
e'rus, and he was great among
the Jews and popular with the
multitude of his brethren, for
he sought the welfare of his
people and spoke peace to all
his people.
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