The King Displays His Splendor
Esther is the one book that never names God—no prayer, no miracle, no mention of the LORD. Yet from a Persian palace an orphaned girl is raised up “for such a time as this,” and a marked people is delivered. The Father’s name is absent; His hand is everywhere.
1 1This happened in the days of Ahasuerus — the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Cush over 127 provinces, a a v1 Cush was the land south of Egypt, along the upper Nile — roughly modern Sudan and southern Egypt. 2in those days, when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3in his third year as king he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media, the nobles, and provincial officials were assembled before him, 4for 180 days he displayed his kingdom's rich glory and his greatness's splendid honor.
5When these days ended, the king gave a seven-day feast for everyone in the Susa fortress, great and small, in the courtyard of the palace garden. 6White cotton and blue hangings held with fine linen and purple cords to silver rings on marble pillars; gold and silver couches on a mosaic of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and colored stone. b b v6 Porphyry is a hard decorative stone prized in the ancient world for its deep purple and red coloring. 7Drinks were served in gold goblets, each different, and royal wine flowed freely by the king's generosity. 8Drinking followed a rule: no compulsion — the king had ordered every household official to grant each man his own wish.
Queen Vashti Refuses the King
9Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus.
10On the seventh day, when wine had made the king merry, he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, King Ahasuerus's seven eunuchs, 11to bring Queen Vashti before the king in the royal crown, to show the peoples and officials her beauty, for she was beautiful. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command through the eunuchs; he grew furious, anger blazing in him.
13The king then spoke to the wise men who knew the times—for it was the king's custom to bring any matter before all skilled in law and judgment. 14Next to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan — Persia and Media's seven officials who saw the king's face, ranking highest in the kingdom. 15"By law, what's due Queen Vashti for disobeying King Ahasuerus's command, sent through the eunuchs?"
16Memucan told the king and officials, "Queen Vashti wronged not only the king, but all officials, all peoples, in all provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17The queen's act will reach all women, making them despise their husbands in their eyes: 'King Ahasuerus summoned Queen Vashti, and she did not come.'" 18Today the noblewomen of Persia and Media who heard the queen's conduct will say the same to all the king's officials — no end of contempt and rage.
19If it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, written into the laws of Persia and Media, beyond repeal, that Vashti never again come before King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to another woman better than she. 20When the king's decree spreads through his vast kingdom, all wives will honor their husbands, great and small.
21This advice pleased the king and the officials, and the king did just as Memucan proposed. 22He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script, every people in its own language: each man is to rule his household and speak his own people's language.
