1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Esther 1

1 Ahasuerus maketh royal feasts. 10 Vashti, sent for, refuseth to come. 13 Ahasuerus, by the counsel of Memucan, maketh the decree of man's sovereignty.

 1:1 Now it took 1961 place 1961 in the days 3117 of Ahasuerus 325, the Ahasuerus 325 who reigned 4427a from India 1912 to Ethiopia 3568a over 127 7651 6242 3967 provinces 4082,

 1:2 in those 1992a days 3117 as King 4428 Ahasuerus 325 sat 3427 on his royal 4438 throne 3678 which 834 [was] at the citadel 1002 in Susa 7800,

 1:3 in the third 7969 year 8141 of his reign 4427a he gave 6213a a banquet 4960 for all 3605 his princes 8269 and attendants 5650, the army 2428 [officers] of Persia 6539 and Media 4074, the nobles 6579 and the princes 8269 of his provinces 4082 being in his presence 6440.

 1:4 And he displayed 7200 the riches 6239 of his royal 4438 glory 3519b and the splendor 3366 of his great 1420 majesty 1420 for many 7227a days 3117, 180 8084 3967 days 3117.

 1:5 ¶ When these 428 days 3117 were completed 4390, the king 4428 gave 6213a a banquet 4960 lasting seven 7651 days 3117 for all 3605 the people 5971a who were present 4672 at the citadel 1002 in Susa 7800, from the greatest 1419 to the least 6996a, in the court 2691a of the garden 1593 of the king’s 4428 palace 1055.

 1:6 [There were hangings of] fine 3768 white 2353 and violet 8504 linen 3768 held 270 by cords 2256a of fine 948 purple 713 linen 948 on silver 3701 rings 1551 and marble 8337b columns 5982, [and] couches 4296 of gold 2091 and silver 3701 on a mosaic 7531b pavement 7531b of porphyry 923, marble 8337b, mother-of-pearl 1858 and precious 5508 stones 5508.

 1:7 Drinks 8248 were served 8248 in golden 2091 vessels 3627 of various 8132 kinds 3627, and the royal 4438 wine 3196 was plentiful 7227a according to the king’s 4428 bounty 3027.

 1:8 The drinking 8360 was [done] according to the law 1881, there 369 was no 369 compulsion 597, for so 3651 the king 4428 had given 3245 orders 3245 to each 3605 official 7227b of his household 1004 that he should do 6213a according to the desires 7522 of each 376 person 376.

 1:9 Queen 4436 Vashti 2060 also 1571 gave 6213a a banquet 4960 for the women 802 in the palace 1004 which 834 belonged to King 4428 Ahasuerus 325.

 1:10 ¶ On the seventh 7637 day 3117, when the heart 3820 of the king 4428 was merry 2895 with wine 3196, he commanded 559 Mehuman 4104, Biztha 968, Harbona 2726, Bigtha 903, Abagtha 5, Zethar 2242 and Carkas 3752, the seven 7651 eunuchs 5631 who served 8334 in the presence 6440 of King 4428 Ahasuerus 325,

 1:11 to bring 935 Queen 4436 Vashti 2060 before 6440 the king 4428 with [her] royal 4438 crown 3804 in order to display 7200 her beauty 3308 to the people 5971a and the princes 8269, for she was beautiful 2896a.

 1:12 But Queen 4436 Vashti 2060 refused 3985 to come 935 at the king’s 4428 command 1697 delivered 3027 by the eunuchs 5631. Then the king 4428 became 7107 very 3966 angry 7107 and his wrath 2534 burned 1197a within him.

 1:13 ¶ Then the king 4428 said 559 to the wise 2450 men 2450 who understood 3045 the times 6256—for it was the custom 1697 of the king 4428 so 3651 [to speak] before 6440 all 3605 who knew 3045 law 1881 and justice 1779

 1:14 and were close 7138 to him: Carshena 3771, Shethar 8369, Admatha 133, Tarshish 8659, Meres 4825, Marsena 4826 and Memucan 4462, the seven 7651 princes 8269 of Persia 6539 and Media 4074 who had access 7200 to the king’s 4428 presence 6440 and sat 3427 in the first 7223 place in the kingdom 4438—

 1:15 “According to law 1881, what 4100 is to be done 6213a with Queen 4436 Vashti 2060, because 5921 834 she did not obey 6213a the command 3982 of King 4428 Ahasuerus 325 [delivered] by the eunuchs 5631?”

 1:16 In the presence 6440 of the king 4428 and the princes 8269, Memucan 4462 said 559, “Queen 4436 Vashti 2060 has wronged 5753b not only 905 the king 4428 but [also] all 3605 the princes 8269 and all 3605 the peoples 5971a who 834 are in all 3605 the provinces 4082 of King 4428 Ahasuerus 325.

 1:17 “For the queen’s 4436 conduct 1697 will become 3318 known 3318 to all 3605 the women 802 causing them to look 5869 with contempt 959 on their husbands 1167 by saying 559, ‘King 4428 Ahasuerus 325 commanded 559 Queen 4436 Vashti 2060 to be brought 935 in to his presence 6440, but she did not come 935.’

 1:18 “This 2088 day 3117 the ladies 8282 of Persia 6539 and Media 4074 who 834 have heard 8085 of the queen’s 4436 conduct 1697 will speak 559 in [the same way] to all 3605 the king’s 4428 princes 8269, and there will be plenty 1767 of contempt 963 and anger 7110a.

 1:19 “If 518 it pleases 2895 the king 4428, let a royal 4438 edict 1697 be issued 3318 by him and let it be written 3789 in the laws 1881 of Persia 6539 and Media 4074 so that it cannot 3808 be repealed 5674a, that Vashti 2060 may no 3808 longer come 935 into the presence 6440 of King 4428 Ahasuerus 325, and let the king 4428 give 5414 her royal 4438 position 4438 to another 7468 who is more 4480 worthy 2896a than 4480 she.

 1:20 “When the king’s 4428 edict 6599 which 834 he will make 6213a is heard 8085 throughout all 3605 his kingdom 4438, great 7227a as it is, then all 3605 women 802 will give 5414 honor 3366 to their husbands 1167, great 1419 and small 6996a.”

 1:21 ¶ [This] word 1697 pleased 3190 5869 the king 4428 and the princes 8269, and the king 4428 did 6213a as Memucan 4462 proposed 1697.

 1:22 So he sent 7971 letters 5612 to all 3605 the king’s 4428 provinces 4082, to each 4082 province 4082 according to its script 3791 and to every 5971a people 5971a according to their language 3956, that every 3605 man 376 should be the master 8323 in his own house 1004 and the one who speaks 1696 in the language 3956 of his own people 5971a.