Esther 1
1aIN the second year of the great king Artaxerxes, on the first day of the month Nisan, Mordecai,* the son of Jairus, son of Semei, son of Kisai, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew who dwelt in the city of Susa, and a great man (being an attendant in the king’s court), beheld a vision.
2aNow he was one of the captives whom Nabuchodonosar, king of Babylon, carried off from Jerusalem with Jechonias, the king of Judea. And this was his dream:
3aBehold! a din and uproar, thunder with earthquake, and confusion abroad on the earth. And behold, two great dragons came forth, both ready for conflict, and their voice was great. And at their cry all nations made ready for battle, to war against the righteous nation. And lo! a day of black darkness, tribulation and anguish, affliction and great disorder upon earth. And the whole righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own miseries, and prepared to perish. Then they cried unto God, and at their entreaty there appeared a great stream from a small fountain, even much water. The light and the sun arose, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the mighty.
4aAnd when Mordecai, who had seen this dream, and what God had purposed to do, had arisen from sleep, he bore this dream in mind, and, until nightfall, tried all means in his desire to know what it meant. And Mordecai went to rest in the palace with Gabatha and Tharrha, the two eunuchs of the king, and palace guards, and he heard their plotting and searched out their conspiracy, and learned that they were about to lay violent hands on king Artaxerxes; and so he told the king about them. Then the king examined the two eunuchs, and they confessed and they were condemned. And the king made a written memorial of these matters, and Mordecai also recorded them. So the king commanded Mordecai to attend at court and rewarded him for this [loyalty].
5aHowever, Haman,† the son of Amadathes the Bougian, who was in honor with the king, sought to do harm to Mordecai and his people because of [how Mordecai had discovered] the two eunuchs of the king.
1After these things, in the days of Artaxerxes the same who reigned from India, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces,
2when Artaxerxes was settled on his throne in the city Susoi,
3in the third year of his reign, he made an entertainment for his friends, both for other nations, and for the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and for the governors.
4And having after this displayed to them the riches of his kingdom, and the transporting glory of his riches, for a hundred and eighty days,
5when the days of his marriage were fulfilled, the king made an entertainment for all the nations who were in the city, for six days, in the court of the royal palace,
6which was adorned with painted hangings of cotton, extended with cords of cotton, and purple yarn, to capitals of gold and silver, on pillars of Parian marble and alabaster. The couches were of gold and silver, on a pavement of smaragdine, pinine, and parian stone; and their covers were of gauze, painted with a variety of flowers; and roses were scattered all around.
7The goblets of gold and silver, with a small carbuncle-bejeweled cup to each, amounted in value to thirty thousand talents. There was wine in abundance and of a sweet quality, such as the king himself drank.
8Now this entertainment was not according to an established custom; but the king would have it so, and he commanded the stewards to comply with his pleasure, and that of the guests.
9Astin the queen also made an entertainment for the women in the royal palace, where king Artaxerxes was.
10And on the seventh day, the king, in high good humour, ordered Aman and Basan and Tharra and Barazi and Zatholtha and Abataza and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains who waited on king Artaxerxes,
11to bring the queen to him to proclaim her queen, and crown her with a diadem, and shew her to the chiefs, and her beauty to the nations; for she was beautiful.
12But queen Astin hearkened not to him to come with the chamberlain, at which the king was greatly offended and inflamed with anger
13and he said to his friends, Astin hath spoken so and so; do you therefore execute law and judgment, touching this matter.
14Thereupon there came before him, Arkesaius and Sarsathaius and Malisear the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, and had the first seats next him;
15and told him according to the laws what ought to be done to queen Astin, because she had not done what the king had commanded by the chamberlains.
16And Muchaius said to the king and to the chiefs, Queen Astin hath wronged, not the king only, but also all the king’s chiefs and leaders;
17for he hath told them the queen’s conduct and how she hath contradicted the king. Therefore as she hath contradicted the king Artaxerxes, so will the rest of the ladies now,
18the wives of the Persian and Medean princes, upon hearing what she hath said to the king, presume in like manner to dishonour their husbands.
19If therefore it seemeth good to the king, let him pass a royal decree and let it be written according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, and let him not alter it nor suffer the queen any more to approach him; but let the king give her royalty to another woman, better than her.
20And let this edict of the king be proclaimed, which if he cause to be done throughout his kingdom, then will all the women both rich and poor, pay respect to their husbands.
21And the speech pleased the king and the princes; and the king did as Muchaius had spoken,
22and sent the decree throughout the whole kingdom, into every province in the language and writing thereof, that men might be feared by their own families.