Esther 1:9–22

⁹Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women of King Ahasuerus’s palace.

¹⁰On the seventh day, when the king was feeling good from the wine,^q Ahasuerus commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona,^r Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—the seven eunuchs^s who personally served him—¹¹to bring Queen Vashti before him with her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the people and the officials, because she was very beautiful.^{t 12}But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command that was delivered by his eunuchs. The king became furious and his anger burned within him.^u

THE KING’S DECREE

¹³The king consulted the wise men^v who understood the times,^Cw for it was his normal procedure to confer with experts in law and justice. ¹⁴The most trusted ones^D were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven officials^x of Persia and Media^y who had personal access to the king^z and occupied the highest positions in the kingdom.^{aa 15}The king asked, “According to the law, what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey King Ahasuerus’s command that was delivered by the eunuchs?”

¹⁶Memucan said in the presence of the king and his officials, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the officials and the peoples who are in every one of King Ahasuerus’s provinces.^{ab 17}For the queen’s action will become public knowledge to all the women and cause them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti brought before him, but she did not come.’ ¹⁸Before this day is over, the noble women of Persia and Media who hear about the queen’s act will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in more contempt and fury.

¹⁹“If it meets the king’s approval, he should personally issue a royal decree. Let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be revoked:^ac Vashti is not to enter King Ahasuerus’s presence, and her royal position is to be given to another woman who is more worthy than she.^{ad 20}The decree the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom,^ae so all women will honor their husbands,^af from the greatest to the least.”^ag

²¹The king and his counselors approved the proposal, and he followed Memucan’s advice. ²²He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language,^ah that every man should be master of his own house and speak in the language of his own people.