³he gave a banquet in the third year of his reign for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and officials of the provinces were in his presence ⁴as he displayed the wealth of the glory of his kingdom and the glorious splendor of his greatness for many days, one hundred and eighty days^c.

⁵And when those days were completed, the king gave for all the people that were present at the citadel of Susa, both great and small, a banquet in the courtyard of the king’s palace garden that lasted seven days. ⁶There were curtains of finely woven linen and blue cloth tied with cords of fine white linen and purple cloth to silver curtain rings and pillars of alabaster, and couches of gold and silver on a paved floor of alabaster, precious stone, mother-of-pearl, and costly stones.^d ⁷Drinks were served in goblets of gold and goblets of different kinds,^e and there was plentiful royal wine according to the bounty of the king.^f ⁸There were no restrictions on the drinking, for the king had instructed every official of his palace to do as each one pleased.

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Footnotes

cHebrew “day”
dHebrew “stone”
eLiterally “goblets from changing goblets”
fLiterally “much wine of the kingdom according to the hand of the king”