The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Esther 1

1[In the second year of the reign of Ahasuerus the great king, on the first day of Nisan, Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew dwelling in the city Susa, a great man, serving in the king’s palace, saw a vision. Now he was of the captivity which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried captive from Jerusalem, with Jeconiah the king of Judea. This was his dream: Behold, voices and a noise, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth. And, behold, two great serpents came out, both ready for conflict. A great voice came from them. Every nation was prepared for battle by their voice, even to fight against the nation of the just. Behold, a day of darkness and blackness, tribulation and anguish, affection and tumult upon the earth. And all the righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own afflictions. They prepared to die, and cried to God. Something like a great river from a little spring with much water, came from their cry. Light and the sun arose, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the honorable. And it came to pass after these 1.1: Note. - In the Hebrew and some copies of LXX, Esther begins here. things in the days of Ahasuerus, —(this Ahasuerus ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India)— 1.1: Greek words. 2in those days, when king Ahasuerus was on the throne in the city of Susa. 3In the third year of his reign, he made a feast for his friends, and the other nations, and for the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and the chief of the satraps. 4After this, after he had shown them the wealth of his kingdom and the abundant glory of his wealth during one hundred eighty days, 5when the days of the marriage feast were completed, the king made a banquet for the people of the nations who were present in the city for six days, in the court of the king’s house, 6which was adorned with fine linen and flax on cords of fine linen and purple, fastened to golden and silver studs, on pillars of white marble and stone. There were golden and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, and of pearl, and of white marble, with transparent coverings variously flowered, having roses worked around it. 7There were gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out of the value of thirty thousand talents, with abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank. 8This banquet was not according to the appointed law; but as the king desired to have it. He charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company. 9Also Vashti the queen made a banquet for the women in the palace where king Ahasuerus lived. 10Now on the seventh day, the king, being merry, told Haman, Bazan, Tharrha, Baraze, Zatholtha, Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains, servants of king Ahasuerus, 11to bring in the queen to him, to enthrone her, and crown her with the diadem, and to show her to the princes, and her beauty to the nations: for she was beautiful. 1.11: Greek to make her queen. 12But queen Vashti didn’t listen to him to come with the chamberlains; so the king was grieved and angered. 13And he said to his friends, “This is what Vashti said. Therefore pronounce your legal judgement on this case.” 14So Arkesaeus, Sarsathaeus, and Malisear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, who sat chief in rank by the king, drew near to him, 15and reported to him according to the laws what it was proper to do to queen Vashti, because she had not done the things commanded by the king through the chamberlains. 16And Memucan said to the king and to the princes, “Queen Vashti has not wronged the king only, but also all the king’s rulers and princes: 17for he has told them the words of the queen, and how she disobeyed the king. As she then refused to obey king Ahasuerus, 1.17: Greek contradicted. 18so this day the other wives of the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, having heard what she said to the king, will dare in the same way to dishonor their husbands. 19If then it seems good to the king, let him make a royal decree, and let it be written according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, and let him not alter it: ‘Don’t allow the queen come in to him any more. Let the king give her royalty to a woman better than she.’ 20Let the law of the king which he will have made be widely proclaimed in his kingdom. Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich.” 21This advice pleased the king and the princes; and the king did as Memucan had said, 22and sent into all his kingdom through the several provinces, according to their language, so that men might be feared in their own houses.