ESTHER Chapter 1 (GNB)
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1:1 From his royal
throne in Persia's capital city of Susa, King Xerxes ruled 127 provinces, all
the way from India to Ethiopia. |
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1:2 (SEE 1:1)
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1:3 In the third
year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his officials and administrators.
The armies of Persia and Media were present, as well as the governors and
noblemen of the provinces. |
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1:4 For six whole
months he made a show of the riches of the imperial court with all its
splendor and majesty. |
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1:5 After that,
the king gave a banquet for all the people in the capital city of Susa, rich
and poor alike. It lasted a whole week and was held in the gardens of the
royal palace. |
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1:6 The courtyard
there was decorated with blue and white cotton curtains, tied by cords of
fine purple linen to silver rings on marble columns. Couches made of gold and
silver had been placed in the courtyard, which was paved with white marble,
red feldspar, shining mother-of-pearl, and blue turquoise. |
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1:7 Drinks were
served in gold cups, no two of them alike, and the king was generous with the
royal wine. |
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1:8 There were no
limits on the drinks; the king had given orders to the palace servants that
everyone could have as much as they wanted. |
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1:9 Meanwhile,
inside the royal palace Queen Vashti was giving a banquet for the women. |
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1:10 On the seventh
day of his banquet the king was drinking and feeling happy, so he called in
the seven eunuchs who were his personal servants, Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona,
Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas. |
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1:11 He ordered
them to bring in Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown. The queen was a
beautiful woman, and the king wanted to show off her beauty to the officials
and all his guests. |
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1:12 But when the
servants told Queen Vashti of the king's command, she refused to come. This
made the king furious. |
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1:13 Now it was the
king's custom to ask for expert opinion on questions of law and order, so he
called for his advisers, who would know what should be done. |
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1:14 Those he most
often turned to for advice were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres,
Marsena, and Memucan---seven officials of Persia and Media who held the
highest offices in the kingdom. |
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1:15 He said to
these men, "I, King Xerxes, sent my servants to Queen Vashti with a
command, and she refused to obey it! What does the law say that we should do
with her?" |
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1:16 Then Memucan
declared to the king and his officials: "Queen Vashti has insulted not
only the king but also his officials---in fact, every man in the empire! |
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1:17 Every woman in
the empire will start looking down on her husband as soon as she hears what
the queen has done. They'll say, 'King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to come
to him, and she refused.' |
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1:18 When the wives
of the royal officials of Persia and Media hear about the queen's behavior,
they will be telling their husbands about it before the day is out. Wives
everywhere will have no respect for their husbands, and husbands will be
angry with their wives. |
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1:19 If it please Your Majesty, issue a royal proclamation that
Vashti may never again appear before the king. Have it written into the laws
of Persia and Media, so that it can never be changed. Then give her place as
queen to some better woman. |
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1:20 When your
proclamation is made known all over this huge empire, every woman will treat
her husband with proper respect, whether he's rich or poor." |
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1:21 The king and
his officials liked this idea, and the king did what
Memucan suggested. |
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1:22 To each of the
royal provinces he sent a message in the language and the system of writing
of that province, saying that every husband should be the master of his home
and speak with final authority. |
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