Vashti Angers the King

1 These events took place during the days of Ahasuerus,^(A) who ruled 127 provinces^(B) from India to Cush. ² In those days King Ahasuerus reigned from his royal throne^(C) in the fortress at Susa.^{(D) 3} He held a feast^(E) in the third year of his reign for all his officials and staff, the army of Persia and Media,^(F) the nobles,^(G) and the officials from the provinces. ⁴ He displayed the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness^(H) for a total of 180 days.

⁵ At the end of this time, the king held a week-long banquet^(I) in the garden courtyard^(J) of the royal palace^(K) for all the people, from the greatest to the least,^(L) who were present in the fortress of Susa.^{(M) 6} White and blue linen hangings were fastened with fine white and purple linen cords to silver rods on marble^[a] columns. Gold and silver couches^(N) were arranged on a mosaic pavement of red feldspar,^[b] marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones.

⁷ Drinks were served in an array of gold goblets,^(O) each with a different design. Royal wine flowed freely, according to the king’s bounty.^{(P) 8} The drinking was according to royal decree: “There are no restrictions.” The king had ordered every wine steward in his household to serve whatever each person wanted. ⁹ Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women of King Ahasuerus’s palace.

¹⁰ On 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— ¹¹ to 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

¹³ The king consulted the wise men^(V) who understood the times,^[c](W) for it was his normal procedure to confer with experts in law and justice. ¹⁴ The 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?”

¹⁶ Memucan 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.’ ¹⁸ Before 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)

²¹ The king and his counselors approved the proposal, and he followed Memucan’s advice. ²² He 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.

The Search for a New Queen

2 Some time later,^(AI) when King Ahasuerus’s rage^(AJ) had cooled down, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what was decided against her.^{(AK) 2} The king’s personal attendants suggested, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king.^{(AL) 3} Let the king appoint commissioners^(AM) in each province of his kingdom, so that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem at the fortress of Susa.^(AN) Put them under the supervision of Hegai, the king’s eunuch,^(AO) keeper of the women,^(AP) and give them the required beauty treatments. ⁴ Then the young woman who pleases the king^(AQ) will become queen instead of Vashti.”^(AR) This suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

⁵ In the fortress of Susa, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai^(AS) son of Jair, son of Shimei,^(AT) son of Kish,^(AU) a Benjaminite. ⁶ Kish^[e] had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the other captives when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took King Jeconiah of Judah into exile.^{(AV) 7} Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin^[f] Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.^(AW)

⁸ When the king’s command and edict became public knowledge and when many young women were gathered at the fortress of Susa under Hegai’s supervision, Esther was taken to the palace, into the supervision of Hegai, keeper of the women. ⁹ The young woman pleased him and gained his favor so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem’s best quarters.

¹⁰ Esther did not reveal her ethnicity or her family background, because Mordecai had ordered her not to make them known. ¹¹ Every day Mordecai took a walk in front of the harem’s courtyard to learn how Esther was doing and to see what was happening to her.

¹² During the year before each young woman’s turn to go to King Ahasuerus, the harem regulation required her to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months. ¹³ When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the palace. ¹⁴ She would go in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the supervision of the king’s eunuch Shaashgaz, keeper of the concubines.^(AX) She never went to the king again, unless he desired her and summoned her by name.^(AY)

Esther Becomes Queen

¹⁵ Esther was the daughter of Abihail,^(AZ) the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter. When her turn came to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women, suggested. Esther gained favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.^(BA)

¹⁶ She was taken to King Ahasuerus in the palace in the tenth month, the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.^{(BB) 17} The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She won more favor and approval from him than did any of the other virgins. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.^{(BC) 18} The king held a great banquet for all his officials and staff.^(BD) It was Esther’s banquet. He freed his provinces from tax payments and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.^(BE)

Mordecai Saves the King

¹⁹ When the virgins^(BF) were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the King’s Gate.^{(BG) 20} Esther still did not reveal her family background or her ethnicity, as Mordecai had directed. She obeyed Mordecai’s orders, as she always had while he raised her.

²¹ During those days while Mordecai was sitting at the King’s Gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs^(BH) who guarded the entrance, became infuriated and planned to assassinate^[g] King Ahasuerus. ²² When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she told the king on Mordecai’s behalf.^{(BI) 23} When the report was investigated and verified, both men were hanged on the gallows.^(BJ) This event was recorded in the Historical Record in the king’s presence.

Haman’s Plan to Kill the Jews

3 After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite.^(BK) He promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials.^{(BL) 2} The entire royal staff at the King’s Gate^(BM) bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this to be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.^{(BN) 3} The members of the royal staff at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” ⁴ When they had warned him day after day^(BO) and he still would not listen to them, they told Haman in order to see if Mordecai’s actions would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or paying him homage, he was filled with rage.^{(BP) 6} And when he learned of Mordecai’s ethnic identity, it seemed repugnant to Haman to do away with^[h] Mordecai alone. He planned to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews,^(BQ) throughout Ahasuerus’s kingdom.^(BR)

⁷ In the first month, the month of Nisan, in King Ahasuerus’s twelfth year,^(BS) the pur—that is, the lot—was cast before Haman for each day in each month, and it fell on the twelfth month,^(BT) the month Adar.^{(BU) 8} Then Haman informed King Ahasuerus, “There is one ethnic group, scattered throughout the peoples in every province of your kingdom,^(BV) keeping themselves separate. Their laws are different from everyone else’s and they do not obey the king’s laws.^(BW) It is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.^{(BX) 9} If the king approves, let an order be drawn up authorizing their destruction, and I will pay 375 tons of silver to^[i] the officials for deposit in the royal treasury.”^(BY)

¹⁰ The king removed his signet ring^(BZ) from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.^{(CA) 11} Then the king told Haman, “The money and people are given to you to do with as you see fit.”

¹² The royal scribes were summoned^(CB) on the thirteenth day of the first month, and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded. It was intended for the royal satraps,^(CC) the governors of each of the provinces, and the officials of each ethnic group and written for each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language.^(CD) It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus^(CE) and sealed with the royal signet ring.^{(CF) 13} Letters were sent by couriers^(CG) to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions on a single day,^(CH) the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.^[j]

¹⁴ A copy of the text, issued as law throughout every province, was distributed to all the peoples so that they might get ready for that day. ¹⁵ The couriers left, spurred on by royal command, and the law was issued in the fortress of Susa.^(CI) The king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was in confusion.^(CJ)

Psalm 139

The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

Prologue

1 The revelation of^[a] Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants^(A) what must soon take place.^(B) He made it known by sending his angel^(C) to his servant John,^{(D) 2} who testified to the word of God and to the testimony^[b] of Jesus Christ,^(E) whatever he saw.^{[c] 3} Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,^(F) and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep^[d] what is written in it, because the time is near.

⁴ John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace^(G) to you from^[e] the one who is, who was, and who is to come,^(H) and from the seven spirits^[f](I) before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,^(J) the firstborn from the dead^(K) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.^(L)

To him who loves us and has set us free^[g] from our sins by his blood,^{(M) 6} and made us a kingdom,^[h] priests^[i](N) to his God and Father—to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.^(O)

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^(S) says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

John’s Vision of the Risen Lord

⁹ I, John, your brother and partner in the affliction,^(T) kingdom,^(U) and endurance^(V) that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.^{(W) 10} I was in the Spirit^[n](X) on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet^{(Y) 11} saying, “Write^(Z) on a scroll^[o] what you see and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see whose voice^(AA) it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,^{(AB) 13} and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man,^[p](AC) dressed in a robe^(AD) and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest.^{(AE) 14} The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow^(AF)—and his eyes like a fiery flame.^{(AG) 15} His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace,^(AH) and his voice like the sound of cascading^[q] waters.^{(AI) 16} He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth,^(AJ) and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.^(AK)

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.^(AL) He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last,^{(AM) 18} and the Living One.^(AN) I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever,^(AO) and I hold the keys^(AP) of death and Hades. ¹⁹ Therefore write what you have seen,^(AQ) what is, and what will take place after this. ²⁰ The mystery^(AR) of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels^[r] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands^[s] are the seven churches.^(AS)