亚哈随鲁王大宴群臣
1亚哈随鲁在位期间，统治从印度到古实的一百二十七个省。 2亚哈随鲁王在书珊城登基， 3他在执政第三年大宴群臣，波斯和玛代的将领、各省的贵族和大臣都在场。 4整整一百八十天，他展示自己帝国的财富和王权的威荣。 5之后，他又一连七天在御花园宴请书珊城里所有的居民，无论尊卑。 6御花园里有白色的棉帐和蓝色的彩帐，用细麻绳和紫色绳系在大理石柱的银环上。有金银制成的床榻摆在各色斑岩、大理石、珍珠贝壳及其他贵重石头铺成的地上。 7饮酒用的是各式各样的金器皿，御酒大量供应，足显王的慷慨。 8喝酒有个规矩，不许勉强人，因为王吩咐过宫里所有的侍从，招待各人要随其所愿。 9瓦实提王后也在亚哈随鲁王的宫里设宴招待女宾。
瓦实提王后被废
10第七天，亚哈随鲁王喝得心中畅快，就吩咐在王身边服侍的米户幔、比斯他、哈波拿、比革他、亚拔他、西达和甲迦七位太监， 11去请瓦实提王后戴着后冠到王面前，向百姓和官员展现她的美貌，因为她非常美丽。 12但瓦实提王后违抗太监所传的谕旨，拒绝前来，王非常生气，怒火中烧。
13王有事习惯征求通晓律例和法则之人的意见，于是他去问精通时务的哲士。 14那时，靠近王的有甲示拿、示达、押玛他、他施斯、米力、玛西拿和米姆干七位波斯和玛代的大臣，他们常见王的面，在国中身居高位。 15王问他们：“瓦实提王后违抗太监所传的谕旨，按律该如何处置她？”
16米姆干当着王和大臣们的面说：“瓦实提王后不但冒犯了王，而且有害于举国的臣民。 17因为王后的事必传到所有妇女的耳中，致使她们藐视自己的丈夫，因为她们会说，‘亚哈随鲁王请瓦实提王后到他面前，她却不去。’ 18今天，波斯和玛代的贵妇听到王后这事，也会如此对待王的大臣，藐视和恼怒之事必层出不穷。 19王若愿意，就请降旨不准瓦实提再到王面前，把她王后的位分赐给比她更好的女子，并将此谕旨写入波斯和玛代的律法，永不更改。 20王的谕旨传遍王辽阔的国境后，所有的妇女，无论丈夫贵贱，都必尊重他们。”
21王和大臣们都赞同米姆干的建议，王便依照他的建议， 22用各省的文字和各族的语言写谕旨，通告各省，丈夫要做一家之主，说话有权柄。
Vashti Is Removed From Her Position as Queen
1King Xerxes ruled over the 127 territories in his kingdom. They reached from India all the way to Cush. Here is what happened during the time Xerxes ruled over the whole Persian kingdom. 2He was ruling from his royal throne in the fort of Susa. 3In the third year of his rule King Xerxes gave a feast. It was for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there. So were the princes and the nobles of the territories he ruled over.
4Every day for 180 days he showed his guests the great wealth of his kingdom. He also showed them how glorious his kingdom was. 5When those days were over, the king gave another feast. It lasted for seven days. It was held in the garden of the king’s courtyard. It was for all the people who lived in the fort of Susa. Everyone from the least important person to the most important was invited. 6The garden was decorated with white and blue linen banners. They hung from ropes that were made out of white linen and purple cloth. The ropes were connected to silver rings on marble pillars. There were gold and silver couches in the garden. They were placed on a floor that was made out of small stones. The floor had purple crystal, marble, mother-of-pearl and other stones of great value. 7Royal wine was served in gold cups. Each cup was different from all the others. There was plenty of wine. The king always provided as much as his guests wanted. 8He commanded that they should be allowed to drink as much or as little as they wished. He directed all his servants to give his guests what they asked for.
9Queen Vashti also gave a feast. Only women were invited. It was held in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10On the seventh day Xerxes was in a good mood because he had drunk a lot of wine. So he gave a command to the seven officials who served him. They were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas. 11King Xerxes told them to bring Queen Vashti to him. He wanted her to come wearing her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the people and nobles. She was lovely to look at. 12The attendants told Queen Vashti what the king had ordered her to do. But she refused to come. So the king became very angry.
13It was the king’s practice to ask for advice about matters of law and fairness. So he spoke with the wise men who understood what was going on at that time. 14They were the men closest to the king. Their names were Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan. They were the seven nobles of Persia and Media. They were the king’s special advisers and the most important men in the kingdom.
15“You know the law,” the king said. “What should I do to Queen Vashti? She hasn’t obeyed my command. The officials told her what I ordered her to do, didn’t they?”
16Then Memukan gave a reply to the king and the nobles. He said, “Queen Vashti has done what is wrong. But she didn’t do it only against you, King Xerxes. She did it also against all the nobles. And she did it against the people in all the territories you rule over. 17All the women will hear about what the queen has done. Then they won’t respect their husbands. They’ll say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought to him. But she wouldn’t come.’ 18Here is what will start today. The leading women in Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s actions will act in the same way. They’ll disobey all your nobles, just as she disobeyed you. They won’t have any respect for their husbands. They won’t honor them.
19“So if it pleases you, send out a royal order. Let it be written down in the laws of Persia and Media. Those laws can never be changed. Let the royal order say that Vashti can never see you again. Also let her position as queen be given to someone who is better than she is. 20And let your order be announced all through your entire kingdom. Then all women will have respect for their husbands, from the least important to the most important.”
21The king and his nobles were pleased with that advice. So he did what Memukan had suggested. 22The king sent messages out to every territory in the kingdom. He sent them to each territory in its own writing. He sent them to every nation in its own language. The messages announced that every man should rule over his own family, using his own language.
