1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (that is, the Ahasuerus that reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces),2 in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the fortress,3 in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of the provinces being before him;4 when he shewed the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the splendid magnificence of his grandeur many days, a hundred and eighty days.5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast to all the people that were present in Shushan the fortress, both to great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.6 White, green, and blue {hangings} were fastened with cords of byssus and purple to silver rings and pillars of white marble; couches of gold and silver {lay} upon a pavement of red and white marble, and alabaster, and black marble.7 And they gave drink in vessels of gold (the vessels being diverse one from another), and royal wine in abundance, according to the king's bounty.8 And the drinking was, according to commandment, without constraint; for so the king had appointed to all the magnates of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.9 Also the queen Vashti made a feast for the women of the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.10 On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of king Ahasuerus,11 to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the royal crown to shew the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was of beautiful countenance.12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king which was {sent} by the chamberlains; and the king was very wroth, and his fury burned in him.13 And the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for so was the king's business {conducted} before all that knew law and judgment;14 and the next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, {and} Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and who sat first in the kingdom),15 What shall be done to the queen Vashti according to law, because she has not performed the word of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?16 Then said Memucan before the king and the princes, The queen Vashti has not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.17 For the act of the queen will come abroad to all women, so as to render their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when they shall say, The king Ahasuerus commanded the queen Vashti to be brought in before him, and she came not!18 And the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's act, will say it this day to all the king's princes, and there will be contempt and anger enough.19 If it please the king, let a royal order go forth from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it may not pass, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another that is better than she;20 and when the king's edict which he shall make shall be heard throughout his realm-for it is great-all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, from the greatest to the least.21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan.22 And he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, That every man should bear rule in his own house, and should speak according to the language of his people.

1 En in die dae van Ahasv,ros -- dit is die Ahasv,ros wat geregeer het van Indië af tot by Kus, honderd sewe en twintig provinsies --2 in die dae toe koning Ahasv,ros op sy koninklike troon in die vesting Susan gesit het,3 in die derde jaar van sy regering, het hy 'n maaltyd berei vir al sy vorste en sy dienaars; die leërmag van Persië en Medië, die vername manne en die vorste van die provinsies was voor hom;4 waarby hy die rykdom van sy koninklike heerlikheid en die skitterende prag van sy grootheid baie dae, honderd en tagtig dae lank, vertoon het.5 En toe die dae verby was, het die koning vir al die mense wat in die vesting Susan aanwesig was, van die grootste tot die kleinste, 'n maaltyd berei, sewe dae lank, op die voorplein van die tuin van die koninklike paleis.6 Linne--, katoen-- en pers stowwe was met linne-- en purperrooi bande vasgemaak aan silwerringe en marmerpilare! Goue en silwerrusbanke op 'n plaveisel van malachiet en van witmarmer en perlemoensteen en gevlekte marmer!7 Daarby het hulle laat drink uit goue bekers, en die een beker was verskillend van die ander beker, en daar was koninklike wyn in oorvloed, eg koninklik!8 En hulle het gedrink volgens voorskrif: niemand het gedwing nie; want so het die koning bevel gegee aan al die hoë beamptes van sy paleis, dat hulle na elkeen se sin moes handel.9 Ook het die koningin Vasti 'n vrouemaaltyd aangerig in die koninklike paleis van koning Ahasv,ros.10 Op die sewende dag, toe die hart van die koning vrolik was van die wyn, het hy aan Mehuman, Bista, Harbona, Bigta en Ab gta, Setar en Karkas, die sewe hofdienaars wat voor koning Ahasv,ros gedien het, gesê11 dat hulle koningin Vasti met die koninklike kroon op voor die koning moet bring om haar skoonheid aan die volke en die vorste te toon, want sy was mooi van aansien.12 Maar koningin Vasti het geweier om te kom op die bevel van die koning deur middel van die hofdienaars aan haar oorgebring. Toe het die koning baie kwaad geword, en sy woede het in hom ontvlam.13 En die koning het aan die wyse manne, die kenners van die tye, gesê -- want so word die sake van die koning aan al die kenners van wet en reg voorgelê;14 en die naaste aan hom was: Kars,na, Setar, Adm ta, Tarsis, Meres, Mars,na, Memugan, die sewe vorste van die Perse en Meders wat die aangesig van die koning gesien het, wat vooraan gesit het in die koninkryk --15 wat moet volgens wet gedoen word met koningin Vasti, omdat sy die bevel van koning Ahasv,ros, deur middel van sy hofdienaars, nie opgevolg het nie?16 Toe sê Memugan voor die koning en die vorste: Nie alleen teen die koning het koningin Vasti misdaan nie, maar ook teen al die vorste en al die volke wat in al die provinsies van koning Ahasv,ros is.17 Want die geval van die koningin sal by al die vroue bekend word, sodat dit hulle manne in hul oë veragtelik sal maak as daar gesê word: Koning Ahasv,ros het bevel gegee om koningin Vasti voor hom te bring, maar sy het nie gekom nie.18 Dieselfde dag nog sal die vorstinne van die Perse en Meders, as hulle die geval van die koningin hoor, dit aan al die vorste van die koning vertel; en dan sal dit genoeg veragting en gramskap afgee!19 As die koning dit goedvind, laat daar 'n koninklike woord van hom uitgaan en beskrywe word in die wette van die Perse en Meders, sodat dit onherroeplik is, dat Vasti nie meer voor koning Ahasv,ros mag kom nie; en laat die koning haar koninklike waardigheid aan haar naaste gee wat beter is as sy.20 As dan van die bevelskrif van die koning gehoor word wat hy in sy hele koninkryk -- want dit is groot -- uitvaardig, sal al die vroue aan hulle manne eer bewys, van die grootste tot die kleinste.21 En die woord was goed in die oë van die koning en van die vorste, en die koning het gehandel volgens die raad van Memugan.22 En hy het briewe gestuur aan al die provinsies van die koning, aan elke provinsie volgens sy eie skrif en aan elke volk volgens sy eie taal, dat elke man in sy huis baas moet wees en sy volkstaal praat.