Menu
Loading...

Esther 1

1
Now in the days of Ahasuerus (this is Ahasuerus who reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over one hundred twenty-seven provinces),
2
in those days, when the King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,
3
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him.
4
He displayed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even one hundred eighty days.
5
When these days were fulfilled, the king made a seven day feast for all the people who were present in Shushan the palace, both great and small, in the court of the garden of the kingโ€™s palace.
6
There were hangings of white, green, and blue material, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and marble pillars. The couches were of gold and silver, on a pavement of red, white, yellow, and black marble.
7
They gave them drinks in golden vessels of various kinds, including royal wine in abundance, according to the bounty of the king.
8
In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had instructed all the officials of his house, that they should do according to every manโ€™s pleasure.
9
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus.
10
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcass, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
11
to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was beautiful.
12
But the queen Vashti refused to come at the kingโ€™s commandment by the eunuchs. Therefore the king was very angry, and his anger burned in him.
13
Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times (for it was the kingโ€™s custom to consult those who 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 kingโ€™s face, and sat first in the kingdom),
15
โ€œWhat shall we do to the queen Vashti according to law, because she has not done the bidding of the King Ahasuerus by the eunuchs?โ€
16
Memucan answered before the king and the princes, โ€œVashti the queen has not done wrong to just the king, but also to all the princes, and to all the people who are in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus.
17
For this deed of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to show contempt for their husbands, when it is reported, โ€˜King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she didnโ€™t come.โ€™
18
Today, the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the queenโ€™s deed will tell all the kingโ€™s princes. This will cause much contempt and wrath.
19
โ€œIf it pleases the king, let a royal commandment go from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be altered, that Vashti may never again come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another who is better than she.
20
When the kingโ€™s decree which he shall make is published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give their husbands honor, both great and small.โ€
21
This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
22
for he sent letters into all the kingโ€™s provinces, into every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, that every man should rule his own house, speaking in the language of his own people.
Translation: WEB

Your Complete Online Study Bible

Deep Reading and Study

Our Online Bible tool offers fast and free access to all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. Designed to facilitate daily study, the platform allows for fluid reading without distractions, with a clean and modern interface that adapts to any device, whether computer, tablet, or mobile phone.

Smart Notes

Enhance your devotional with our note-taking system. You can create unlimited notes on each verse, recording insights, sermons, and studies. Your notes are automatically saved on your device and can be exported along with the Bible text in PDF format for printing or sharing.

Bookmarks and History

Never lose your reading place. With the Automatic History feature, you can resume exactly where you left off. Also use the Page Bookmarks to save your favorite chapters and access them quickly through the quick access menu or integrated search.

Personalized Experience

Care for your vision with the fully integrated Dark Mode, ideal for night reading. Also enjoy Fullscreen Mode for total immersion in the Scriptures, eliminating all browser interfaces to focus only on what matters: the Word of God.

Why use our Online Bible?

Developed with a focus on performance and usability, this tool is a lightweight application that does not consume unnecessary space on your device. All personal data (notes, history, and bookmarks) are stored locally in your browser, ensuring privacy and instant access without the need for registration or login.