Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 157
ESTHER
These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over
127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. At that time Xerxes ruled
his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. In the third year of
his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all
the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles
of the provinces. The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display
of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his
majesty.
When it was all over, the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the
greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven
days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. The courtyard was
beautifully decorated with white cotton curtains and blue hangings, which
were fastened with white linen cords and purple ribbons to silver rings
embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic
pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.
Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an
abundance of royal wine, reflecting the king’s generosity. By edict of the
king, no limits were placed on the drinking, for the king had instructed all
his palace officials to serve each man as much as he wanted.
At the same time, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the
royal palace of King Xerxes.
On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended h im—
Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas—to
bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted
the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very
beautiful woman. But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen
Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned
with anger.
He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Per
sian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. The names of
these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena,
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