3. that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants. The power of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of the provinces were before him,
4. when he showed the riches of his esteemed reign and the splendour of his excellent greatness for many days, a hundred and eighty days.
5. And when these days were completed, the sovereign made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in the citadel of Shushan, from great to small, in the courtyard of the garden of the sovereign’s palace.
6. White and blue tapestries were fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble columns – the couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and black marble.
7. And they served drinks in golden vessels, the vessels being different from one another, with much royal wine, according to the hand of the sovereign.
8. And drinking was according to the law, no one was compelled, for so the sovereign had ordered all the officers of his house, that they should do according to each one’s pleasure.
9. Sovereigness Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh owned.
10. On the seventh day, when the heart of the sovereign was glad with wine, he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Ḥarḇona, Big̅tha, and Aḇag̅tha, Zĕthar, and Karkas, the seven eunuchs who were in attendance in the presence of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh,
11. to bring Sovereigness Vashti before the sovereign, with her royal crown, in order to show her loveliness to the people and the officials, for she was lovely to look upon.
12. But Sovereigness Vashti refused to come at the sovereign’s command brought by his eunuchs. And the sovereign was very wroth, and his rage burned within him.
13. So the sovereign said to the wise men who understood the times (for in this way the sovereign’s matter came before all who knew law and right-ruling,
14. and who were close to him: Karshena, Shĕthar, Aḏmatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memuḵan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the sovereign’s face, who sat first in the reign):
15. “According to law, what is to be done to Sovereigness Vashti, because she did not perform the command of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh, through the eunuchs?”
16. And Memuḵan answered before the sovereign and the princes, “Sovereigness Vashti has misbehaved not only toward the sovereign, but also toward all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh.
17. “For the matter of the sovereigness shall go forth to all women, to make their husbands despised in their eyes, when they say, ‘Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh commanded Sovereigness Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.’