1This is what happened during the time of Xerxes,⚓ the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush⚓ : 2At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present. 4For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. 6The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. 7Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. 8By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished. 9Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes. 10On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas— 11to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. 12But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger. 13Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times 14and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom. 15“According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.” 16Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ 18This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord. 19“Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.” 21The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. 22He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.
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Puj vaajntxwv tsw noog vaajntxwv Ahaxu‑ela lug
1Tej xwm txheej nuav muaj rua thaus Ahaxu‑ela⚓ ua vaajntxwv, yog tug Ahaxu‑ela kws kaav txwj ntawm Intia tebchaws moog txug ncua Khuj⚓ tebchaws, huvsw yog ib puas neeg nkaum xyaa lub xeev. 2Thaus ntawd vaajntxwv Ahaxu‑ela nyob huv lub nroog luj Xuxa kaav. 3Xyoo peb kws nwg ua vaajntxwv nwg paam ib zag noj haus rua nwg cov thawj hab nwg cov tub teg tub taw huvsw, mas cov thawj rog huv Pawxia hab Mintia tebchaws hab cov kws ua hlub hab cov thawj kws kaav txhua lub xeev kuj tuaj nrug nwg koom ua ke. 4Nwg qha nwg tej nyaj txag ntau kawg huv tej tebchaws kws nwg kaav hab nwg lub meej mom hab nwg tug fwjchim tau ntau nub moog txug thaus tau ib puas yim caum nub. 5Thaus dhau lub swjhawm hov lawm, vaajntxwv paam noj haus rua txhua tug kws nyob huv lub nroog Xuxa, tsw has tug ua luj ua yau suavdawg noj tau xyaa nub huv lub tshaav puam ntawm lub vaaj kws nyob huv vaajntxwv lub tsev. 6Muaj ntaub paag dawb ntaub xav tis rua txuj hlua maaj hab txuj hlua ntaub yimlaaj dai rua tej ntsej nyaj ntawm tej ncej zeb mog, hab muaj tej rooj kub rooj nyaj nyob sau lub plaag tsev tshaav puam kws pua tej txag zeb lab pis tseb, tej txag zeb mog, tej khum qwj hab tej qai zeb hlaws sws quas. 7Hab muab cawv txwv maab laub rua huv ntau yaam khob kub hab laub vaajntxwv tej cawv txwv maab nplua quas mag lawv le vaajntxwv lub sab daav. 8Puab haus lawv le txuj kevcai tsw txwv tsw yuam tsua qhov vaajntxwv has kuas cov tub qhe suavdawg huv vaajntxwv lub tsev muab rua txhua tug haus lawv le lub sab nyam. 9Puj vaajntxwv Vasati kuj paam noj haus rua cov nam tsev noj rua huv vaajntxwv Ahaxu‑ela lub tsev hab. 10Nub kws xyaa thaus vaajntxwv haus cawv txwv maab zoo sab lawm nwg txawm has rua Mehumaa, Npixatha, Hanpauna, Npixatha, Anpatha, Xethas hab Khaka, kws yog xyaa tug nraug saam kws ua koom rua vaajntxwv Ahaxu‑ela, 11kuas moog coj puj vaaj Vasati ntoo mom puj vaaj lug cuag vaajntxwv sub nwg txhad qha tau qhov kws puj vaaj zoo nkauj ci quas nplaag rua cov pejxeem hab cov thawj saib, vem puj vaaj zoo nkauj heev. 12Tassws puj vaaj Vasati tsw kaam lug lawv le vaajntxwv khaiv cov nraug saam moog has rua nwg. Mas qhov nuav ua rua vaajntxwv npau tawg heev, nwg chim rua huv lub sab kawg le. 13Vaajntxwv txawm hu cov kws txawj ntse paub caij paub nyoog tuaj, tsua qhov nuav yog txujkev kws vaajntxwv pheej nrug cov kws paub cai hab txawj tu plaub suavdawg sablaaj, 14yog cov kws yau vaajntxwv, yog Khasena, Setha, Amatha, Thasi, Mele, Maxena hab Memukhaa. Nuav yog Pawxia hab Mintia tebchaws xyaa tug thawj kws pheej lug cuag tau vaajntxwv hab yog cov thawj huv vaajntxwv lub tebchaws. 15Vaajntxwv has tas, “Lawv le txuj kevcai yuav ua le caag rua puj vaaj Vasati tsua qhov nwg tsw ua lawv le vaajntxwv Ahaxu‑ela kuas cov nraug saam has rua nwg?” 16Tes Memukhaa txawm has taab meeg rua vaajntxwv hab cov thawj tas, “Puj vaaj tsw yog ua txhum rua vaajntxwv xwb tassws yog ua txhum rua cov thawj suavdawg hab cov pejxeem suavdawg kws nyob huv txhua lub xeev kws vaajntxwv Ahaxu‑ela kaav, 17vem tej kws puj vaaj ua nuav yuav paub thoob plawg rua huv ib tsoom quaspuj, ua rua puab saib tsw taug puab tej quasyawg. Tsua qhov puab yuav has tas, ‘Vaajntxwv Ahaxu‑ela has kuas coj puj vaaj Vasati lug cuag nwg kuas puj vaaj kuj tsw lug.’ 18Mas nub nua vaajntxwv cov thawj huv Pawxia hab huv Mintia tej quaspuj txhua tug kws nov txug tej kws puj vaaj ua nuav lawm yuav pav rua vaajntxwv cov thawj suavdawg paub mas yuav ua rua muaj kev saib tsw taug hab kev npau tawg heev. 19Yog vaajntxwv pum zoo, mas ca vaajntxwv tawm ib tsaab kevcai hab muab sau tseg rua huv Pawxia hab Mintia tej kevcai sub txhad thim tsw tau tej lug, has tas Vasati yuav lug cuag tsw tau vaajntxwv Ahaxu‑ela dua le lawm. Hab ca vaajntxwv muab lub rooj kws ua puj vaaj pub rua lwm tug kws zoo dua nwg. 20Thaus tshaaj tawm vaajntxwv tej lug nuav thoob plawg vaajntxwv lub tebchaws kws daav hab luj nuav, mas ib tsoom quaspuj txhad le fwm puab tug quasyawg, tsw has tug ua luj ua yau.” 21Tej lug taw qha nuav txaus vaajntxwv hab cov thawj suavdawg lub sab, vaajntxwv txhad ua lawv le Memukhaa tej lug. 22Vaajntxwv txhad xaa tsaab ntawv tseb moog thoob plawg txhua lub xeev kws nwg kaav ua txhua lub xeev le npe ntawv hab txhua haiv tuabneeg le lug, has kuas txhua tug txwvneej ua tug tswv kws tswjfwm nwg tsev tuabneeg hab has nwg yaam lug.