Study Desk

Now it happened in the days of ^(C1)Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned ^(C2)from India to ^(F1)Cush over ^(C3)127 provinces,

in those days as King Ahasuerus ^(C1)sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in ^(C2)Susa,

in the third year of his reign ^(C1)he held a banquet for all his officials and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the officials of his provinces, in his presence.

^(F1)At that time he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days.

When these days were finished, the king held a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the courtyard of ^(C1)the garden of the king's palace.

There were curtains of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and ^(C1)couches of gold and silver on a mosaic floor of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and mineral stones.

Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful ^(C1)in proportion to the king's ^(F1)bounty.

But the drinking was done according to the royal law; there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household, that he was to do as each person pleased.

Queen Vashti also held a banquet for the women in the ^(F1)palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.