The Booke of Eſther.
CHAP. I.
1 Ahaſuerus maketh royall feaſts. 10 Vaſthi, ſent for, refuſeth to come. 13 Ahaſuerus, by the counſell of Memucan, maketh the decree of mens ſoueraigntie.
_page_A5r_(N).png)
Ow it came to paſſe in the dayes of Ahaſuerus, (this is Ahaſuerus which reigned from India, euen vnto Ethiopia, ouer an hundred, and ſeuen and twentie prouinces.)
2That in thoſe dayes, when the King Ahaſuerus ſate on the throne of his kingdome, which was in Shuſhan the palace:
3In the third yeere of his reigne, he made a feaſt vnto all his Princes, and his ſeruants, the power of Perſia and Media, the Nobles and Princes of the prouinces being before him.
4When he ſhewed the riches of his glorious kingdome, and the honour of his excellent maieſtie, many dayes, euen an hundred and foureſcore dayes.
5And when theſe dayes were expired, the king made a feaſt vnto all the people that were †† Hebr. found. preſent in Shuſhan the palace, both vnto great and ſmall, ſeuen dayes, in the court of the garden of the kings palace.
6Where were white, greene, and ‖‖ Or, violet. blew hangings, faſtened with cords of fine linnen, and purple, to ſiluer rings, and pollers of marble: the beds were of gold and ſiluer, vpon a pauement of ‖‖ Or, of porphyre, and marble, and alabaſter, and ſtone of blew colour. red, and blewe, and white, and blacke marble.
7And they gaue them drinke in veſſels of gold, (the veſſels being diuers one from another) and †† Hebr. wine of the kingdome. royall wine in abundance, according to the †† Heb. according to the hand of the king. ſtate of the king.
8And the drinking was according to the law, none did compell: for the king had appointed to all the officers of his houſe, that they ſhould doe according to euery mans pleaſure.
9Alſo Vaſthi the Queene made a feaſt for the women, in the royall houſe which belonged to king Ahaſuerus.
10¶ On the ſeuenth day, when the heart of the King was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the ſeuen ‖‖ Or, Eunuches. chamberlens that ſerued in the preſence of Ahaſuerus the king,
11To bring Vaſthi the Queene before the king, with the Crowne royall, to ſhew the people, and the Princes her beautie: for ſhe was †† Hebr. good of countenance. faire to looke on.
12But the Queene Vaſthi refuſed to come at the Kings commandement †† Hebr. which was by the hand of his Eunuches. by his chamberlens: therefore was the King very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
13¶ Then the king ſaide to the wiſe men, which knew the times (for ſo was the Kings maner towards all that knew law, and iudgement:
14And the next vnto him, was Carſhena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarſhis, Meres, Marſena, and Memucan, the ſeuen ** Ezra.7.14. Princes of Perſia, and Media, which ſaw the Kings face, and which ſate the firſt in the kingdome.)
15†† Hebr. what to doe? What ſhall wee doe vnto the Queene Vaſthi, according to law, becauſe ſhe hath not performed the commandement of the king Ahaſuerus, by the chamberlens?
16And Memucan anſwered before the king and the Princes; Vaſthi the Queene hath not done wrong to the king onely, but alſo to all the Princes, and to all the people that are in all the
