1-2. From his royal throne in Persia's capital city of Susa, King Xerxes ruled over 127 provinces, all the way from India to Ethiopia.
3. In the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his officials and administrators. The armies of Persia and Media were present, as well as the governors and noblemen of the provinces.
4. For six whole months he made a show of the riches of the imperial court with all its splendour and majesty.
5. After that, the king gave a banquet for all the people in the capital city of Susa, rich and poor alike. It lasted a whole week and was held in the gardens of the royal palace.
6. The courtyard there was decorated with blue and white cotton curtains, tied by cords of fine purple linen to silver rings on marble columns. Couches made of gold and silver had been placed in the courtyard, which was paved with white marble, red feldspar, shining mother-of-pearl, and blue turquoise.
7. Drinks were served in gold cups, no two of them alike, and the king was generous with the royal wine.
8. There were no limits on the drinks; the king had given orders to the palace servants that everyone could have as much as he wanted.
9. Meanwhile, inside the royal palace Queen Vashti was giving a banquet for the women.
10. On the seventh day of his banquet the king was drinking and feeling merry, so he called in the seven eunuchs who were his personal servants, Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas.
11. He ordered them to bring in Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown. The queen was a beautiful woman, and the king wanted to show off her beauty to the officials and all his guests.
12. But when the servants told Queen Vashti of the king's command, she refused to come. This made the king furious.
13. Now it was the king's custom to ask for expert opinion on questions of law and order, so he called for his advisers, who would know what should be done.
14. Those he most often turned to for advice were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan — seven officials of Persia and Media who held the highest offices in the kingdom.