It happenedוַיְהִיin the daysבִּימֵיof Ahasuerus,אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁthatהוּאAhasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁwho reignedהַמֹּלֵךְfrom IndiaמֵהֹדּוּtoוְעַדCush,כּוּשׁovera hundredמֵאָהandוּtwenty-sevenשֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִיםprovinces,מְדִינָה
in those days,בַּיָּמִים הָהֵםwhen King Ahasuerusכְּ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁsatשֶׁבֶתon the throneעַל כִּסֵּאof his kingdomמַלְכוּתוֹthat wasאֲשֶׁרin Susa,בְּשׁוּשַׁןthe fortress,הַבִּירָה
in the thirdשָׁלוֹשׁyearבִּשְׁנַתof his reign,לְמָלְכוֹhe madeעָשָׂהa banquetמִשְׁתֶּהfor allלְכָלhis officialsשָׂרָיוand his servants:וַעֲבָדָיוthe armyחֵילof Persiaפָּרַסand Media,וּמָדַיthe noblesהַפַּרְתְּמִיםand the officialsוְשָׂרֵיof the provincesהַמְּדִינוֹתbeingbefore him,לְפָנָיו
while he showedבְּהַרְאֹתוֹthe richesעֹשֶׁרof the gloryכְּבוֹדof his kingdomמַלְכוּתוֹandוְthe honorיְקָרof the splendorתִּפְאֶרֶתof his greatnessגְּדוּלָּתוֹformanyרַבִּיםdays,יָמִיםa hundredמְאַתandוּeightyשְׁמוֹנִיםdays.יוֹם
And whenוּבִtheseהָאֵלֶּהdaysהַיָּמִיםwere completed,מְלוֹאתthe kingהַמֶּלֶךְmadeעָשָׂהfor allלְכָלthe peopleהָעָםwho were presentהַנִּמְצְאִיםin Susa,בְּשׁוּשַׁןthe fortress,הַבִּירָהfromלְמִthe greatגָּדוֹלtoוְעַדthe small,קָטָןa banquetמִשְׁתֶּהof sevenשִׁבְעַתdaysיָמִיםin the courtבַּחֲצַרof the gardenגִּנַּתof the king’sהַמֶּלֶךְpalace.בִּיתַן
There waswhite cloth,חוּרcottonכַּרְפַּסand blue,וּתְכֵלֶתfastenedאָחוּזwith cordsבְּחַבְלֵיof fine linenבוּץand purpleוְאַרְגָּמָןtoעַלringsגְּלִילֵיof silverכֶסֶףandוְcolumnsעַמּוּדֵיof marble;שֵׁשׁcouchesמִטּוֹתof goldזָהָבand silverוָכֶסֶףonעַלa pavementרִצְפַתof porphyry,בַּהַטmarble,וָשֵׁשׁmother-of-pearl,וְדַרand dark stone.וְסֹחָרֶת
And drink was givenוְהַשְׁקוֹתin vesselsבִּכְלֵיof gold,זָהָבand vesselsוְכֵלִיםdifferentשׁוֹנִיםfromמִothervessels,כֵּלִיםand royalוְ מַלְכוּתwineיֵיןin abundance,רָבaccording to the handכְּיַדof the king.הַמֶּלֶךְ
And the drinkingוְהַשְּׁתִיָּהwasaccording to the law:כַדָּתno oneאֵיןcompelled;אֹנֵסforכִּיthe kingהַמֶּלֶךְhad soכֵןestablishedיִסַּדforעַלeveryכָּלstewardרַבof his house,בֵּיתוֹthat they should doלַעֲשׂוֹתaccording to the willכִּרְצוֹןof each one.אִישׁ וָאִישׁ
Vashtiוַשְׁתִּיthe queenהַמַּלְכָּהalsoגַּםmadeעָשְׂתָהa banquetמִשְׁתֵּהfor womenנָשִׁיםinthe royalהַמַּלְכוּתhouseבֵּיתthat belongedאֲשֶׁרto King Ahasuerus.לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ
On the seventhבַּ הַשְּׁבִיעִיday,יּוֹםwhen the heartכְּ לֵבof the kingהַמֶּלֶךְwas merryטוֹבwith wine,בַּיָּיִןhe toldאָמַרMehuman,לִמְהוּמָןBiztha,בִּזְּתָאHarbona,חַרְבוֹנָאBigthaבִּגְתָאand Abagtha,וַאֲבַגְתָאZetharזֵתַרand Carcas,וְכַרְכַּסthe sevenשִׁבְעַתeunuchsהַסָּרִיסִיםwho servedהַמְשָׁרְתִיםin the presenceאֶת פְּנֵיof King Ahasuerus,הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ
to bringלְהָבִיאVashtiוַשְׁתִּיthe queenהַמַּלְכָּהbeforeלִפְנֵיthe kingהַמֶּלֶךְwith the royalבְּ מַלְכוּתcrown,כֶתֶרto showלְהַרְאוֹתthe peoplesהָעַמִּיםand the officialsוְהַשָּׂרִיםher beauty;יָפְיָהּforכִּיsheהִיאwasof goodטוֹבַתappearance.מַרְאֶה
But Queen Vashtiוַ הַמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּיrefusedתְּמָאֵןto comeלָבוֹאat the wordבִּדְבַרof the kingהַמֶּלֶךְthat cameאֲשֶׁרby the handבְּיַדof the eunuchs.הַסָּרִיסִיםAnd the kingוַ הַמֶּלֶךְbecameיִּקְצֹףveryמְאֹדangry,יִּקְצֹףand his furyוַחֲמָתוֹburnedבָּעֲרָהwithin him.בוֹ
And the kingוַ הַמֶּלֶךְsaidיֹּאמֶרto the wise menלַחֲכָמִיםwho knewיֹדְעֵיthe timesהָעִתִּים(forכִּיsuchכֵןwasthe king’sהַמֶּלֶךְpracticeדְּבַרbeforeלִפְנֵיallכָּלwho knewיֹדְעֵיlawדָּתand judgment;וָדִין
and those closestוְהַקָּרֹבto himאֵלָיוwereCarshena,כַּרְשְׁנָאShethar,שֵׁתָרAdmatha,אַדְמָתָאTarshish,תַרְשִׁישׁMeres,מֶרֶסMarsena,מַרְסְנָאMemucan,מְמוּכָןthe sevenשִׁבְעַתofficialsשָׂרֵיof Persiaפָּרַסand Mediaוּמָדַיwho sawרֹאֵיthe faceפְּנֵיof the king,הַמֶּלֶךְwho satהַיֹּשְׁבִיםfirstרִאשֹׁנָהin the kingdom):בַּמַּלְכוּת
“According to the law,כְּדָתwhatמַהis to be doneלַּעֲשׂוֹתwith Queen Vashti,בַּמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּיbecauseעַל אֲשֶׁרshe has notלֹאdoneעָשְׂתָהthe commandמַאֲמַרof King Ahasuerusהַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁsentby the handבְּיַדof the eunuchs?”הַסָּרִיסִים
And Memucanוַ מְמוּכָןsaidיֹּאמֶרbeforeלִפְנֵיthe kingהַמֶּלֶךְand the officials,וְהַשָּׂרִים“Notלֹאagainstעַלthe kingהַמֶּלֶךְaloneלְבַדּוֹhas Vashtiוַשְׁתִּיthe queenהַמַּלְכָּהcommitted iniquity,עָוְתָהbutכִּיagainstעַלallכָּלthe officialsהַשָּׂרִיםand againstוְעַלallכָּלthe peoplesהָעַמִּיםthat areאֲשֶׁרin allבְּכָלthe provincesמְדִינוֹתof King Ahasuerus.הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ
Forכִּיthe matterדְבַרof the queenהַמַּלְכָּהwill go outיֵצֵאtoעַלallכָּלthe women,הַנָּשִׁיםmakingלְהַבְזוֹתtheir husbandsבַּעְלֵיהֶןcontemptibleהַבְזוֹתin their eyes,בְּעֵינֵיהֶןwhen they say,בְּאָמְרָם‘King Ahasuerusהַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁsaidאָמַרto bringלְהָבִיאVashtiוַשְׁתִּיthe queenהַמַּלְכָּהbefore him,לְפָנָיוand she did notוְלֹאcome.’בָאָה
And thisוְ הַזֶּהdayהַיּוֹםthe ladiesשָׂרוֹתof Persiaפָּרַסand Mediaוּמָדַיwhoאֲשֶׁרhave heardשָׁמְעוּthe matterדְּבַרof the queenהַמַּלְכָּהwill say itתֹּאמַרְנָהto allלְכֹלthe king’sהַמֶּלֶךְofficials;שָׂרֵיand there will beוּplentyכְדַיof contemptבִּזָּיוֹןand anger.וָקָצֶף
Ifאִםit seems goodטוֹבtoעַלthe king,הַמֶּלֶךְlet a royalמַלְכוּתwordדְבַרgo outיֵצֵאfrom before him,מִלְּפָנָיוand let it be writtenוְיִכָּתֵבamong the lawsבְּדָתֵיof Persiaפָרַסand Media,וּמָדַיand let it notוְלֹאpass away:יַעֲבוֹרthatאֲשֶׁרVashtiוַשְׁתִּיis not toלֹאcomeתָבוֹאbeforeלִפְנֵיKing Ahasuerus;הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁand let the kingוּ הַמֶּלֶךְgiveיִתֵּןher royaltyמַלְכוּתָהּto her companionלִרְעוּתָהּwho is betterהַטּוֹבָהthan she.מִמֶּנָּה
And when the decreeוְ פִּתְגָםof the kingהַמֶּלֶךְthatאֲשֶׁרhe makesיַעֲשֶׂהis heardנִשְׁמַעin allבְּכָלhis kingdom,מַלְכוּתוֹforכִּיitהִיאis great,רַבָּהallוְכָלthe womenהַנָּשִׁיםwill giveיִתְּנוּhonorיְקָרto their husbands,לְבַעְלֵיהֶןfromלְמִthe greatגָּדוֹלtoוְעַדthe small.”קָטָן
And the matterוַ הַדָּבָרseemed goodיִּיטַבin the eyesבְּעֵינֵיof the kingהַמֶּלֶךְand the officials,וְהַשָּׂרִיםand the kingוַ הַמֶּלֶךְdidיַּעַשׂaccording to the wordכִּדְבַרof Memucan;מְמוּכָן
he sentוַיִּשְׁלַחlettersסְפָרִיםtoאֶלallכָּלthe king’sהַמֶּלֶךְprovinces,מְדִינוֹתto eachאֶלprovinceמְדִינָה וּמְדִינָהaccording to its scriptכִּכְתָבָהּand toוְאֶלeach peopleעַם וָעָםaccording to its language,כִּלְשׁוֹנוֹthatלִeveryכָּלmanאִישׁshould beהְיוֹתmasterשֹׂרֵרin his houseבְּבֵיתוֹand speakוּמְדַבֵּרaccording to the languageכִּלְשׁוֹןof his people.עַמּוֹ