15
The king had an account of this written in the official records, and Mordecai also wrote an account of it.
16
Then the king appointed Mordecai to a position at court and gave him many gifts as a reward for what he had done.
17
But Haman son of Hammedatha, a Bougaean who was respected by the king, tried to cause trouble for Mordecai and his people the Jews, because Mordecai had been responsible for the death of the two eunuchs.
18
These things happened in the time of King Xerxes, who ruled 127 provinces, all the way from India to Ethiopia, from his royal throne in Susa, Persia's capital city.
1
20
In the third year of his reign, the king gave a banquet for all his advisers, the representatives of the other countries, the noblemen from Persia and Media, and the governors of the provinces.
21
For six whole months he made a show of the riches of the imperial court with magnificent and expensive celebrations.
22
After the feast the king gave a banquet for the people of other nations who were in the city. It lasted a week and was held in the palace courtyard,
23
which was decorated with linen and cotton curtains, held by cords of purple linen attached to silver and gold blocks on marble and stone columns. Couches made of gold and silver had been placed in the courtyard, which was paved with green and white marble and mother-of-pearl. The couches were spread with a fine, thin fabric of many colors, with roses around the edges.
24
There were gold and silver cups, and one of them, decorated with jewels worth more than a thousand tons of silver, had been set out for display. There was plenty of good wine from the king's own supply.
25
There were no limits on the drinks. The king had given orders to the palace servants that they should provide him and his guests with as much as they wanted.