16
And the king ordered Mordecai to serve in the court, and rewarded him for these things.
17
But Haman son of Hammedatha, a Bougean, who was in great honor with the king, determined to injure Mordecai and his people because of the two eunuchs of the king.
18
This happened in the days of Ahasuerus, the same Ahasuerus who ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia.
19
In those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa,
20
in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were present,
21
while he displayed the great wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and pomp of his majesty for many days, one hundred eighty days in all.
22
When these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in the citadel of Susa, both great and small, a banquet lasting for seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.
23
There were white cotton curtains and blue hangings tied with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and colored stones.
24
Drinks were served in golden goblets, goblets of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king.
25
Drinking was by flagons, without restraint; for the king had given orders to all the officials of his palace to do as each one desired.
26
Furthermore, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the palace of King Ahasuerus.