Esther 1
A Dream of Two Dragons, and a Queen Deposed
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Mordecai’s Dream
1:1In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the Great, on the first of Nisa, Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, saw a dream.
1:1bHe was a Jewish man living in the city of Susa, a great man serving in the king’s court.
1:1cHe was among the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive from Jerusalem with Jeconiah king of Judea.
1:1dThis was his dream: Look! Voices and tumult, thunders and an earthquake, disturbance upon the earth!
1:1eLook! Two great dragons came forward, both ready to wrestle, and their cry became loud.
1:1fAt their cry every nation prepared for war, to wage war against a nation of righteous people.
1:1gLook! A day of darkness and gloom, affliction and distress, suffering and great disturbance upon the earth!
1:1hThe whole righteous nation was troubled, fearing its own calamities. They prepared to perish and cried out to God.
1:1iFrom their cry there came, as though from a small spring, a great river, much water.
1:1kLight and the sun rose, and the lowly were exalted and devoured the glorious.
1:1lWhen Mordecai awoke, having seen this dream and what God had resolved to do, he kept it in his heart and sought in every way to understand it until night.
The Plot of the Two Eunuchs
1:1mMordecai stayed quietly in the court with Gabatha and Tharra, the king’s two eunuchs who guarded the court.
1:1nHe heard their discussions, investigated their intentions, and learned that they were preparing to lay hands on King Artaxerxes. He informed the king about them.
1:1oThe king examined the two eunuchs, and after they confessed, they were led away.
1:1pThe king wrote these matters down as a memorial, and Mordecai wrote about these matters.
1:1qThe king ordered Mordecai to serve in the court and gave him gifts for these things.
Haman Seeks to Harm Mordecai
1:1rHaman son of Hammedatha, a Bougaean, was held in honor before the king. He sought to harm Mordecai and his people on account of the king’s two eunuchs.
1:1sAfter these events, in the days of Artaxerxes—this Artaxerxes ruled a hundred and twenty-seven territories from India—
The King’s Feast in Susa
1:2in those very days, when King Artaxerxes was enthroned in the city of Susa,
1:3in the third year of his reign he held a reception for his friends and the other nations, the nobles of Persia and Media, and the rulers of the satraps.
1:4After these things, after he had shown them the wealth of his kingdom and the glory of the rejoicing in his wealth for a hundred and eighty days,
1:5when the days of the wedding were completed, the king held a drinking feast for the nations present in the city for six days, in the court of the king’s house,
1:6which was adorned with fine linen and cotton cloths stretched on fine linen and purple cords upon gold and silver blocks, upon pillars of Parian marble and stone. There were gold and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, pearly stone, and Parian stone, and transparent coverings adorned with varied flowers, with roses scattered all around.
1:7There were gold and silver drinking vessels and a garnet cup set out, reckoned at thirty thousand talents. There was abundant sweet wine, which the king himself drank.
1:8This drinking feast did not take place according to an established law; rather, the king wished it so and ordered the stewards to carry out his will and that of the people.
Queen Astin Refuses to Come
1:9Queen Astin also held a drinking feast for the women in the royal quarters, where King Artaxerxes was.
1:10On the seventh day, when the king had become merry, he told Haman, Bazan, Tharra, Boraze, Zatholtha, Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven eunuchs who attended King Artaxerxes,
1:11to bring the queen before him, that she might act as queen, to put the diadem on her, and to show all the rulers and the nations her beauty, because she was beautiful.
1:12But Queen Astin did not obey his command to come with the eunuchs. The king was grieved and became angry.
The Counsel of the Rulers
1:13He said to his friends, “Astin has spoken in this way; therefore establish law and judgment concerning this.”
1:14Arcesaeus, Sarsathaeus, and Malesehar, the rulers of Persia and Media who were nearest the king and sat in the first places beside him, approached him
1:15and reported to him, according to the laws, how Queen Astin must be dealt with, because she had not done what the king commanded through the eunuchs.
1:16Muchaeus said to the king and the rulers, “Queen Astin has wronged not only the king, but also all the rulers and the king’s leaders
1:17(for he had recounted to them the queen’s words and how she had contradicted the king). Just as she contradicted King Artaxerxes,
1:18so today the other noblewomen, wives of the rulers of Persia and Media, on hearing what she said to the king, will likewise dare to dishonor their husbands.
1:19If, therefore, it pleases the king, let him issue a royal command, and let it be written according to the laws of Media and Persia. Let him not act otherwise, and let the queen no longer enter his presence; let the king give her royal position to a woman better than she.
1:20Let the law that the king makes be heard in his kingdom, and thus all the women will bestow honor on their own husbands, from poor to rich.”
The Decree Sent Through the Kingdom
1:21The proposal pleased the king and the rulers, and the king did as Muchaeus said.
1:22He sent throughout his kingdom, territory by territory, according to their own language, so that they would have fear in their own households.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.