Esther 1:12-21

¹²Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs. And the king became furious, and his anger burned within him.

¹³Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice.

¹⁴His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom.

¹⁵“According to law,” he asked, “what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey the command of King Xerxes delivered by the eunuchs?”

¹⁶And in the presence of the king and his princes, Memucan replied, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces of King Xerxes.

¹⁷For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’

¹⁸This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath.

¹⁹So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she.

²⁰The edict the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom — and so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands.”

²¹The king and his princes were pleased with this counsel; so the king did as Memucan had advised.

— Esther 1:12-21

(BSB)

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Cross References for Esther 1:12-21

• Ephesians 5:22
• Ephesians 5:33
• Proverbs 19:12
• 1 Chronicles 12:32
• 1 Samuel 15:28
• 2 Kings 25:19
• Esther 8:8
• Daniel 2:12
• Colossians 3:18
• Matthew 18:10

Cross References Provided by Open Bible

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