Esther (Greek) 1
Contemporary English Version

Addition A

Mordecai's Dream

1-3[2-4] Mordecai son of Jair was a Jew from the Benjamin tribe, and he lived in the city of Susa in Persia. Mordecai had been taken away from Jerusalem as a prisoner, when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia had captured King Jehoiachin. Mordecai had become an important official in the court of Artaxerxes the Great, the king of Persia. And on the first day of the month of Nisan in the second year that Artaxerxes was king, Mordecai had a dream.

In Mordecai's dream, 4[5] there was confusion and unrest all over the world. He heard crashing thunder, and the earth shook with an earthquake 5[6] as two huge dragons went toward each other, ready to fight. They roared, 6[7] and every nation on earth prepared to go to war against God's people. 7[8] It was a dark and hopeless time; the world was full of suffering and hardship and conflict.

8[9] God's people were afraid of the disaster that was about to strike them, and they were sure they were going to be killed. 9[10] But when they cried out to God for help, a tiny stream suddenly became a mighty river, 10[11] and the sun rose and shone brightly. God's people were given power, and they destroyed those who had oppressed them.

11[12] Mordecai woke up, but he knew that in his dream he had seen what God was planning to do. And so, Mordecai thought about his dream all day, trying to understand exactly what it meant.


Mordecai Saves the King's Life

12[1] That night, Mordecai was in the palace courtyard. He was resting not far from Gabatha and Tharra, the two officers who were on guard duty. 13[2] Mordecai overheard them talking, and as he listened carefully, he realized they were planning to murder King Artaxerxes.

Mordecai warned Artaxerxes about the plot to kill him. 14[3] The two officers confessed when Artaxerxes questioned them, and so he gave orders for them to be put to death. 15[4] He also ordered that a report of these events be written in his records, and Mordecai also wrote down what had happened. 16[5] Artaxerxes appointed Mordecai to a position in the royal court and gave him a reward.

17[6] Haman son of Hammedatha was one of the king's most honored officials, and he became angry because the two officers had been put to death. So he decided to find a way to harm Mordecai and all the Jewish people.

End of Addition A


Queen Vashti Disobeys King Artaxerxes

18-20[1-3] King Artaxerxes lived in his capital city of Susa and ruled 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.

During the third year of his rule, King Artaxerxes paid for a festival and asked a special group known as the Friends of the King to come. He also invited a large number of people from his own empire and from other nations. The rulers of the Persian provinces came, and so did many important people from the province of Media. 21[4] For 180 days Artaxerxes showed off his wealth and spent a lot of money to impress his guests with the celebrations.

22[5] After this festival, Artaxerxes invited all the men in the city of Susa to a drinking party in the courtyard of his palace. The party went on for six days.

23[6] The palace had been decorated with cotton and linen curtains tied back with purple linen cords. These cords were attached to gold and silver square pegs on columns, which were made of marble and other stones. Couches of gold and silver were arranged on pavement that had all kinds of designs made from emeralds, mother-of-pearl, and marble. These couches were covered with see-through cloth woven with designs of different colors, and around each couch were roses.

24[7] The wine cups were made of gold and silver, and the king had put on display one small cup that was decorated with rubies worth over 1,000 tons of silver. There was plenty of the king's favorite sweet wine, 25[8] and he had told everyone, "Drink all you want!" Then he told his servants, "Keep our cups full."

26[9] Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, Queen Vashti was giving a drinking party for the women of Susa.

27[10] By the seventh day of the party, King Artaxerxes was really feeling happy, and he told his seven personal servants Haman, Bazan, Tharra, Boraze, Zatholtha, Abataza, and Tharaba 28[11] to bring Vashti to him. Artaxerxes wanted to place the crown on her head again, to show everyone she was the queen. He also wanted to show his governors and the people from different countries just how beautiful she really was.

29[12] But Vashti did not go back with the servants--she refused to obey the king! Artaxerxes was furious because she had embarrassed him, 30[13] and he said to his friends, "Vashti has refused to obey me! Tell me what the law says about a case like this."

31[14] Arkesaeus, Sarsathaeus, and Malesear went up to the king. They were his highest officials as well as being governors of the Persians and Medes, and they were always given the seats closest to the king. 32[15] They said, "You sent your servants with a command for Queen Vashti. But since she refused to obey you, the law says she must be punished."

33-34[16-17] Then Muchaeus, another official, told the king and the governors:

King Artaxerxes has told us what Queen Vashti said and how she refused to obey him. She humiliated the king, and soon all his governors and officials will be humiliated too. 35[18] We are governors of the Persians and Medes, but when our wives hear what the queen said to the king, our wives will dare to insult us in the same way.

36[19] Your Majesty, if you agree, you should make a law that Vashti is never to be with you again. Put it in writing, according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, so that it cannot be changed. And find some other woman who is more suited to be queen than Vashti.

37[20] Finally, make sure everyone in your kingdom is told what you have decided to do. Then each wife will honor her husband, whether he is rich or poor.

38[21] Artaxerxes and his officials liked what Muchaeus had said, 39[22] and Artaxerxes sent a copy of the law to all of his provinces. Each copy was written in the language of the province to which it was sent, and it said that every husband must be respected by his family.

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)

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