American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
Now it came to pass in the days of {Or, Xerxes Hebrew: Ahashverosh.}Ahasuerus (this is Ahasuerus who reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces),
that in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the {Or, castle}palace,
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him;
when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even a hundred and fourscore days.
who in the generations gone by suffered all the {Or, Gentiles}nations to walk in their own ways.
And yet He left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.
Now it came to pass in the days of {Or, Xerxes Hebrew: Ahashverosh.}Ahasuerus (this is Ahasuerus who reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces),
that in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the {Or, castle}palace,
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him;
when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even a hundred and fourscore days.
And when these days were fulfilled, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.
There were hangings of {Or, fine cloth, white and blue}white cloth, of {Or, cotton}green, and of blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement {Or, of porphyry, and white marble, and alabaster, and stone of blue color}of red, and white, and yellow, and black marble.
And they gave them drink in vessels of gold (the vessels being diverse one from another), and royal wine in abundance, according to the {Hebrew: hand.}bounty of the king.
And the drinking was according to the law; none could compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king wasmerry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven {Or, eunuchs (and so in verse 12 &c.)}chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look on.
But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by the chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment;
and the next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom),
What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not done the bidding of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
For this deed of the queen will come abroad unto all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
And this day will the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen {Or, tell it}say the like unto all the king's princes. So will there arise {Or, enough}much contempt and wrath.
If it please the king, let there go forth a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, {Hebrew: that it pass not away.}that it be not altered, that Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate {Hebrew: unto her companion.}unto another that is better than she.
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.
And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
for he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and should speak according to the language of his people.
Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God.
Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment.
For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same:
for {Or, it}he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for {Or, it}he beareth not the sword in vain: for {Or, it}he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil.
Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
Now in the first year of {Hebrew: Coresh.}Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me, Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
And I saw in the vision; now it was so, that when I saw, I was in Shushan the {Or, castle}palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai.
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west over the face of the whole earth, and {Hebrew: none touched the ground.}touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
And he came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran upon him in the fury of his power.
And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
And the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of heaven.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land.
And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them.
Yea, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the host; and {Another reading is, the continual burnt-offering was taken away from him.}it took away from him the continual burnt-offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
And {Or, a host was given to it against the &c. Or, a host was set over the &c.}the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt-offering through transgression; and it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said unto that certain one who spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual burnt-offering, and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be {Hebrew: justified.}cleansed.
And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought {Hebrew: understanding.}to understand it; and, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was affrighted, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man; for the vision belongeth to the time of the end.
Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me {Or, where I had stood}upright.
And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongeth to the appointed time of the end.
The ram which thou sawest, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
And the rough he-goat is the king of {Hebrew: Javan.}Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
And as for that which was broken, in the place whereof four stood up, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not with his power.
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
And his power shall be mighty, but not {Or, with his power See verse 22.}by his own power; and he shall {Or, corrupt}destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and do his pleasure; and he shall {Or, corrupt}destroy the mighty ones and {Hebrew: people of the saints.}the holy people.
And through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in their security shall he {Or, corrupt}destroy many: he shall also stand up against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
And the vision of the evenings and mornings which hath been told is true: but shut thou up the vision; for it belongeth to many days to come.
And I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick certain days; then I rose up, and did the king's business: and I wondered at the vision, {Or, but there was none to make it understood}but none understood it.
And I saw in the vision; now it was so, that when I saw, I was in Shushan the {Or, castle}palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold.
And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he is waxed strong through his riches, {Or, all this shall stir up the realm}he shall stir up all against the realm of {Hebrew: Javan.}Greece.