1 Now it came to pass in the days of ^aAhasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned ^bover one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, ^cfrom India to Ethiopia),  ‡

2 in those days when King Ahasuerus ^asat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in ^bShushan the citadel,  ‡

5 And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in¹ Shushan the citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.  ‡

6 There were white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the ^acouches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble.  ‡