¹³ Then the king said to the ^(A)wise men ^(B)who understood the times (for this was the king’s manner toward all who knew law and justice, ¹⁴ those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the ^(C)seven princes of Persia and Media, ^(D)who had access to the king’s presence, and who ^[a]ranked highest in the kingdom): ¹⁵ “What shall we do to Queen Vashti, according to law, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs?”

¹⁶ And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: “Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. ¹⁷ For the queen’s behavior will become known to all women, so that they will ^(E)despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.’ ¹⁸ This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to all the king’s officials that they have heard of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath. ¹⁹ If it pleases the king, let a royal ^[b]decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will ^(F)not ^[c]be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.

⁸ You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, ^[a]as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring ^(A)no one can revoke.”

⁸ Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the ^(A)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[a]does not alter.”

¹⁴ And the king, when he heard these words, ^(A)was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he ^[a]labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

^17 (A)Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ^(B)and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.