1 This is what happened during the time of King Xerxes, the king who ruled the one hundred twenty-seven states from India to Cush.
2 In those days King Xerxes ruled from his capital city of Susa.
3 In the third year of his rule, he gave a banquet for all his important men and royal officers. The army leaders from the countries of Persia and Media and the important men from all Xerxes’ empire were there.
4 The banquet lasted one hundred eighty days. All during that time King Xerxes was showing off the great wealth of his kingdom and his own great riches and glory.