The Parable of the Ten Minas

11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because ⁿthey supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, ^o“A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ^pten of his servants,¹ he gave them ten minas,² and said to them, ‘Engage in business ^quntil I come.’ 14 But ^rhis citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant!³ Because you have been ^sfaithful in a very little, ^tyou shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in ^ua handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are ^va severe man. You take ^wwhat you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ^x‘I will condemn you with your own words, ^yyou wicked servant! You knew that I was ^va severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that ^zto everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But ^ras for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and ^aslaughter them before me.’”

Teach Sound Doctrine

1 But as for you, teach what accords with ^psound¹ doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, ^psound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 ^qOlder women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, ^rnot slanderers ^sor slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, ^tpure, ^uworking at home, kind, and ^vsubmissive to their own husbands, ^wthat the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge ^xthe younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be ^ya model of good works, and in your teaching ^zshow integrity, ^adignity, 8 and ^bsound speech that cannot be condemned, ^cso that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 ^dBondservants² are to be submissive to their own masters ^ein everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, ^fbut showing all good faith, ^gso that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

The King’s Banquets

1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned ^afrom India to Ethiopia over ^b127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus ^csat on his royal throne in ^dSusa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign ^ehe gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. 5 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of ^fthe garden of the king’s palace. 6 There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods¹ and marble pillars, and also ^gcouches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. 8 And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. 9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.

Queen Vashti’s Refusal

10 On the seventh day, ^hwhen the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, ⁱHarbona, ^jBigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with ^kher royal crown,² in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.

13 Then the king said to ^lthe wise men ^mwho knew the times (for this was the king’s procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, 14 the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and ⁿMemucan, ^othe seven princes of Persia and Media, ^pwho saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom): 15 “According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” 16 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen’s behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt,³ since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s behavior will say the same to all the king’s officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. 19 If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so ^qthat it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, ^rall women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.” 21 This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, ^sto every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people.