⁴ The ·banquet [celebration] lasted one hundred eighty days. All during that time King ·Xerxes [^LAhasuerus] ·was showing off [displayed] the ·great wealth of his kingdom [riches of his royal glory] and ·his own great riches and glory [splendor of his great majesty]. ⁵ When the one hundred eighty days were ·over [completed], the king gave another banquet [^Cthese celebrations may have been in preparation for the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 bc]. It was held in the courtyard of the palace garden for seven days, and it was for everybody in the ·palace [citadel; fortress] at Susa, from the greatest to the least. ⁶ The courtyard had fine white ·curtains [linen hangings] and ·purple [blue; violet] drapes that were tied to silver rings on marble pillars by white and purple cords. And there were gold and silver couches on a floor set with ·tiles [mosaics] of ·white [porphyry] ·marble [alabaster], ·shells [mother-of-pearl], and ·gems [precious stones].