Esther 6–7

The King Honors Mordecai

6On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring ^othe book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. ²And it was found written how ^pMordecai had told about ^qBigthana¹ and ^rTeresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ³And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” ⁴And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered ^sthe outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on ^tthe gallows² that he had prepared for him. ⁵And the king’s young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” ⁶So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man ^uwhom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” ⁷And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, ⁸let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, ^vand the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head ^wa royal crown³ is set. ⁹And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, ^xproclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’ ” ¹⁰Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits ^yat the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” ¹¹So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

¹²Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning ^zand with his head covered. ¹³And Haman told ^ahis wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”

Esther Reveals Haman’s Plot

¹⁴While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman ^bto the feast that Esther had prepared.

7So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. ²And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, ^c“What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? ^dEven to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” ³Then Queen Esther answered, ^e“If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. ^4fFor we have been sold, I and my people, ^gto be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” ⁵Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared¹ to do this?” ⁶And Esther said, ^h“A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.

Haman Is Hanged

⁷And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into ⁱthe palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king. ⁸And the king returned from ⁱthe palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on ^jthe couch where Esther was. And the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman’s face. ⁹Then ^kHarbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Moreover, ^lthe gallows² that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, ^mwhose word saved the king, is standing at Haman’s house, fifty cubits³ high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” ⁿ¹⁰ So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. ^oThen the wrath of the king abated.