Esther 5:3–14

³And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even ^cto the half of my kingdom.” ⁴And Esther said, “If it please the king,¹ let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.” ⁵Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked.” So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared. ^6dAnd as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, ^e“What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? ^cEven to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.”^{2 7}Then Esther answered, “My wish and my request is: ^8fIf I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king³ to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to ^gthe feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”

Haman Plans to Hang Mordecai

⁹And Haman went out that day ^hjoyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai ⁱin the king’s gate, ^jthat he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. ¹⁰Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and ^khis wife Zeresh. ¹¹And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, ^lthe number of his sons, all the promotions with which ^mthe king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. ¹²Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. ¹³Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting ⁱat the king’s gate.” ¹⁴Then ^khis wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, ⁿ“Let a gallows⁴ fifty cubits⁵ high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.” This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.