³Then the king asked her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? What would you like? Even if it is up to half of the kingdom, it will be granted to you.”

⁴So Esther answered, “If it pleases you, Your Majesty, come today with Haman to a dinner I have prepared for you.”

⁵The king replied, “Bring Haman right away, and do whatever Esther asks.” So the king and Haman came to the dinner that Esther had prepared.

⁶While they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther, “What is your request? It will be granted to you. What would you like? Even if it is up to half of the kingdom, it will be granted.”

⁷Esther answered, “My request? What would I like? ⁸Your Majesty, come with Haman to a dinner I will prepare for you. And tomorrow I will answer you, Your Majesty. If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, Your Majesty, may you ⸤then⸥ grant my request and do what I would like.”

Meanwhile, Haman Is Disgraced because of Mordecai

⁹When Haman left that day, he was happy and feeling good. But when Haman saw Mordecai at the king’s gate, neither getting up nor trembling in his presence, Haman was furious with Mordecai. ¹⁰However, Haman controlled himself. He went home and sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh.

¹¹Then Haman began to relate in detail to them how very rich he was, the many sons he had, and all about how the king promoted him to a position over the officials and the king’s advisers. ¹²Haman went on to say, “What’s more, Queen Esther allowed no one except me to come with the king to the dinner she had prepared. And again tomorrow I am her invited guest together with the king. ¹³Yet, all this is worth nothing to me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

¹⁴Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, 75 feet high, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai’s ⸤dead body⸥ hung on it. Then go with the king to the dinner in good spirits.”

Haman liked the idea, so he had the pole set up.

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