Esther 5–6

Esther Approaches the King

5On the third day, ^yEsther dressed up in her royal clothing and stood in the inner courtyard ^zof the palace facing it. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom, facing its entrance. ²As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she won his approval. ^aThe king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter. ^b

³“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be given to you.” ^c

⁴“If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet ^dI have prepared for them.”

⁵The king commanded, “Hurry, and get Haman so we can do as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.

⁶While drinking the ^ewine, ^fthe king asked Esther, “Whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”

⁷Esther answered, “This is my petition and my request: ⁸If the king approves of me ^gand if it pleases the king to grant my petition and perform my request, ^hmay the king and Haman come to the banquet I will prepare for them. ⁱTomorrow I will do what the king has asked.”

⁹That day Haman left full of joy and in good spirits. ^jkBut when Haman saw Mordecai at the King’s Gate, and Mordecai didn’t rise or tremble in fear at his presence, Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai. ^l10Yet Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh ^mto join him. ¹¹Then Haman described for them his glorious wealth and his many sons. He told them all how the king had honored him and promoted him in rank over the other officials and the royal staff. ⁿ¹²“What’s more,” Haman added, “Queen Esther invited no one but me to join the king at the banquet she had prepared. I am invited again tomorrow to join her with the king. ¹³Still, none of this satisfies me since I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s Gate all the time.”

¹⁴His wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Have them build a gallows 75 feet ^ohigh. ^pAsk the king in the morning to hang Mordecai on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself.” The advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows constructed. ^q

Mordecai Honored by the King

6That night sleep escaped ^rthe king, so he ordered the book recording daily events to be brought and read to the king. ²They found the written report of how Mordecai had informed on Bigthana and Teresh, two eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they planned to assassinate King Ahasuerus. ^s3The king inquired, “What honor and special recognition have been given to Mordecai for this act?” ^t

The king’s personal attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”

⁴The king asked, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman was just entering the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him. ^u

⁵The king’s attendants answered him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.”

“Have him enter,” the king ordered.

⁶Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king wants to honor?” ^v

Haman thought to himself, “Who is it the king would want to honor more than me?” ⁷Haman told the king, “For the man the king wants to honor: ⁸Have them bring a royal garment that the king himself has worn ^wand a horse the king himself has ridden, ^xwhich has a royal diadem on its head. ⁹Put the garment and the horse under the charge of one of the king’s most noble officials. ^yHave them clothe the man the king wants to honor, parade him on the horse through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.’ ”

¹⁰The king told Haman, “Hurry, and do just as you proposed. Take a garment and a horse for Mordecai the Jew, ^zwho is sitting at the King’s Gate. Do not leave out anything you have suggested.” ¹¹So Haman took the garment and the horse. He clothed Mordecai and paraded him through the city square, crying out before him, “This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.”

¹²Then Mordecai returned to the King’s Gate, ^abut Haman, overwhelmed, ^bhurried off for home with his head covered. ^c13Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends ^deverything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai is Jewish, and you have begun to fall before him, you won’t overcome him, because your downfall is certain.” ^e14While they were still speaking with him, the eunuchs of the king ^farrived and rushed Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared. ^g