Esther 5–6

5Now it came to pass ^aon the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in ^bthe inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. ²And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that ^cshe obtained favour in his sight: and ^dthe king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre. ³Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee ^eto the half of the kingdom. ⁴And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. ⁵Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. ^6fAnd the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, ^gWhat is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even ^eto the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. ⁷Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is; ^8hIf I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and ^†to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.

⁹Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a ⁱglad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, ^kthat he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. ¹⁰Nevertheless Haman ^lrefrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and ^†called for his friends, and ^mZeresh his wife. ¹¹And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and ⁿthe multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had ^opromoted him, and how he had ^oadvanced him above the princes and servants of the king. ¹²Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I ^pinvited unto her also with the king. ¹³Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate. ¹⁴Then said ^mZeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a ^†gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

6On that night ^†could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring ^athe book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. ²And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of ^||Bigthana and ^bTeresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the ^†door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. ³And the king said, What ^chonour and ^cdignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him. ⁴And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into ^dthe outward court of the king’s house, ^eto speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. ⁵And the king’s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. ⁶So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man ^†whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? ⁷And Haman answered the king, For the man ^†whom the king delighteth to honour, ^8†Let the royal apparel be brought ^†which the king useth to wear, and ^fthe horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: ⁹And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most ^gnoble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and ^†bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour. ¹⁰Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate: ^†let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. ¹¹Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour. ¹²And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman ^hhasted to his house mourning, and ⁱhaving his head covered. ¹³And Haman told ^kZeresh his wife and all his friends ^levery thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. ¹⁴And while they were yet talking with him, came the king’s chamberlains, and ^mhasted to bring Haman unto ⁿthe banquet that Esther had prepared.