The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall. He was facing the entrance. ²He saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard. He was pleased with her. So he reached out toward her the gold rod that was in his hand. Then Esther approached him. She touched the tip of the rod.

³The king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want? I’ll give it to you. I’ll even give you up to half of my kingdom.”

⁴Esther replied, “King Xerxes, if it pleases you, come to a big dinner today. I’ve prepared it for you. Please have Haman come with you.”

⁵“Bring Haman at once,” the king said to his servants. “Then we’ll do what Esther asks.”

So the king and Haman went to the big dinner Esther had prepared. ⁶As they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther the same question again. He said, “What do you want? I’ll give it to you. What do you want me to do for you? I’ll even give you up to half of my kingdom.”

⁷Esther replied, “Here is what I want. Here is my appeal to you. ⁸I hope you will show me your favor. I hope you will be pleased to give me what I want. And I hope you will be pleased to listen to my appeal. If you are, I’d like you and Haman to come tomorrow to the big dinner I’ll prepare for you. Then I’ll answer your question.”

Haman Brags About Being Invited to Esther’s Dinner

⁹That day Haman was happy. So he left the palace in a good mood. But then he saw Mordecai at the palace gate. He noticed that Mordecai didn’t stand up when he walked by. In fact, Mordecai didn’t have any respect for him at all. So he burned with anger against him. ¹⁰But Haman was able to control himself. He went on home.

Haman called his friends and his wife Zeresh together. ¹¹He bragged to them about how rich he was. He talked about how many sons he had. He spoke about all of the ways the king had honored him. He bragged about how the king had given him a higher position than any of the other nobles and officials had. ¹²“And that’s not all!” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to come with the king to the big dinner she gave. Now she has invited me along with the king tomorrow.

¹³“But even all of that doesn’t satisfy me. I won’t be satisfied as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the palace gate.”

¹⁴Haman’s wife Zeresh and all of his friends spoke up. They said to him, “Get a pole. In the morning, ask the king to have Mordecai put to death. Have the pole stuck through his body. Set it up at a place where it will be 75 feet above the ground. Everyone will be able to see it there. Then go to the dinner with the king. Have a good time.”

Haman was delighted with that suggestion. So he got the pole ready.

The King Honors Mordecai

6That night the king couldn’t sleep. So he ordered the official records of his rule to be brought in. He ordered someone to read them to him. ²It was written there that Mordecai had uncovered the plans of Bigthana and Teresh against the king. They had been two of the king’s officers who guarded the door of the royal palace. They had decided to kill King Xerxes.

³“What great honor has Mordecai received for doing that?” the king asked.

“Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.

⁴The king asked, “Who is in the courtyard?”

Haman had just entered the outer courtyard of the palace. He had come to speak to the king about putting Mordecai to death. He wanted to talk about putting Mordecai’s body up on the pole he had gotten ready for him.

⁵The king’s attendants said to him, “Haman is standing in the courtyard.”

“Bring him in,” the king ordered.

⁶Haman entered. Then the king asked him, “What should be done for the man I want to honor?”

Haman said to himself, “Is there anyone the king would rather honor than me?” ⁷So he answered the king. He said, “Here is what you should do for the man you want to honor. ⁸Have your servants get a royal robe you have worn. Have them bring a horse you have ridden on. Have a royal crest placed on its head. ⁹Then give the robe and horse to one of your most noble princes. Let the robe be put on the man you want to honor. Let him be led on the horse through the city streets. Let people announce in front of him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor!’ ”

¹⁰“Go right away,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe. Bring the horse. Do exactly what you have suggested. Do it for the Jew Mordecai. He’s sitting out there at the palace gate. Make sure you do everything you have suggested.”

¹¹So Haman got the robe and the horse. He put the robe on Mordecai. And he led him on horseback through the city streets. He walked along in front of him and announced, “This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor!”

¹²After that, Mordecai returned to the palace gate. But Haman rushed home. He covered his head because he was very sad. ¹³He told his wife Zeresh everything that had happened to him. He also told all of his friends.

His advisers and his wife Zeresh spoke to him. They said, “Your fall from power started with Mordecai. He’s a Jew. So now you can’t stand up against him. You are going to be destroyed!” ¹⁴They were still talking with him when the king’s officials arrived. They hurried Haman away to the big dinner Esther had prepared.

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