Esther 5

¹ On the third day Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, opposite the king’s house; and the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, opposite the gate of the house. ² When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter.

³ And the king said to her, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be given you. And what is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed.”

⁴ Then Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet that I have prepared for him.” ⁵ The king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has said.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

⁶ And the king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition? It shall be given you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed.”

⁷ Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and my request is this: ⁸ if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”

⁹ Then Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. ¹⁰ But Haman refrained himself; and he went home, and sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh. ¹¹ And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. ¹² Haman said moreover, “Mordecai the Jew sits at the king’s gate, and he does not rise or tremble before me. ¹³ And yet, all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

¹⁴ Then Haman’s wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak to the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman; so he caused the gallows to be made.