Esther 6
1 That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him.
On that night the king was unable to sleep, so he gave orders to bring the books that recorded memorable deeds, and they were read before the king.
2 And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
It was found recorded how Mordecai had furnished information regarding Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s attendants who guarded the entrance of the palace, who had attempted to kill King Ahasuerus.
3 The king inquired, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this act?” “Nothing has been done for him,” replied the king’s attendants.
“What honor and dignity have been conferred on Mordecai for this?” the king asked. When the king’s pages who waited on him replied “Nothing has been done for him,”
4 “Who is in the court?” the king asked. Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him.
the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s house to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 So the king’s attendants answered him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” “Bring him in,” ordered the king.
So the king’s pages said to him, “Haman is standing there, in the court.” The king said, “Let him enter.”
6 Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king be delighted to honor more than me?”
So Haman entered, and the king said to him, “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” Haman said to himself, “Whom besides me could the king wish to honor?”
7 And Haman told the king, “For the man whom the king is delighted to honor,
So he said to the king, “For the man whom the king wishes to honor
8 have them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden—one with a royal crest placed on its head.
let a royal garment be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden and on whose head a royal diadem has been placed.
9 Let the robe and the horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them array the man the king wants to honor and parade him on the horse through the city square, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!’”
Then let the garment and the horse be placed in charge of one of the king’s noble officials. Let him clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor and let him lead that man on the horse through the city square, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to honor.’”
10 “Hurry,” said the king to Haman, “and do just as you proposed. Take the robe and the horse to Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything that you have suggested.”
Then the king said to Haman, “Make haste and take the garment and the horse, as you have said, and do this to Mordecai the Jew, who sits in the king’s gate. Omit nothing of all you have said.”
11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai, and paraded him through the city square, crying out before him, “This is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!”
So Haman took the garment and the horse and clothed Mordecai, and made him ride through the city square and proclaimed before him, “This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to honor.”
12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning, with his head covered.
13 Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is Jewish, you will not prevail against him—for surely you will fall before him.”
Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai before whom you have already been humiliated is of the Jewish people, you can do nothing against him but will surely fall before him.”
14 While they were still speaking with Haman, the king’s eunuchs arrived and rushed him to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
While they were still talking with him, the king’s attendants came and quickly took Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
