Esther 5

1 On the third day, Esther put on her regalia and stood in the inner court of the royal palace opposite the king’s house. The king was sitting on his throne in the palace, opposite the entrance.

And it comes to pass on the third day, that Esther puts on royalty, and stands in the inner-court of the house of the king in front of the house of the king, and the king is sitting on his royal throne, in the royal-house, opposite the opening of the house,

2 When he saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she won his favour, and he held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the sceptre.

and it comes to pass, at the king’s seeing Esther the queen standing in the court, she has received grace in his eyes, and the king holds out to Esther the golden scepter that [is] in his hand, and Esther draws near, and touches the top of the scepter.

3 Then the king said to her, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? Whatever your request is, it will be granted, even if it is the half of the kingdom.’

And the king says to her, “What do you [want], Esther, O queen? And what [is] your request? To the half of the kingdom—and it is given to you.”

4 ‘If it seems best to the king,’ Esther said, ‘let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.’

And Esther says, “If to the king [it be] good, the king comes in, and Haman, today, to the banquet that I have made for him”;

5 Then the king ordered, ‘Bring Haman quickly, so that Esther’s wish may be gratified.’ So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

and the king says, “Hurry Haman—to do the word of Esther”; and the king comes in, and Haman, to the banquet that Esther has made.

6 While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, ‘Whatever your petition is, it will be granted. Your request, it will be done – even if it takes half of my kingdom.’

And the king says to Esther, during the banquet of wine, “What [is] your petition? And it is given to you; and what [is] your request? To the half of the kingdom—and it is done.”

7 Esther answered,

And Esther answers and says, “My petition and my request [is]:

8 ‘If I have won the king’s favour and if it seems best to the king to grant my petition and to accede to my request, my petition and my request are that the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will answer the king’s question as he wishes.’

if I have found grace in the eyes of the king, and if to the king [it be] good, to give my petition, and to perform my request, the king comes, and Haman, to the banquet that I make for them, and tomorrow I do according to the word of the king.”

9 Haman went out that day joyful and elated, but when he saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and noticed that he neither stood up nor moved for him, he was furiously angry with Mordecai.

And Haman goes forth on that day rejoicing and glad in heart, and at Haman’s seeing Mordecai in the gate of the king, and he has not risen nor moved for him, then is Haman full of fury against Mordecai.

10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home. He called together his friends and Zeresh his wife

And Haman forces himself, and comes into his house, and sends, and brings in his friends, and his wife Zeresh,

11 and recounted to them the greatness of his wealth, how many children he had, and all the ways in which the king had honoured him, and how he had promoted him above the officials and the royal courtiers.

and Haman recounts to them the glory of his wealth, and the abundance of his sons, and all that with which the king made him great, and with which he lifted him up above the heads and servants of the king.

12 ‘What is more,’ Haman said, ‘Queen Esther brought no one in with the king to the banquet which she had prepared except me, and tomorrow also I am invited by her along with the king.

And Haman says, “Indeed, Esther the queen brought none in with the king, to the feast that she made, except myself, and also for tomorrow I am called to her, with the king,

13 Yet all this does not satisfy me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.’

and all this is not profitable to me, during all the time that I am seeing Mordecai the Jew sitting in the gate of the king.”

14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, ‘Let a gallows seventy-five feet high be erected, and in the morning speak to the king and let Mordecai be hanged on it. Then go merrily with the king to the banquet.’ The advice pleased Haman, and so he had the gallows erected.

And his wife Zeresh says to him, and all his friends, “Let them prepare a tree, in height fifty cubits, and in the morning speak to the king, and they hang Mordecai on it, and go in with the king to the banquet rejoicing”; and the thing is good before Haman, and he prepares the tree.