Esther 6
1 That night the king was unable to sleep, so he [summoned] a servant [and] told [him] to bring the records of what had happened during all the time he had been king. [So the servant brought the records] and read some of them to the king.
During that night, the sleep of the king fled, —and he commanded to bring in the book of remembrance, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
2 [The servant read about] Bigthana and Teresh, the two men who had guarded the entrance to the king’s rooms. He read the account of when Mordecai had found out that they planned to assassinate the king [and that he had told the king about it].
And it was found written, how that Mordecai had told concerning Bigthana and Teresh, the two eunuchs of the king guarding the threshold, —who had sought to thrust forth a hand upon King Ahasuerus.
3 The king asked [some of his servants], “What did we do to reward Mordecai or show that we appreciate what he did?” The servants replied, “We did not do anything for him.”
Then said the king, What honour and dignity hath been done unto Mordecai, for this? Then said the king’s young men, who were ministering unto him, Nothing hath been done for him.
4 At that moment, Haman entered the outer courtyard of the palace. He wanted to talk to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had [just] set up. The king [saw him and] said, “Who is [that out there] in the courtyard?”
Then said the king, Who is in the court? Now, Haman, had come into the outer court of the kings house, to speak unto the king, to hang Mordecai, upon the gallows which he had prepared for him.
5 His servants replied, “That is Haman standing there in the courtyard.” The king said, “Bring him in [here]!”
So the king’s young men said unto him, Lo! Haman, standing in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 When Haman came in, the king asked him, “What should I do for a man whom I want to honor?” Haman thought to himself, “(Whom would the king like to honor more than me?/I think there is no one whom the king would like to honor more than me!)” [RHQ]
So Haman came in, and the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man in whose honour, the king delighteth? Then said Haman, in his own heart, Unto whom will the king delight to do honour, more than unto me?
7 So he replied to the king, “If there is someone you wish to honor,
So Haman said unto the king, —As touching the man in whose honour, the king, delighteth,
8 you should [tell your servants to] bring him one of the robes you wear [you to show that you are] the king. Also tell them to bring one of the horses you have ridden. Tell them to put a fancy headdress on the horse’s head to show that it belongs to you, the king.
let them bring in royal apparel wherewith the king hath clothed himself, —and the horse whereon the king hath ridden, and the royal crown which hath been set upon his own head;
9 Then tell one of your very important officials to put the robe on the man whom you want to honor, and tell that man to sit on the horse, and then lead the horse through the city streets. And tell that official to keep shouting, ‘This is what (the king does/is doing) for the man whom he wants to honor!’”
and let the apparel and the horse be delivered unto the hand of one of the king’s rulers, one of the nobles, and so let them array the man, in whose honour, the king, delighteth, —and cause him to ride upon the horse through the broadway of the city, and let them proclaim before him, Thus and thus, shall it be done unto the man in whose honour, the king, delighteth!
10 The king replied to Haman, “[Fine]! Go and do what you said immediately! Get my robe and my horse, and do just what you suggested! Do it for Mordecai, the Jew, who is sitting [outside] at the gate of the palace. Do not forget anything that you suggested!”
Then said the king unto Haman, Haste, take the apparel and the horse, just as thou hast said, and do even so unto Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting in the kings gate, —do not let fail a thing, of all which thou hast spoken!
11 So Haman did what the king said. He got the robe and the horse. He put the robe on Mordecai, and as Mordecai sat on the horse, Haman led the horse through the city streets proclaiming “This is what the king (does/is doing) for the man whom the king wants to honor!”
So Haman took the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, —and caused him to ride through the broadway of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus and thus, shall it be done unto the man in whoso honour, the king, delighteth!
12 Then, Mordecai returned [and sat] at the gate of the palace. But Haman hurried home, covering his face [because he felt] completely disgraced/humiliated.
Then Mordecai returned unto the gate of the king, —but, Haman, hurried unto his own house, mourning, and with covered head.
13 He told his wife Zeresh and his friends everything that had happened to him that day. Then his wife and his friends said to him, “Mordecai, the man who has caused you to be completely disgraced/humiliated, is a Jew. [It is clear that the God whom the Jews worship is fighting for them.] So you will never be able to defeat Mordecai. He will defeat you!”
And Haman recounted unto Zeresh his wife, and unto all his friends, everything that had befallen him. Then said his wise men, and Zeresh his wife, unto him, If, of the seed of the Jews, is Mordecai before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt, utterly fall, before him.
14 And while they were still talking, some of the king’s officials arrived to take Haman quickly to the banquet/feast that Esther had prepared.
While yet they were speaking with him, the eunuchs of the king, had come, —and they hastened to bring Haman, unto the banquet which Esther had prepared.
