< Esther 6 >

1 On that night hath the sleep of the king fled away, and he saith to bring in the book of memorials of the Chronicles, and they are read before the king,
That night the king was unable to get any sleep; and he sent for the books of the records; and while some one was reading them to the king,
2 and it is found written that Mordecai had declared concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs of the king, of the keepers of the threshold, who sought to put forth a hand on king Ahasuerus.
It came out that it was recorded in the book how Mordecai had given word of the designs of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's servants, keepers of the door, by whom an attack on the king had been designed.
3 And the king saith, 'What honour and greatness hath been done to Mordecai for this?' And the servants of the king, his ministers, say, 'Nothing hath been done with him.'
And the king said, What honour and reward have been given to Mordecai for this? Then the servants who were waiting on the king said, Nothing has been done for him.
4 And the king saith, 'Who [is] in the court?' — and Haman hath come in to the outer court of the house of the king, to say to the king to hang Mordecai on the tree that he had prepared for him —
Then the king said, Who is in the outer room? Now Haman had come into the outer room to get the king's authority for the hanging of Mordecai on the pillar which he had made ready for him.
5 and the servants of the king say unto him, 'Lo, Haman is standing in the court;' and the king saith, 'Let him come in.'
And the king's servants said to him, See, Haman is waiting in the outer room. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 And Haman cometh in, and the king saith to him, 'What — to do with the man in whose honour the king hath delighted?' And Haman saith in his heart, 'To whom doth the king delight to do honour more than myself?'
So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What is to be done to the man whom the king has delight in honouring? Then the thought came into Haman's mind, Whom, more than myself, would the king have pleasure in honouring?
7 And Haman saith unto the king, 'The man in whose honour the king hath delighted,
And Haman, answering the king, said, For the man whom the king has delight in honouring,
8 let them bring in royal clothing that the king hath put on himself, and a horse on which the king hath ridden, and that the royal crown be put on his head,
Let them take the robes which the king generally puts on, and the horse on which the king goes, and the crown which is on his head:
9 and to give the clothing and the horse into the hand of a man of the heads of the king, the chiefs, and they have clothed the man in whose honour the king hath delighted, and caused him to ride on the horse in a broad place of the city, and called before him: Thus it is done to the man in whose honour the king hath delighted.'
And let the robes and the horse be given to one of the king's most noble captains, so that they may put them on the man whom the king has delight in honouring, and let him go on horseback through the streets of the town, with men crying out before him, So let it be done to the man whom the king has delight in honouring.
10 And the king saith to Haman, 'Haste, take the clothing and the horse, as thou hast spoken, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting in the gate of the king; there doth not fall a thing of all that thou hast spoken.'
Then the king said to Haman, Go quickly, and take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, who is seated at the king's doorway: see that you do everything as you have said.
11 And Haman taketh the clothing, and the horse, and clothed Mordecai, and causeth him to ride in a broad place of the city, and calleth before him, 'Thus it is done to the man in whose honour the king hath delighted.'
Then Haman took the robes and the horse, and dressing Mordecai in the robes, he made him go on horseback through the streets of the town, crying out before him, So let it be done to the man whom the king has delight in honouring.
12 And Mordecai turneth back unto the gate of the king, and Haman hath been hastened unto his house mourning, and with covered head,
And Mordecai came back to the king's doorway. But Haman went quickly back to his house, sad and with his head covered.
13 and Haman recounteth to Zeresh his wife, and to all his friends, all that hath met him, and his wise men say to him, and Zeresh his wife, 'If Mordecai [is] of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou art not able for him, but dost certainly fall before him.'
And Haman gave his wife Zeresh and all his friends an account of what had taken place. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, If Mordecai, who is starting to get the better of you, is of the seed of the Jews, you will not be able to do anything against him, but you will certainly go down before him.
14 They are yet speaking with him, and eunuchs of the king have come, and haste to bring in Haman unto the banquet that Esther hath made.
While they were still talking, the king's servants came to take Haman to the feast which Esther had made ready.

< Esther 6 >