Ἐσθήρ 5

1 καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ ὡς ἐπαύσατο προσευχομένη ἐξεδύσατο τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς θεραπείας καὶ περιεβάλετο τὴν δόξαν αὐτῆς καὶ εἰσελθοῦσα πάσας τὰς θύρας κατέστη ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκάθητο ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ

Three days later, Esther [prepared a big banquet/feast. Then she] put on the robes that showed that she was queen, and she went to the inner courtyard of the palace, across from the room where the king was. He was sitting on the throne, facing the entrance [of the room].

2 καὶ ἄρας τὴν χρυσῆν ῥάβδον ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῆς καὶ ἠσπάσατο αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπεν λάλησόν μοι

When the king saw Esther standing there in the courtyard, he extended the gold scepter/staff toward her [to signal that he would be glad to talk to her]. So Esther came close and touched the tip of the scepter/staff.

3 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς τί θέλεις Εσθηρ καὶ τί σού ἐστιν τὸ ἀξίωμα ἕως τοῦ ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου καὶ ἔσται σοι

Then the king asked her, “Esther, what do you want? Tell me, and I will give you what you want, even if you ask me to give you half of my kingdom!”

4 εἶπεν δὲ Εσθηρ ἡμέρα μου ἐπίσημος σήμερόν ἐστιν εἰ οὖν δοκεῖ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐλθάτω καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ Αμαν εἰς τὴν δοχήν ἣν ποιήσω σήμερον

Esther replied, “[Your majesty, ] if it pleases you, you and Haman come to the banquet that I have prepared for you!”

5 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς κατασπεύσατε Αμαν ὅπως ποιήσωμεν τὸν λόγον Εσθηρ καὶ παραγίνονται ἀμφότεροι εἰς τὴν δοχήν ἣν εἶπεν Εσθηρ

The king said [to his servants], “Go and tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet that Esther has prepared for the two of us!” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared for them.

6 ἐν δὲ τῷ πότῳ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Εσθηρ τί ἐστιν βασίλισσα Εσθηρ καὶ ἔσται σοι ὅσα ἀξιοῖς

While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Tell me what you [really] want. I will give it to you, even if [you ask for] half of my kingdom.”

7 καὶ εἶπεν τὸ αἴτημά μου καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμά μου

Esther replied, “[I will tell you] what I want [most of all. Your majesty], if you are pleased with me, and if you are willing to give me what I am requesting, please come [again] tomorrow to another banquet that I will prepare for the two of you. Then I will tell you [what I really want”].

8 εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλθάτω ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ Αμαν ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον εἰς τὴν δοχήν ἣν ποιήσω αὐτοῖς καὶ αὔριον ποιήσω τὰ αὐτά

9 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ Αμαν ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ὑπερχαρὴς εὐφραινόμενος ἐν δὲ τῷ ἰδεῖν Αμαν Μαρδοχαῖον τὸν Ιουδαῖον ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ ἐθυμώθη σφόδρα

Haman was feeling very happy as he left the banquet. But then he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate of the palace. Mordecai did not stand up and tremble fearfully in front of Haman, so Haman became extremely angry.

10 καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἐκάλεσεν τοὺς φίλους καὶ Ζωσαραν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ

However, he did not show that he was angry; he [just] went home. Then he gathered together his wife Zeresh and his friends,

11 καὶ ὑπέδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἣν ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῷ περιέθηκεν καὶ ὡς ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν πρωτεύειν καὶ ἡγεῖσθαι τῆς βασιλείας

and he boasted to them about being very rich, and about having many children. He also boasted that the king had greatly honored him, and that the king had (promoted him/given him the second-most important job in the empire), so that [all] the other officials had to respect him.

12 καὶ εἶπεν Αμαν οὐ κέκληκεν ἡ βασίλισσα μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως οὐδένα εἰς τὴν δοχὴν ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐμέ καὶ εἰς τὴν αὔριον κέκλημαι

Then Haman added, “And that is not all! Queen Esther invited just two of us, the king and me, to a banquet she prepared for us today. And she is inviting [only] the two of us to another banquet that she will prepare tomorrow!”

13 καὶ ταῦτά μοι οὐκ ἀρέσκει ὅταν ἴδω Μαρδοχαῖον τὸν Ιουδαῖον ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ

Then Haman said, “But those things (mean nothing to me/do not make me happy) while I keep seeing that Jew, Mordecai, [just] sitting there at the gate of the palace [and ignoring me]!”

14 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ζωσαρα ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ φίλοι κοπήτω σοι ξύλον πηχῶν πεντήκοντα ὄρθρου δὲ εἰπὸν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ κρεμασθήτω Μαρδοχαῖος ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου σὺ δὲ εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν δοχὴν σὺν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ εὐφραίνου καὶ ἤρεσεν τὸ ῥῆμα τῷ Αμαν καὶ ἡτοιμάσθη τὸ ξύλον

So Haman’s wife Zeresh and all his friends [who were there] suggested, “[Why don’t you quickly] set up (a gallows/posts on which to hang someone). Make it 75 feet tall. Then tomorrow morning ask the king to hang Mordecai on it. After that, you can go to the banquet with the king and be cheerful.” That idea pleased Haman [very much], so he gave [men] orders to set up the gallows/posts.