אֶסְתֵר 5

1 וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י וַתִּלְבַּ֤שׁ אֶסְתֵּר֙ מַלְכ֔וּת וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֞ד בַּחֲצַ֤ר בֵּית־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַפְּנִימִ֔ית נֹ֖כַח בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְ֠הַמֶּלֶךְ יֹושֵׁ֞ב עַל־כִּסֵּ֤א מַלְכוּתֹו֙ בְּבֵ֣ית הַמַּלְכ֔וּת נֹ֖כַח פֶּ֥תַח הַבָּֽיִת׃

And it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and placed herself in the inner court of the king's house, opposite the king's apartment; and the king was sitting upon his royal throne in the royal apartment, opposite to the entrance of the house.

2 וַיְהִי֩ כִרְאֹ֨ות הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־אֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֗ה עֹמֶ֙דֶת֙ בֶּֽחָצֵ֔ר נָשְׂאָ֥ה חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינָ֑יו וַיֹּ֨ושֶׁט הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּ֗ר אֶת־שַׁרְבִ֤יט הַזָּהָב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיָדֹ֔ו וַתִּקְרַ֣ב אֶסְתֵּ֔ר וַתִּגַּ֖ע בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הַשַּׁרְבִֽיט׃ ס

And it happened, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained grace in his eyes; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand; and Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

3 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ מַה־לָּ֖ךְ אֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵ֛ךְ עַד־חֲצִ֥י הַמַּלְכ֖וּת וְיִנָּ֥תֵֽן לָֽךְ׃

Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? if it be equal to half of the kingdom it shall still be given thee.

4 וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶסְתֵּ֔ר אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ טֹ֑וב יָבֹ֨וא הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וְהָמָן֙ הַיֹּ֔ום אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֥יתִי לֹֽו׃

And Esther said, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet which I have prepared for him.

5 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ מַהֲרוּ֙ אֶת־הָמָ֔ן לַעֲשֹׂ֖ות אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר אֶסְתֵּ֑ר וַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְהָמָ֔ן אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָ֥ה אֶסְתֵּֽר׃

Then said the king, Bring Haman quickly hither to fulfill the word of Esther: so came the king with Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

6 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר֙ בְּמִשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֔יִן מַה־שְּׁאֵלָתֵ֖ךְ וְיִנָּ֣תֵֽן לָ֑ךְ וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵ֛ךְ עַד־חֲצִ֥י הַמַּלְכ֖וּת וְתֵעָֽשׂ׃

And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even if it be equal to half of the kingdom, it shall still be done.

7 וַתַּ֥עַן אֶסְתֵּ֖ר וַתֹּאמַ֑ר שְׁאֵלָתִ֖י וּבַקָּשָׁתִֽי׃

Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request are,

8 אִם־מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֜ן בְּעֵינֵ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְאִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ טֹ֔וב לָתֵת֙ אֶת־שְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י וְלַעֲשֹׂ֖ות אֶת־בַּקָּשָׁתִ֑י יָבֹ֧וא הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ וְהָמָ֗ן אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם וּמָחָ֥ר אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה כִּדְבַ֥ר הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

If I have found grace in the eyes of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to fulfill my request, that the king may come with Haman to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow will I do according to the word of the king.

9 וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָמָן֙ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֔וּא שָׂמֵ֖חַ וְטֹ֣וב לֵ֑ב וְכִרְאֹות֩ הָמָ֨ן אֶֽת־מָרְדֳּכַ֜י בְּשַׁ֣עַר הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְלֹא־קָם֙ וְלֹא־זָ֣ע מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וַיִּמָּלֵ֥א הָמָ֛ן עַֽל־מָרְדֳּכַ֖י חֵמָֽה׃

And Haman went forth on that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, who did not rise up, nor move out of the way for him, then was Haman filled against Mordecai with fury.

10 וַיִּתְאַפַּ֣ק הָמָ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֖וא אֶל־בֵּיתֹ֑ו וַיִּשְׁלַ֛ח וַיָּבֵ֥א אֶת־אֹהֲבָ֖יו וְאֶת־זֶ֥רֶשׁ אִשְׁתֹּֽו׃

Nevertheless Haman refrained himself, and went to his house: he then sent and had his friends brought in with Zeresh his wife.

11 וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר לָהֶ֥ם הָמָ֛ן אֶת־כְּבֹ֥וד עָשְׁרֹ֖ו וְרֹ֣ב בָּנָ֑יו וְאֵת֩ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר גִּדְּלֹ֤ו הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְּׂאֹ֔ו עַל־הַשָּׂרִ֖ים וְעַבְדֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

And Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had made him great, and how he had advanced him above the princes and the servants of the king.

12 וַיֹּאמֶר֮ הָמָן֒ אַ֣ף לֹא־הֵבִיאָה֩ אֶסְתֵּ֨ר הַמַּלְכָּ֧ה עִם־הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖תָה כִּ֣י אִם־אֹותִ֑י וְגַם־לְמָחָ֛ר אֲנִ֥י קָֽרוּא־לָ֖הּ עִם־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

And Haman said [farther], Yea, Esther the queen did not let any one come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself: and also for tomorrow am I invited unto her with the king.

13 וְכָל־זֶ֕ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ שֹׁוֶ֖ה לִ֑י בְּכָל־עֵ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲנִ֤י רֹאֶה֙ אֶת־מָרְדֳּכַ֣י הַיְּהוּדִ֔י יֹושֵׁ֖ב בְּשַׁ֥עַר הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

Yet all this profiteth me nothing, every time that I see Mordecai the Jew sitting in the king's gate.

14 וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֹו֩ זֶ֨רֶשׁ אִשְׁתֹּ֜ו וְכָל־אֹֽהֲבָ֗יו יַֽעֲשׂוּ־עֵץ֮ גָּבֹ֣הַּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּה֒ וּבַבֹּ֣קֶר ׀ אֱמֹ֣ר לַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְיִתְל֤וּ אֶֽת־מָרְדֳּכַי֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבֹֽא־עִם־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה שָׂמֵ֑חַ וַיִּיטַ֧ב הַדָּבָ֛ר לִפְנֵ֥י הָמָ֖ן וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָעֵֽץ׃ פ

Then said unto him Zeresh his wife with all his friends, Let them make a gallows of fifty cubits high, and in the mourning speak unto the king that they may hang Mordecai thereon; and then go thou in with the king unto the banquet joyfully. And the thing pleased Haman; and he had the gallows made.