1 Esther Prepares a Feast Now it happened on the third day, that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s house in front of the king’s 5:1Lit house rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the 5:1Lit royal house throne room, opposite the entrance tohishouse.
2 Now it happened that when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she advanced in favor in his eyes; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter whichwasin his hand. So Esther came near and 5:2The Heb root for touched, in a variant form, is translated as reached in Esth 2:12, 15; 4:3, 14; 6:14; 8:17; 9:26 reached outand touched the top of the scepter.
3 Then the king said to her, “What istroublingyou, Queen Esther? And what is 5:3Or that which you seek your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.”
4 And Esther said, “If itseemsgood to the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the feast that I have prepared for him.”
5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly that we may do the word of Esther.” So the king and Haman came to the feast which Esther had prepared.
6 Then, 5:6 Lit at the banquet of wine as they drank their wine at the feast, the king said to Esther, “What is 5:6 Or that which you ask for your petition? For it shall be given to you. And what is 5:6 Or that which you seek your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.”
7 So Esther answered and said, “ 5:7 Or What I ask for My petition and 5:7 Or what I seek my request is:
8 if I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if itseemsgood to the king to giveheed to 5:8Or what I ask for my petition and to do 5:8Or what I am seeking my request, may the king and Haman come to the feast which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king.”Haman Recounts His Glory
9 Then Haman went out that day glad and merry of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or 5:9Or move for tremble before him, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai.
10 But Haman controlled himself, went to his house, and sent for and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh.
11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches and the 5:11Lit multitude number of his sons and everyinstancewhere the king had magnified him and how he had 5:11Lit lifted advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the feast which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am calledto cometo her with the king.
13 Yet all of this is worth nothing to me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a 5:14Lit tree, cf. Deut 21:22-23 gallows 5:14Approx. 75 ft. or 23 m, a cubit was approx. 18 in. or 45 cm fifty cubits high made and in the morning say to the king that Mordecai should be hanged on it; then go gladly with the king to the feast.” And the word was good to Haman, so he had the gallows made.