9 Haman was feeling very happy as he left the banquet that day. But then he saw Mordekai sitting at the king’s gate and noticed that Mordekai didn’t stand up or show fearful reverence to him. This made Haman furious with Mordekai 10 but he restrained himself and went home. Then he sent for his friends and brought in his wife, Zeresh, 11 boasting to them about how rich he was and about how many sons he had, and how the king had promoted him many times and given him a position above all of the other officials and administrators. 12 “And that is not all,” Haman added. “I was the only one that Queen Esther invited to go with the king to a banquet that she prepared for us today. And she’s also invited only me to go with the king again tomorrow. 13 However, I still can’t be happy as long as I keep seeing that Jew, Mordekai, sitting there at the king’s gate.”

14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Get them to install 25-metre high pole, and in the morning get permission from the king, and get them to impale Mordekai on it. Then you can go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.”

That idea sounded good to Haman, so he got the pole erected.