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The Book of Esther 5

5 Three days later, Esther and her servants prepared a grand banquet. Then she put on her royal robes, and she went and stood in the inner courtyard of the palace, across from the king’s house. He was in the royal palace, sitting on the royal throne and facing the entrance of the room. 2 As soon as the king noticed Queen Esther standing there in the courtyard, he was very pleased to see her. So he held out his golden scepter to her, to show that she could safely approach him. So Esther came up to the throne and touched the top of the scepter.

3 Then the king asked her, “Why have you come here, Queen Esther? What do you want? Tell me, and I will give you anything you ask for, no matter how great it is.” 4 Esther replied, “If it pleases you, O king, please come with Haman today to the banquet that I have prepared for you.” 5 The king said to his servants, “Go and get Haman and bring him quickly so that we can do what Esther has asked us to do!” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther and her servants had prepared for them.

6 While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Now please tell me what you really want. I will give you anything you ask for, no matter how great it is. I truly mean what I am saying.” 7 Esther answered, “This is what I really want: 8 if you are pleased with me, and if you are pleased, O king, to give me what I want, please come with Haman to another banquet that I will prepare for you tomorrow. I will answer your question then.”

9 Haman was feeling very happy as he left the banquet that day. But then he saw Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate. Mordecai did not stand up to show respect for Haman or tremble fearfully in front of him. This made Haman furious with Mordecai. 10 But even though Haman was so angry, he kept himself from showing that he was angry. Instead, he went home and gathered together his friends with his wife Zeresh, 11 and he boasted to them about how rich he was and about how many sons he had. He also boasted about how the king had promoted him many times and given him a position above all of his other officials and administrators. 12 Then Haman added, “And that is not all! I was the only one Queen Esther invited to come with the king to a banquet that she prepared for us today. And she has also invited only me to attend another banquet with the king tomorrow.” 13 Then Haman said, “But I still cannot be happy as long as I keep seeing that Jew, Mordecai, sitting there at the king’s gate and refusing to honor me.” 14 So Haman’s wife Zeresh and his friends who were there suggested, “Have your servants set up a pole 25 meters high. Then tomorrow morning speak to the king and tell him that you want to hang Mordecai on it. Then once you have executed Mordecai, you can go to the banquet with the king in a good mood.” Haman thought that this was a good plan, so he told his servants to set up the pole.

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