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Esther 5-6
New American Standard Bible
Esther 5-6
New American Standard Bible
Esther Plans a Banquet
5 Now it came about (A)on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood (B)in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace in front of the king’s [a]rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the [b]throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, (C)she obtained favor in his sight; and (D)the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. 3 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? (E)Up to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4 Esther said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
5 Then the king said, “(F)Bring Haman quickly so that we may do [c]as Esther desires.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared. 6 [d]As they drank their wine at the banquet, (G)the king said to Esther, “(H)What is your request, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your wish? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 7 So Esther replied, “My request and my wish is: 8 (I)if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do [e]what I wish, may the king and Haman come to (J)the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do [f]as the king says.”
Haman’s Pride
9 Then Haman went out that day joyful and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai (K)at the king’s gate and (L)that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. 10 Haman controlled himself, however, and went to his house. But he [g]sent for his friends and his wife (M)Zeresh. 11 Then Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and his (N)many sons, and every occasion on which the king had honored him and how he had [h](O)promoted him above the officials and servants of the king. 12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one except me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and (P)tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. 13 Yet all of this [i]does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at (Q)the king’s gate.” 14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “(R)Have a wooden gallows [j]fifty cubits high made, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the [k]advice pleased Haman, so he had the wooden gallows made.
The King Plans to Honor Mordecai
6 During that night [l]the king (S)could not sleep, so he gave an order to bring (T)the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written what (U)Mordecai had reported about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to [m]attack King Ahasuerus. 3 Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4 So the king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just (V)entered the outer courtyard of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about (W)hanging Mordecai on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for him. 5 So the king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the courtyard.” And the king said, “Have him come in.” 6 Haman then came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man (X)whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said [n]to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” 7 Therefore Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and (Y)the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head (Z)a royal turban has been placed; 9 then order them to hand the robe and the horse over to one of the king’s noble officials, and have them dress the man whom the king desires to honor, and lead him on horseback through the city square, (AA)and proclaim before him, ‘So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.’”
Haman Must Honor Mordecai
10 Then the king said to Haman, “Quickly, take the robe and the horse just as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fail to do anything of all that you have said.” 11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, and dressed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.”
12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, while Haman hurried home, mourning, (AB)with his head covered. 13 And Haman informed (AC)Zeresh his wife and all his friends of everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is [o]of Jewish origin, you will not prevail over him, but will certainly fall before him.”
14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly (AD)brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.
Footnotes
- Esther 5:1 Lit house
- Esther 5:1 Lit royal house
- Esther 5:5 Lit the word of Esther
- Esther 5:6 Lit At the banquet of wine
- Esther 5:8 Lit my wish
- Esther 5:8 Lit according to the word of the king
- Esther 5:10 Lit sent and brought
- Esther 5:11 Lit lifted
- Esther 5:13 Lit is not suitable to me
- Esther 5:14 About 75 ft. or 23 m
- Esther 5:14 Lit word
- Esther 6:1 Lit the king’s sleep fled
- Esther 6:2 Or kill; lit put out a hand against
- Esther 6:6 Lit in his heart
- Esther 6:13 Lit from the seed of the Jews
Esther 5-6
New International Version
Esther 5-6
New International Version
Esther’s Request to the King
5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes(A) and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s(B) hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.(C)
3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,(D) it will be given you.”
4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”
So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6 As they were drinking wine,(E) the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,(F) it will be granted.”(G)
7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favor(H) and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet(I) I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
Haman’s Rage Against Mordecai
9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage(J) against Mordecai.(K) 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.
Calling together his friends and Zeresh,(L) his wife, 11 Haman boasted(M) to them about his vast wealth, his many sons,(N) and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person(O) Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.(P)”
14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits,[a](Q) and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled(R) on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.
Mordecai Honored
6 That night the king could not sleep;(S) so he ordered the book of the chronicles,(T) the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2 It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.(U)
3 “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked.
“Nothing has been done for him,”(V) his attendants answered.
4 The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.
5 His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.”
“Bring him in,” the king ordered.
6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”
Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe(W) the king has worn and a horse(X) the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!(Y)’”
10 “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”
11 So Haman got(Z) the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”
12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered(AA) in grief, 13 and told Zeresh(AB) his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.
His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall(AC) has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!”(AD) 14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet(AE) Esther had prepared.
Footnotes
- Esther 5:14 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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