¹³ And Haman told ^(A)his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”

^19 (A)In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and ^(B)hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

²⁶ This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered^[a] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; ²⁷ Tekel, ^(A)you have been weighed^[b] in the balances and found wanting; ²⁸ Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to ^(B)the Medes and ^(C)Persians.”^[c]

¹² Because of this the king was angry and ^(A)very furious, and ^(B)commanded that all ^(C)the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.

¹⁰ Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and ^(A)his wife Zeresh. ¹¹ And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, ^(B)the number of his sons, all the promotions with which ^(C)the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. ¹² Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. ¹³ Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting ^(D)at the king's gate.” ¹⁴ Then ^(E)his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, ^(F)“Let a gallows^[a] fifty cubits^[b] high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.” This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.

¹⁹ Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you ^(A)and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”

²⁰ Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.