¹³ When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is of the Jewish people, you will not prevail against him but will surely fall before him.”^(A)

⁸ In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.^(A)

¹⁹ within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a pole, and the birds will eat the flesh from you.”^(A)

²⁶ This is the interpretation of the matter: mene: God has numbered the days of^[a] your kingdom and brought it to an end;^{(A) 27} tekel: you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;^{(B) 28} peres:^[b] your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

¹² Because of this the king flew into a violent rage and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.

¹⁰ nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Then he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh,^{(A) 11} and Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the ministers of the king.^{(B) 12} Haman added, “Even Queen Esther let no one but myself come with the king to the banquet that she prepared. Tomorrow also I am invited by her, together with the king.^{(C) 13} Yet all this does me no good so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”^{(D) 14} Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a pole fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hung on it; then go with the king to the banquet in good spirits.” This advice pleased Haman, and he had the pole made.^(E)

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

²⁰ Immediately Saul fell 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.