Esther Prepares a Banquet

5 ^(A)On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in ^(B)the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. ² And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, ^(C)she won favor in his sight, ^(D)and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. ³ And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even ^(E)to the half of my kingdom.” ⁴ And Esther said, “If it please the king,^[a] let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.” ⁵ Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked.” So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared. ^6 (F)And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, ^(G)“What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? ^(H)Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.”^{[b] 7} Then Esther answered, “My wish and my request is: ^8 (I)If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king^[c] to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to ^(J)the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”

Haman Plans to Hang Mordecai

⁹ And Haman went out that day ^(K)joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai ^(L)in the king's gate, ^(M)that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. ¹⁰ Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and ^(N)his wife Zeresh. ¹¹ And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, ^(O)the number of his sons, all the promotions with which ^(P)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 ^(Q)at the king's gate.” ¹⁴ Then ^(R)his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, ^(S)“Let a gallows^[d] fifty cubits^[e] 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.

Stewards of God's Grace

4 Since therefore ^(A)Christ suffered in the flesh,^{[a] (B)}arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for ^(C)whoever has suffered in the flesh ^(D)has ceased from sin, ^2 (E)so as to live for ^(F)the rest of the time in the flesh ^(G)no longer for human passions but ^(H)for the will of God. ³ For the time that is past ^(I)suffices ^(J)for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. ⁴ With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of ^(K)debauchery, and ^(L)they malign you; ⁵ but they will give account to him who is ready ^(M)to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is why ^(N)the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

^7 (O)The end of all things is at hand; therefore ^(P)be self-controlled and sober-minded ^(Q)for the sake of your prayers. ⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since ^(R)love covers a multitude of sins. ^9 (S)Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ^10 (T)As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, ^(U)as good stewards of God's varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks ^(V)oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves ^(W)by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything ^(X)God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. ^(Y)To him belong glory and ^(Z)dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The King Honors Mordecai

6 On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring ^(A)the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. ² And it was found written how ^(B)Mordecai had told about ^(C)Bigthana^[a] and ^(D)Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ³ And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king's young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” ⁴ And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered ^(E)the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on ^(F)the gallows^[b] that he had prepared for him. ⁵ And the king's young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” ⁶ So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man ^(G)whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” ⁷ And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, ⁸ let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, ^(H)and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head ^(I)a royal crown^[c] is set. ⁹ And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, ^(J)proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” ¹⁰ Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits ^(K)at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” ¹¹ So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

¹² Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning ^(L)and with his head covered. ¹³ And Haman told ^(M)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.”

Esther Reveals Haman's Plot

¹⁴ While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman ^(N)to the feast that Esther had prepared.

7 So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. ² And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, ^(O)“What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? ^(P)Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” ³ Then Queen Esther answered, ^(Q)“If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. ^4 (R)For we have been sold, I and my people, ^(S)to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” ⁵ Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared^[d] to do this?” ⁶ And Esther said, ^(T)“A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.

Haman Is Hanged

⁷ And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into ^(U)the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king. ⁸ And the king returned from ^(V)the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on ^(W)the couch where Esther was. And the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face. ⁹ Then ^(X)Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Moreover, ^(Y)the gallows^[e] that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, ^(Z)whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman's house, fifty cubits^[f] high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” ^10 (AA)So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. ^(AB)Then the wrath of the king abated.

Suffering as a Christian

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at ^(A)the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice ^(B)insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad ^(C)when his glory is revealed. ^14 (D)If you are insulted ^(E)for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory^[a] and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But ^(F)let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or ^(G)as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet ^(H)if anyone suffers as a ^(I)Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God ^(J)in that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment ^(K)to begin at the household of God; and ^(L)if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who ^(M)do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And

¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will ^(O)entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.