Esther 5
Legacy Standard Bible
Esther Prepares a Feast
5 Now it happened (A)on the third day, that Esther put on her royal robes and stood (B)in the inner court of the king’s house 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 his house. 2 Now it happened that when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, (C)she advanced in favor in his eyes; and (D)the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and [c]reached out and touched the top of the scepter. 3 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is [d]your request? (E)Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4 And Esther said, “If it seems good to the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the feast that I have prepared for him.”
5 Then the king said, “(F)Bring Haman quickly that we may do the word of Esther.” So the king and Haman came to the feast which Esther had prepared. 6 Then, [e]as they drank their wine at the feast, (G)the king said to Esther, “(H)What is [f]your petition? For it shall be given to you. And what is [g]your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 7 So Esther answered and said, “[h]My petition and [i]my request is: 8 (I)if I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it seems good to the king to give heed to [j]my petition and to do [k]my request, may the king and Haman come to (J)the feast which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king.”
Haman Recounts His Glory
9 Then Haman went out that day glad and merry of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai (K)in the king’s gate and (L)that he did not stand up or [l]tremble before him, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai. 10 But Haman controlled himself, went to his house, and sent for and brought his friends and his wife (M)Zeresh. 11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches and the [m](N)number of his sons and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had [n](O)advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. 12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the feast which she had prepared; and (P)tomorrow also I am called to come to her with the king. 13 Yet all of this is worth nothing to 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 [o]gallows [p]fifty cubits high made and in the morning say to the king that Mordecai should be hanged on it; then go gladly with the king to the feast.” And the word was good to Haman, so he had the gallows made.
Footnotes
- Esther 5:1 Lit house
- Esther 5:1 Lit royal house
- Esther 5:2 The Heb root for touched, in a variant form, is translated as reached in Esth 2:12, 15; 4:3, 14; 6:14; 8:17; 9:26
- Esther 5:3 Or that which you seek
- Esther 5:6 Lit at the banquet of wine
- Esther 5:6 Or that which you ask for
- Esther 5:6 Or that which you seek
- Esther 5:7 Or What I ask for
- Esther 5:7 Or what I seek
- Esther 5:8 Or what I ask for
- Esther 5:8 Or what I am seeking
- Esther 5:9 Or move for
- Esther 5:11 Lit multitude
- Esther 5:11 Lit lifted
- Esther 5:14 Lit tree, cf. Deut 21:22-23
- Esther 5:14 Approx. 75 ft. or 23 m, a cubit was approx. 18 in. or 45 cm
Esther 5
Common English Bible
Esther acts
5 Three days later, Esther put on royal clothes and stood in the inner courtyard of the palace, facing the palace itself. At that moment the king was inside sitting on his royal throne and facing the palace doorway. 2 When the king noticed Queen Esther standing in the entry court, he was pleased. The king held out to Esther the gold scepter in his hand, and she came forward and touched the scepter’s tip.
3 Then the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want? I’ll give you anything—even half the kingdom.”
4 Esther answered, “If the king wishes, please come today with Haman for the feast that I have prepared for him.”
5 “Hurry, get Haman,” the king ordered, “so we can do what Esther says.” So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared. 6 As they sipped wine, the king asked, “Now what is it you wish? I’ll give it to you. What do you want? I’ll do anything—even give you half the kingdom.”
7 Esther answered, “This is my wish and this is what I want: 8 If I please the king, and if the king wishes to grant my wish and my desire, I’d like the king and Haman to come to another feast that I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will answer the king’s questions.”
Haman boasts, complains, and acts
9 That day Haman left Esther’s place happy, his spirits high, but then he saw Mordecai in the King’s Gate. Mordecai neither stood up nor seemed the least bit nervous around him, so Haman suddenly felt great rage toward Mordecai. 10 But Haman held himself back and went on home. He sent word that his friends and his wife Zeresh should join him there. 11 Haman boasted to them about his great wealth and his many sons. He told all about how the king had honored him by promoting him over the officials and high royal workers. 12 “Best of all,” Haman said, “Queen Esther has invited no one else but me to join the king for food and drinks that she has prepared. In fact, I’ve been called to join the king at her place tomorrow! 13 But all this loses its meaning every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s Gate.”
14 So his wife Zeresh and all his friends told him: “Have people prepare a pointed pole seventy-five feet high. In the morning, tell the king to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then you can go with the king to the feast in a happy mood.” Haman liked the idea and had the pole prepared.
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