Esther 6

Tree of Life Version

The King Honors Mordecai

6 That night sleep deserted the king, so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, be brought in and read before the king. ² It was found recorded there that Mordecai had revealed that Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the door, had conspired to kill King Ahasuerus.

³ The king asked, “What honor or recognition has been shown to Mordecai for this?”

The king’s servants that attended him replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”

⁴ The king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just come into the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

⁵ The king’s servants answered, “Haman is standing in the courtyard.”

The king said, “Let him come in.”

⁶ When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for a man whom the king desires to honor?”

Now Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor rather than me?” ⁷ So Haman replied, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, ⁸ let them bring a royal robe that the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on his head. ⁹ Then let the robe and the horse be placed into the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them clothe the man whom the king desires to honor and parade him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming, ‘This is what is done for a man the king desires to honor!’”

¹⁰ The king said to Haman, “Go quickly! Take the robe and the horse, just as you suggested, for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate! Do not neglect anything that you recommended.”

¹¹ So Haman took the robe and the horse, robed Mordecai, and paraded him through the city streets, proclaiming: “This is what is done for the man whom the king desires to honor.” ¹² Afterwards, Mordecai then returned to the king’s gate, but Haman rushed to his home, grief-stricken and with his head covered.

¹³ Haman recounted to his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom you have begun your downfall, is of Jewish descent, you won’t be able to stand against him. In fact, you will certainly fall before him!” ¹⁴ While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came and hurried Haman along to the banquet Esther had prepared.