Esther 5:9-6:3

English Standard Version

Haman Plans to Hang Mordecai

⁹ And Haman went out that day ^(A)joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai ^(B)in the king's gate, ^(C)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 ^(D)his wife Zeresh. ¹¹ And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, ^(E)the number of his sons, all the promotions with which ^(F)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 ^(G)at the king's gate.” ¹⁴ Then ^(H)his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, ^(I)“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.

The King Honors Mordecai

6 On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring ^(J)the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. ² And it was found written how ^(K)Mordecai had told about ^(L)Bigthana^[c] and ^(M)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.”