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Esther 5
Christian Standard Bible
Esther 5
Christian Standard Bible
Esther Approaches the King
5 On the third day,(A) Esther dressed in her royal clothing and stood in the inner courtyard(B) of the palace facing it. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom,[a] facing its entrance. 2 As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she gained favor with him. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter.(C)
3 “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be given to you.”(D)
4 “If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet(E) I have prepared for them.”
5 The king said, “Hurry, and get Haman so we can do as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.
6 While drinking the[b] wine,(F) the king asked Esther, “Whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”
7 Esther answered, “This is my petition and my request: 8 If I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and perform my request,(G) may the king and Haman come to the banquet I will prepare for them.(H) Tomorrow I will do what the king has asked.”
9 That day Haman left full of joy and in good spirits.[c](I) But when Haman saw Mordecai at the King’s Gate, and Mordecai didn’t rise or tremble in fear at his presence, Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.(J) 10 Yet Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh(K) to join him. 11 Then Haman described for them his glorious wealth and his many sons. He told them all how the king had honored him and promoted him in rank over the other officials and the royal staff.(L) 12 “What’s more,” Haman added, “Queen Esther invited no one but me to join the king at the banquet she had prepared. I am invited again tomorrow to join her with the king. 13 Still, none of this satisfies me since I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s Gate all the time.”
14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Have them build a gallows seventy-five feet[d] tall.(M) Ask the king in the morning to hang Mordecai on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself.” The advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows constructed.(N)
Esther 5
New Catholic Bible
Esther 5
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 5
Esther’s Request to the King. [1 [a]On the third day, Esther donned her royal garments and positioned herself in the inner courtyard in front of the king’s hall. The king was seated on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he spotted Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, he made her welcome by holding out the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.]
3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even if it should be half of my kingdom,[b] it will be given to you.”
4 “If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “I would like you and Haman to be my guests today at a banquet that I have prepared for you.”
5 Thereupon the king exclaimed, “Hurry, bring Haman here so that we may do what Esther wishes.” With that, the king and Haman went to Esther’s banquet.
6 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now, what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even if it is up to half of my kingdom, it will be granted.”
7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If I have found favor with the king and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to another banquet that I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
Haman’s Rage against Mordecai. 9 When Haman left that day he was happy and in a good mood. But when he caught sight of Mordecai at the king’s gate and noted that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was consumed with rage toward Mordecai. 10 Nonetheless, he was able to control himself and go home.
Then he invited his friends to his house and asked his wife, Zeresh, to join them. 11 Haman boasted to them about his great wealth, his many sons, and about the honor the king had paid him by promoting him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And even more than this,” Haman added, “Queen Esther invited me as the only one to the banquet with the king today, and tomorrow I am again invited to be her guest with the king. 13 Yet I get no pleasure out of any of this as long as I see that Jew Mordecai seated at the king’s gate.”
14 Then his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Why not have a gibbet set up, fifty cubits high,[c] and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself.” Haman liked the idea, and he had the gibbet built.
Footnotes
- Esther 5:1 The Hebrew text in these verses is a condensed form of the account already given in the Greek text.
- Esther 5:3 Even . . . half of my kingdom: a customary hyperbole (see Mk 6:23).
- Esther 5:14 Fifty cubits high: the height of the gallows (seventy-five feet) is certainly a hyperbole for effect.
Esther 5
New International Version
Esther 5
New International Version
Esther’s Request to the King
5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes(A) and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s(B) hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.(C)
3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,(D) it will be given you.”
4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”
So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6 As they were drinking wine,(E) the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,(F) it will be granted.”(G)
7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favor(H) and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet(I) I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
Haman’s Rage Against Mordecai
9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage(J) against Mordecai.(K) 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.
Calling together his friends and Zeresh,(L) his wife, 11 Haman boasted(M) to them about his vast wealth, his many sons,(N) and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person(O) Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.(P)”
14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits,[a](Q) and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled(R) on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.
Footnotes
- Esther 5:14 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters
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