Esther 5
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
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 favour with him. The king extended the gold sceptre in his hand towards Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the sceptre.(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 favour 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 towards 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 honoured 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 twenty-three metres[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
Lexham English Bible
Esther’s Banquet
5 And it happened, on the third day, and Esther put on royal clothes, and she stood in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace,[a] opposite the king’s palace;[b] the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room[c] opposite the doorway of the palace. 2 When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard she found favor in his eyes, and the king held out the gold scepter that was in his hand to Esther, and Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It will be given to you—even half the kingdom.” 4 And Esther said, “If it is good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.” 5 And the king said, “Bring Haman quickly to fulfill[d] the request of Esther.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 6 And the king said to Esther while they were drinking wine,[e] “What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even half the kingdom, it will done. 7 And Esther answered and said, “This is my petition and my request. 8 If I have found favor in the eyes of the king,[f] and if it is good to the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them tomorrow, and I will do according to the word of the king.
9 And Haman went out on that day rejoicing and feeling good.[g] But when Haman saw Mordecai at the gate of the king, and he did not rise or tremble before him, Haman was filled with rage toward[h] Mordecai. 10 But Haman controlled himself and went to his house, and he sent for and brought his friends and Zeresh his wife. 11 And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his wealth and the number of his sons and all the ways that the king had honored him and promoted him above the officials and king’s servants. 12 And Haman added,[i] “Esther the Queen did not let just anyone come to the banquet that she prepared with the king except me, and I am also invited tomorrow to her banquet with the king. 13 But all this fails to satisfy me[j] when[k] I see Mordecai the Jew setting at the gate of the king.” 14 And Zeresh his wife and all of his friends said to him, “Let them make a gallows fifty cubits[l] high, and in the morning tell the king, “Let them hang Mordecai on it; then go with the king to the banquet happily.” The advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.
Footnotes
- Esther 5:1 Literally “house of the king”
- Esther 5:1 Literally “house of the king”
- Esther 5:1 Literally “house of the reign” or “house of the kingdom”
- Esther 5:5 Literally “to do”
- Esther 5:6 Literally “at the meal of wine”
- Esther 5:8 Or “I have won the favor of the king
- Esther 5:9 Literally “good of heart”
- Esther 5:9 Literally “rage to”
- Esther 5:12 Literally “And Haman said also”
- Esther 5:13 Literally “it is not sufficient for me”
- Esther 5:13 Literally “at every time”
- Esther 5:14 Hebrew “cubit”
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