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)

Mordecai Honored by the King

6 That night sleep escaped^(O) the king, so he ordered the book recording daily events to be brought and read to the king. ² They found the written report of how Mordecai had informed on Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, when they planned to assassinate King Ahasuerus.^{(P) 3} The king inquired, “What honor and special recognition have been given to Mordecai for this act?” ^(Q)

The king’s personal attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”

⁴ The king asked, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman was just entering the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him.^(R)

⁵ The king’s attendants answered him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.”

“Have him enter,” the king ordered. ⁶ Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king wants to honor?” ^(S)

Haman thought to himself, “Who is it the king would want to honor more than me?” ⁷ Haman told the king, “For the man the king wants to honor: ⁸ Have them bring a royal garment that the king himself has worn^(T) and a horse the king himself has ridden,^(U) which has a royal crown on its head. ⁹ Put the garment and the horse under the charge of one of the king’s most noble officials.^(V) Have them clothe the man the king wants to honor, parade him on the horse through the city square, and call out before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.’”

¹⁰ The king told Haman, “Hurry, and do just as you proposed. Take a garment and a horse for Mordecai the Jew,^(W) who is sitting at the King’s Gate. Do not leave out anything you have suggested.”

¹¹ So Haman took the garment and the horse. He clothed Mordecai and paraded him through the city square, calling out before him, “This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.”

¹² Then Mordecai returned to the King’s Gate,^(X) but Haman hurried off for home, mournful and with his head covered.^{(Y) 13} Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends^(Z) everything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai is Jewish, and you have begun to fall before him, you won’t overcome him, because your downfall is certain.”^{(AA) 14} While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs^(AB) arrived and rushed Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.^(AC)

The Return Trip to Antioch

¹⁸ After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.^{(A) 19} When they reached Ephesus^(B) he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, ²¹ but he said farewell and added,^[a] “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.”^(C) Then he set sail from Ephesus.

²² On landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, then went down to Antioch.^(D)

²³ After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.^(E)

The Eloquent Apollos

²⁴ Now a Jew named Apollos,^(F) a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit,^[b] he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism.^{(G) 26} He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside^[c] and explained the way of God to him more accurately.^{(H) 27} When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters wrote to the disciples to welcome him. After he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.^{(I) 28} For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.^(J)