Esther 6
International Children’s Bible
Mordecai Is Honored
6 That same night the king could not sleep. So he gave an order for the daily court record to be brought in and read to him. 2 And it was found recorded that Mordecai had warned the king about Bigthana and Teresh. These men had planned to kill the king. They were two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway.
3 Then the king asked, “What honor and reward have been given to Mordecai for this?”
The king’s personal servants answered, “Nothing has been done for Mordecai.”
4 The king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace. He had come to ask the king about hanging Mordecai on the platform he had prepared.
5 The king’s personal servants said, “Haman is standing in the courtyard.”
So the king said, “Bring him in.”
6 So Haman came in. And the king asked him, “What should be done for a man that the king wants very much to honor?”
And Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king want to honor more than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “This is what you could do for the man you want very much to honor. 8 Have the servants bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn. And also bring a horse with a royal crown on its head. The horse should be one the king himself has ridden. 9 Then let the robe and the horse be given to one of the king’s most important men. Let the servants put the robe on the man the king wants very much to honor. And let them lead him on the horse through the city streets. As they are leading him, let them announce: ‘This is what is done for the man the king wants very much to honor!’”
10 The king commanded Haman, “Go quickly. Take the robe and the horse just as you have said. And do all this for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king’s gate. Do not leave out anything that you have suggested.”
11 So Haman took the robe and the horse. And he put the robe on Mordecai. Then he led him on horseback through the city streets. Haman announced before Mordecai: “This is what is done for the man the king wants very much to honor!”
12 Then Mordecai went back to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried home with his head covered. He was embarrassed and ashamed. 13 He told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him.
Haman’s wife and the men who gave him advice said, “You are starting to lose power to Mordecai. Since he is a Jew, you cannot win against him. You will surely be ruined.” 14 While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs came to Haman’s house. They made Haman hurry to the banquet Esther had prepared.
Esther 6
King James Version
6 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:
9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
14 And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
Esther 6
Common English Bible
Honor for Mordecai
6 That same night, the king simply couldn’t sleep. He had the official royal records brought in, and his young male servants began reading them to the king. 2 They came to the report about Mordecai informing on Bigthan and Teresh. (They were the two royal eunuchs among the guards protecting the king’s doorway, who secretly planned to kill King Ahasuerus.) 3 “What was done to honor and reward Mordecai for this?” the king asked.
His young male servants replied, “Nothing was done for him, sir.”
4 “Who is that out in the courtyard?” the king asked. (Haman had just entered the outer courtyard of the palace. He had come to tell the king to impale Mordecai on the pole that he had set up for him.)
5 The king’s servants answered, “That’s Haman standing out in the courtyard, sir.” So the king said, “Have him come in.”
6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man whom the king really wants to honor?”
Haman thought to himself, Whom would the king really want to honor more than me? 7 So Haman said to the king, “Here’s what should be done for the man the king really wants to honor. 8 Have servants bring out a royal robe that the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden. It should have a royal crest on its head. 9 Then hand over the robe and the horse to another man, one of the king’s officials. Have him personally robe[a] the man whom the king really wants to honor and lead him on the horse through the city square. As he goes, have him shout, ‘This is what the king does for the man he really wants to honor!’”
10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse just as you’ve said and do exactly that for Mordecai the Jew, who works at the King’s Gate. Don’t leave out a single thing you’ve said!”
11 So Haman took the robe and the horse and put the robe on Mordecai. He led him on horseback through the city square, shouting as he went, “This is what the king does for the man he really wants to honor!” 12 Afterward, Mordecai returned to the King’s Gate, while Haman hurried home feeling great shame, his head covered.
13 Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Both his friends[b] and his wife said to him, “You’ve already begun to lose out to Mordecai. If he is of Jewish birth, you’ll not be able to win against him. You are surely going to lose out to him.”
Haman’s demise
14 They were still discussing this with him when several royal eunuchs arrived. They quickly hurried Haman off to the feast that Esther had prepared.
Footnotes
- Esther 6:9 LXX sing robe and lead, cf Heb plural verbs
- Esther 6:13 LXX; Heb wise ones
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