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Esther 4-7
New American Standard Bible

Esther Learns of Haman’s Plot

4 When Mordecai learned of (A)everything that had been done, [a]he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. 2 And he came as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with (B)fasting, weeping, and mourning rites; and many had sackcloth and ashes spread out as a bed.

4 Then Esther’s attendants and her eunuchs came and informed her, and the queen was seized by great fear. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he would remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom [b]the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this mourning was and why it was happening. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square, in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, and (C)the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the elimination of the Jews. 8 He also gave him (D)a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their annihilation, so that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and plead with him for her people.

9 So Hathach came back and reported Mordecai’s words to Esther. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who (E)comes to the king in the inner courtyard, who is not summoned, (F)he has only one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out (G)to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” 12 And they reported Esther’s words to Mordecai.

13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, liberation and (H)rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Esther Plans to Intercede

15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; (I)do not eat or drink for (J)three days, night or day. I and my attendants also will fast in the same way. And then I will go in to the king, which is not in accordance with the law; and if I perish, I perish.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.

Esther Plans a Banquet

5 Now it came about (K)on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood (L)in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace in front of the king’s [c]rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the [d]throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, (M)she obtained favor in his sight; and (N)the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. 3 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? (O)Up to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4 Esther said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

5 Then the king said, “(P)Bring Haman quickly so that we may do [e]as Esther desires.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared. 6 [f]As they drank their wine at the banquet, (Q)the king said to Esther, “(R)What is your request, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your wish? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 7 So Esther replied, “My request and my wish is: 8 (S)if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do [g]what I wish, may the king and Haman come to (T)the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do [h]as the king says.”

Haman’s Pride

9 Then Haman went out that day joyful and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai (U)at the king’s gate and (V)that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. 10 Haman controlled himself, however, and went to his house. But he [i]sent for his friends and his wife (W)Zeresh. 11 Then Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and his (X)many sons, and every occasion on which the king had honored him and how he had [j](Y)promoted him above the officials and servants of the king. 12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one except me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and (Z)tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. 13 Yet all of this [k]does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at (AA)the king’s gate.” 14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “(AB)Have a wooden gallows [l]fifty cubits high made, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the [m]advice pleased Haman, so he had the wooden gallows made.

The King Plans to Honor Mordecai

6 During that night [n]the king (AC)could not sleep, so he gave an order to bring (AD)the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written what (AE)Mordecai had reported about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to [o]attack King Ahasuerus. 3 Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4 So the king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just (AF)entered the outer courtyard of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about (AG)hanging Mordecai on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for him. 5 So the king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the courtyard.” And the king said, “Have him come in.” 6 Haman then came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man (AH)whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said [p]to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” 7 Therefore Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and (AI)the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head (AJ)a royal turban has been placed; 9 then order them to hand the robe and the horse over to one of the king’s noble officials, and have them dress the man whom the king desires to honor, and lead him on horseback through the city square, (AK)and proclaim before him, ‘So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.’”

Haman Must Honor Mordecai

10 Then the king said to Haman, “Quickly, take the robe and the horse just as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fail to do anything of all that you have said.” 11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, and dressed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.”

12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, while Haman hurried home, mourning, (AL)with his head covered. 13 And Haman informed (AM)Zeresh his wife and all his friends of everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is [q]of Jewish origin, you will not prevail over him, but will certainly fall before him.”

14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly (AN)brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

Esther’s Plea

7 Now the king and Haman came to drink wine with Esther the queen. 2 And the king said to Esther on the second day also [r]as they drank their wine at the banquet, “(AO)What is your request, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your wish? (AP)Up to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 3 Then Queen Esther replied, “(AQ)If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my request, and my people as my wish; 4 for (AR)we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, (AS)killed, and eliminated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have kept silent, because the distress would not be sufficient reason to burden the king.” 5 Then King Ahasuerus [s]asked Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, [t]who would presume to do such a thing?” 6 And Esther said, “(AT)A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!” Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.

Haman Is Hanged

7 The king then got up (AU)in his anger from [u]drinking wine and went into (AV)the palace garden; but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him by the king. 8 Now when the king returned from the palace garden into the [v]place where they had been drinking wine, Haman was falling on (AW)the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen with me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who stood before the king, said, “Indeed, behold, (AX)the wooden gallows standing at Haman’s house [w]fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai (AY)who spoke good in behalf of the king!” And the king said, “Hang him on it.” 10 (AZ)So they hanged Haman on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, (BA)and the king’s anger subsided.

Footnotes

  1. Esther 4:1 Lit Mordecai
  2. Esther 4:5 Lit he
  3. Esther 5:1 Lit house
  4. Esther 5:1 Lit royal house
  5. Esther 5:5 Lit the word of Esther
  6. Esther 5:6 Lit At the banquet of wine
  7. Esther 5:8 Lit my wish
  8. Esther 5:8 Lit according to the word of the king
  9. Esther 5:10 Lit sent and brought
  10. Esther 5:11 Lit lifted
  11. Esther 5:13 Lit is not suitable to me
  12. Esther 5:14 About 75 ft. or 23 m
  13. Esther 5:14 Lit word
  14. Esther 6:1 Lit the king’s sleep fled
  15. Esther 6:2 Or kill; lit put out a hand against
  16. Esther 6:6 Lit in his heart
  17. Esther 6:13 Lit from the seed of the Jews
  18. Esther 7:2 Lit at the banquet of wine
  19. Esther 7:5 Lit said and said to
  20. Esther 7:5 Lit whose heart has filled him
  21. Esther 7:7 Lit the banquet of wine
  22. Esther 7:8 Lit house of the banquet of wine
  23. Esther 7:9 About 75 ft. or 23 m
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Esther 4-7
New International Version

Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help

4 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes,(A) put on sackcloth and ashes,(B) and went out into the city, wailing(C) loudly and bitterly. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate,(D) because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

6 So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.(E) 8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned(F) the king has but one law:(G) that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter(H) to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent(I) at this time, relief(J) and deliverance(K) for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”(L)

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast(M) for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”(N)

17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

Esther’s Request to the King

5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes(O) and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s(P) 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.(Q)

3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,(R) 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,(S) 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,(T) it will be granted.”(U)

7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favor(V) and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet(W) 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(X) against Mordecai.(Y) 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.

Calling together his friends and Zeresh,(Z) his wife, 11 Haman boasted(AA) to them about his vast wealth, his many sons,(AB) 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(AC) 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.(AD)”

14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits,[a](AE) and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled(AF) on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.

Mordecai Honored

6 That night the king could not sleep;(AG) so he ordered the book of the chronicles,(AH) the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2 It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.(AI)

3 “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked.

“Nothing has been done for him,”(AJ) his attendants answered.

4 The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.

5 His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.”

“Bring him in,” the king ordered.

6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”

Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe(AK) the king has worn and a horse(AL) the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!(AM)’”

10 “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

11 So Haman got(AN) the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered(AO) in grief, 13 and told Zeresh(AP) his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.

His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall(AQ) has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!”(AR) 14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet(AS) Esther had prepared.

Haman Impaled

7 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet,(AT) 2 and as they were drinking wine(AU) on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,(AV) it will be granted.(AW)”

3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor(AX) with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated.(AY) If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.[b]”

5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7 The king got up in a rage,(AZ) left his wine and went out into the palace garden.(BA) But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate,(BB) stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch(BC) where Esther was reclining.(BD)

The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”(BE)

As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.(BF) 9 Then Harbona,(BG) one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits[c](BH) stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

The king said, “Impale him on it!”(BI) 10 So they impaled(BJ) Haman(BK) on the pole(BL) he had set up for Mordecai.(BM) Then the king’s fury subsided.(BN)

Footnotes

  1. Esther 5:14 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters
  2. Esther 7:4 Or quiet, but the compensation our adversary offers cannot be compared with the loss the king would suffer
  3. Esther 7:9 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters
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Esther 8
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