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.