1 On|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" third|strong="H7992" day|strong="H3117", Esther put|strong="H3847" on|strong="H5921" her|strong="H5921" regalia and|strong="H4428" stood|strong="H5975" in|strong="H3427" the|strong="H5921" inner|strong="H6442" court|strong="H2691" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H5921" royal|strong="H4438" palace|strong="H1004" opposite|strong="H5227" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428"’s house|strong="H1004". The|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428" was|strong="H1961" sitting|strong="H3427" on|strong="H5921" his|strong="H5921" throne|strong="H3678" in|strong="H3427" the|strong="H5921" palace|strong="H1004", opposite|strong="H5227" the|strong="H5921" entrance|strong="H6607".
2 When|strong="H1961" he|strong="H3027" saw|strong="H7200" Esther the|strong="H7200" queen|strong="H4436" standing|strong="H5975" in|strong="H4428" the|strong="H7200" court|strong="H2691", she won his|strong="H5375" favour|strong="H2580", and|strong="H4428" he|strong="H3027" held|strong="H4428" out|strong="H7200" to|strong="H1961" her|strong="H5375" the|strong="H7200" golden|strong="H2091" sceptre|strong="H8275" that|strong="H7200" was|strong="H1961" in|strong="H4428" his|strong="H5375" hand|strong="H3027". So|strong="H1961" Esther approached|strong="H7126" and|strong="H4428" touched|strong="H5060" the|strong="H7200" top|strong="H7218" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H7200" sceptre|strong="H8275".
3 Then|strong="H5414" the|strong="H5414" king|strong="H4428" said to|strong="H5704" her|strong="H5414", ‘What|strong="H4100" is|strong="H4100" it|strong="H5414", Queen|strong="H4436" Esther? Whatever|strong="H4100" your|strong="H5414" request|strong="H1246" is|strong="H4100", it|strong="H5414" will|strong="H4428" be|strong="H5414" granted|strong="H5414", even|strong="H5704" if it|strong="H5414" is|strong="H4100" the|strong="H5414" half|strong="H2677" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H5414" kingdom|strong="H4438".’
4 ‘If it|strong="H5921" seems best to|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428",’ Esther said, ‘let the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428" and|strong="H4428" Haman|strong="H2001" come today|strong="H3117" to|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" banquet|strong="H4960" that|strong="H3117" I|strong="H3117" have|strong="H3117" prepared|strong="H6213" for|strong="H5921" him|strong="H5921".’
5 Then|strong="H6213" the|strong="H6213" king|strong="H4428" ordered, ‘Bring|strong="H6213" Haman|strong="H2001" quickly|strong="H4116", so|strong="H6213" that|strong="H1697" Esther’s wish|strong="H1697" may|strong="H4428" be|strong="H1697" gratified.’
6 While|strong="H5704" they|strong="H5704" were|strong="H4428" drinking|strong="H4960" wine|strong="H3196", the|strong="H5414" king|strong="H4428" said to|strong="H5704" Esther, ‘Whatever|strong="H4100" your|strong="H5414" petition|strong="H7596" is|strong="H4100", it|strong="H5414" will|strong="H4428" be|strong="H5414" granted|strong="H5414". Your|strong="H5414" request|strong="H1246", it|strong="H5414" will|strong="H4428" be|strong="H5414" done|strong="H6213" – even|strong="H5704" if it|strong="H5414" takes|strong="H5414" half|strong="H2677" of|strong="H4428" my|strong="H5414" kingdom|strong="H4438".’
7 Esther answered|strong="H6030",
8 ‘If I|strong="H5414" have|strong="H5869" won the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428"’s favour|strong="H2580" and|strong="H4428" if it|strong="H5414" seems|strong="H5869" best|strong="H5869" to|strong="H6213" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428" to|strong="H6213" grant|strong="H5414" my|strong="H5414" petition|strong="H7596" and|strong="H4428" to|strong="H6213" accede to|strong="H6213" my|strong="H5414" request|strong="H1246", my|strong="H5414" petition|strong="H7596" and|strong="H4428" my|strong="H5414" request|strong="H1246" are|strong="H5869" that|strong="H1697" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428" and|strong="H4428" Haman|strong="H2001" come|strong="H4279" to|strong="H6213" the|strong="H5921" banquet|strong="H4960" which|strong="H1697" I|strong="H5414" will|strong="H4428" prepare|strong="H6213" for|strong="H5921" them|strong="H5414". Tomorrow|strong="H4279" I|strong="H5414" will|strong="H4428" answer|strong="H1697" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428"’s question|strong="H1697" as|strong="H1697" he|strong="H6213" wishes.’
9 Haman|strong="H2001" went|strong="H3318" out|strong="H3318" that|strong="H7200" day|strong="H3117" joyful|strong="H8056" and|strong="H6965" elated, but|strong="H3808" when|strong="H3117" he|strong="H1931" saw|strong="H7200" Mordecai|strong="H4782" in|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428"’s gate|strong="H8179" and|strong="H6965" noticed|strong="H7200" that|strong="H7200" he|strong="H1931" neither|strong="H3808" stood|strong="H6965" up|strong="H6965" nor|strong="H3808" moved|strong="H2111" for|strong="H5921" him|strong="H5921", he|strong="H1931" was|strong="H3820" furiously|strong="H2534" angry|strong="H2534" with|strong="H4390" Mordecai|strong="H4782".
10 Nevertheless Haman|strong="H2001" restrained himself and|strong="H7971" went|strong="H1004" home|strong="H1004". He|strong="H1004" called together his|strong="H7971" friends and|strong="H7971" Zeresh|strong="H2238" his|strong="H7971" wife
11 and|strong="H1121" recounted|strong="H5608" to|strong="H5921" them|strong="H1992" the|strong="H3605" greatness|strong="H7230" of|strong="H1121" his|strong="H3605" wealth|strong="H6239", how|strong="H1431" many|strong="H7230" children|strong="H1121" he|strong="H3605" had|strong="H4428", and|strong="H1121" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" ways in|strong="H5921" which|strong="H1992" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" had|strong="H4428" honoured him|strong="H5921", and|strong="H1121" how|strong="H1431" he|strong="H3605" had|strong="H4428" promoted|strong="H1431" him|strong="H5921" above|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" officials|strong="H8269" and|strong="H1121" the|strong="H3605" royal|strong="H4428" courtiers.
12 ‘What|strong="H6213" is|strong="H1571" more|strong="H3808",’ Haman|strong="H2001" said|strong="H7121", ‘Queen|strong="H4436" Esther brought|strong="H6213" no|strong="H3808" one|strong="H3808" in|strong="H6213" with|strong="H5973" the|strong="H3588" king|strong="H4428" to|strong="H6213" the|strong="H3588" banquet|strong="H4960" which|strong="H4960" she|strong="H3588" had|strong="H4428" prepared|strong="H6213" except|strong="H3588" me|strong="H7121", and|strong="H4428" tomorrow|strong="H4279" also|strong="H1571" I|strong="H3588" am invited|strong="H7121" by|strong="H7121" her|strong="H7121" along|strong="H5973" with|strong="H5973" the|strong="H3588" king|strong="H4428".
13 Yet|strong="H3605" all|strong="H3605" this|strong="H2088" does|strong="H2088" not|strong="H2088" satisfy|strong="H7737" me|strong="H7200" as|strong="H3427" long|strong="H3605" as|strong="H3427" I|strong="H7200" see|strong="H7200" Mordecai|strong="H4782" the|strong="H3605" Jew|strong="H3064" sitting|strong="H3427" at|strong="H3427" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428"’s gate|strong="H8179".’
14 Then|strong="H6213" Zeresh|strong="H2238" his|strong="H3605" wife and|strong="H4428" all|strong="H3605" his|strong="H3605" friends said|strong="H1697" to|strong="H6213" him|strong="H6440", ‘Let|strong="H8056" a|strong="H3068" gallows|strong="H6086" seventy-five|strong="H2572" feet high|strong="H1364" be|strong="H1697" erected, and|strong="H4428" in|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" morning|strong="H1242" speak|strong="H1697" to|strong="H6213" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" and|strong="H4428" let|strong="H8056" Mordecai|strong="H4782" be|strong="H1697" hanged|strong="H8518" on|strong="H5921" it|strong="H5921". Then|strong="H6213" go|strong="H3190" merrily|strong="H8056" with|strong="H5973" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" to|strong="H6213" the|strong="H3605" banquet|strong="H4960".’ The|strong="H3605" advice|strong="H1697" pleased|strong="H3190" Haman|strong="H2001", and|strong="H4428" so|strong="H6213" he|strong="H6213" had|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" gallows|strong="H6086" erected.