CHAPTER 5

¹And it happened on the third day that Esther donned royal garb and stood in the inner court of the king’s house opposite the king’s house, with the king sitting on his royal throne in the royal house opposite the entrance to the house. ²And it happened when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his eyes, and he reached out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand, and Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. ³And the king said to her, “What troubles you, Queen Esther, and what is your request? Up to half the kingdom, and it will be granted to you!” ⁴And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.” ⁵And the king said, “Hurry to Haman to do Esther’s bidding.” And the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. ⁶And the king said to Esther at the wine banquet, “What is your petition, and it will be granted to you, and what is your request? Up to half the kingdom, and it will be done!” ⁷And Queen Esther answered and said, “My petition and my request, ⁸if I have found favor in the eyes of the king and if it please the king to grant my petition and to fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and tomorrow I shall do according to the king’s bidding.” ⁹And Haman went out that day happy and of good cheer, and when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and he had not arisen and had not stirred for him, Haman brimmed with wrath against Mordecai. ¹⁰And Haman held himself in check and came to his house, and sent and brought his friends and Zeresh his wife. ¹¹And Haman recounted to them the glory of his wealth and his many sons and all in which the king had elevated him, and how he had raised him up over the noblemen and the servants of the king. ¹²And Haman said, “Queen Esther brought with the king to the banquet that she prepared only me, and tomorrow, too, I am invited by her with the king. ¹³But all this is not worth my while so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting in the king’s gate.” ¹⁴And Zeresh his wife together with all his friends said to him, “Let them set up a stake fifty cubits high, and in the morning say to the king that Mordecai be impaled on it, and come with the king to the banquet happy.” And the thing pleased Haman, and he set up the stake.