5Three days later Esther dressed in her royal robes and took up a position in the inner court of the palace in front of the king's throne room. The king was on his throne facing the entrance.H7992H3117H635H3847H4438H5975H6442H2691H4428H1004H5227H4428H1004H4428H3427H4438H3678H4438H1004H5227H6607H10042When he noticed Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased to see her; the king extended the gold scepter in his hand. Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.H4428H7200H635H4436H5975H2691H5375H2580H5869H4428H3447H635H2091H8275H3027H635H7126H5060H7218H82753The king asked, "And what's your desire, Queen Esther? What do you want? Ask and it's yours—even if it's half my kingdom!"H559H4428H4436H635H1246H5414H2677H44384"If it please the king," said Esther, "let the king come with Haman to a dinner I've prepared for him."H635H559H2895H4428H4428H2001H935H3117H4960H62135"Get Haman at once," said the king, "so we can go to dinner with Esther." So the king and Haman joined Esther at the dinner she had arranged.H4428H559H2001H4116H6213H635H1697H4428H2001H935H4960H635H62136As they were drinking the wine, the king said, "Now, what is it you want? Half of my kingdom isn't too much to ask! Just ask."H4428H559H635H4960H3196H7596H5414H1246H2677H4438H62137Esther answered, "Here's what I want.H6030H635H559H7596H12468If the king favors me and is pleased to do what I desire and ask, let the king and Haman come again tomorrow to the dinner that I will fix for them. Then I'll give a straight answer to the king's question."H4672H2580H5869H4428H2895H4428H5414H7596H6213H1246H4428H2001H935H4960H6213H6213H4279H4428H16979Haman left the palace that day happy, beaming. And then he saw Mordecai sitting at the King's Gate ignoring him, oblivious to him. Haman was furious with Mordecai.H3318H2001H3318H3117H8056H2896H3820H2001H7200H4782H4428H8179H6965H2111H2001H4390H2534H478210But he held himself in and went on home. He got his friends together with his wife ZereshH2001H662H935H1004H7971H935H157H2238H80211and started bragging about how much money he had, his many sons, all the times the king had honored him, and his promotion to the highest position in the government.H2001H5608H3519H6239H7230H1121H4428H1431H5375H8269H5650H442812"On top of all that," Haman continued, "Queen Esther invited me to a private dinner she gave for the king, just the three of us. And she's invited me to another one tomorrow.H2001H559H635H4436H935H4428H4960H6213H4279H7121H442813But I can't enjoy any of it when I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King's Gate."H7737H6256H7200H4782H3064H3427H4428H817914His wife Zeresh and all his friends said, "Build a gallows seventy-five feet high. First thing in the morning speak with the king; get him to order Mordecai hanged on it. Then happily go with the king to dinner." Haman liked that. He had the gallows built.H559H2238H802H157H6086H6213H2572H520H1364H1242H559H4428H4782H8518H935H8056H4428H4960H1697H3190H6440H2001H6213H6086H6213
Prayer Tents is a Christian mission organization that serves Christians around the world and their local bodies to make disciples ("evangelize") more effectively in their communities. Prayer Tents provides resources to enable Christians to form discipleship-focused small groups and make their gatherings known so that other "interested" people may participate and experience Christ in their midst. Our Vision is to make disciples in all nations through the local churches so that anyone seeking God can come to know Him through relationships with other Christians near them.
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