Esther 5

Esther’s Request to the King

5On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance.H7992H3117H635H3847H4438H5975H6442H2691H4428H1004H5227H4428H1004H4428H3427H4438H3678H4438H1004H5227H6607H10042When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter.H4428H7200H635H4436H5975H2691H5375H2580H5869H4428H3447H635H2091H8275H3027H635H7126H5060H7218H82753Then the king asked her, "What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!"H559H4428H4436H635H1246H5414H2677H44384And Esther replied, "If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king."H635H559H2895H4428H4428H2001H935H3117H4960H62135The king turned to his attendants and said, "Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested." So the king and Haman went to Esther's banquet.H4428H559H2001H4116H6213H635H1697H4428H2001H935H4960H635H62136And while they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, "Now tell me what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!"H4428H559H635H4960H3196H7596H5414H1246H2677H4438H62137Esther replied, "This is my request and deepest wish.H6030H635H559H7596H12468If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I ask, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will explain what this is all about."H4672H2580H5869H4428H2895H4428H5414H7596H6213H1246H4428H2001H935H4960H6213H6213H4279H4428H1697

Haman’s Plan to Kill Mordecai

9Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious.H3318H2001H3318H3117H8056H2896H3820H2001H7200H4782H4428H8179H6965H2111H2001H4390H2534H478210However, he restrained himself and went on home. Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife,H2001H662H935H1004H7971H935H157H2238H80211and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials.H2001H5608H3519H6239H7230H1121H4428H1431H5375H8269H5650H442812Then Haman added, "And that's not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!"H2001H559H635H4436H935H4428H4960H6213H4279H7121H442813Then he added, "But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate."H7737H6256H7200H4782H3064H3427H4428H817914So Haman's wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, "Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet

tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king." This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up.H559H2238H802H157H6086H6213H2572H520H1364H1242H559H4428H4782H8518H935H8056H4428H4960H1697H3190H6440H2001H6213H6086H6213