Esther Plans a Banquet

5 Now it came about ^(A)on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood ^(B)in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace in front of the king’s ^[a]rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the ^[b]throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. ² When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, ^(C)she obtained favor in his sight; and ^(D)the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. ³ Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? ^(E)Up to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” ⁴ Esther said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

⁵ Then the king said, “^(F)Bring Haman quickly so that we may do ^[c]as Esther desires.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared. ^6 [d]As they drank their wine at the banquet, ^(G)the king said to Esther, “^(H)What is your request, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your wish? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” ⁷ So Esther replied, “My request and my wish is: ^8 (I)if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do ^[e]what I wish, may the king and Haman come to ^(J)the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do ^[f]as the king says.”

Haman’s Pride

⁹ Then Haman went out that day joyful and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai ^(K)at the king’s gate and ^(L)that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. ¹⁰ Haman controlled himself, however, and went to his house. But he ^[g]sent for his friends and his wife ^(M)Zeresh. ¹¹ Then Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and his ^(N)many sons, and every occasion on which the king had honored him and how he had ^[h](O)promoted him above the officials and servants of the king. ¹² Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one except me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and ^(P)tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. ¹³ Yet all of this ^[i]does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at ^(Q)the king’s gate.” ¹⁴ Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “^(R)Have a wooden gallows ^[j]fifty cubits high made, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the ^[k]advice pleased Haman, so he had the wooden gallows made.