Est 5 | LSB | STEP | Now it happened on the third day, that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s house in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to his house.

Esther 5

Esther Prepares a Feast

1 Now it happened on the third day, that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s house in front of the king’s ^{▼▼Lit house}rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the ^{▼▼Lit royal house}throne room, opposite the entrance to his house. 2 Now it happened that when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she advanced in favor in his eyes; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and ^{▼▼The Heb root for touched, in a variant form, is translated as reached in Esth 2:12, 15; 4:3, 14; 6:14; 8:17; 9:26}reached out and touched the top of the scepter. 3 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is ^{▼▼Or that which you seek}your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4 And Esther said, “If it seems good to the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the feast that I have prepared for him.”

5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly that we may do the word of Esther.” So the king and Haman came to the feast which Esther had prepared. 6 Then, ^{▼▼Lit at the banquet of wine}as they drank their wine at the feast, the king said to Esther, “What is ^{▼▼Or that which you ask for}your petition? For it shall be given to you. And what is ^{▼▼Or that which you seek}your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 7 So Esther answered and said, “ ^{▼▼Or What I ask for}My petition and ^{▼▼Or what I seek}my request is: 8 if I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it seems good to the king to give heed to ^{▼▼Or what I ask for}my petition and to do ^{▼▼Or what I am seeking}my request, may the king and Haman come to the feast which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king.”

Haman Recounts His Glory

9 Then Haman went out that day glad and merry of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or ^{▼▼Or move for}tremble before him, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai. 10 But Haman controlled himself, went to his house, and sent for and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches and the ^{▼▼Lit multitude}number of his sons and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had ^{▼▼Lit lifted}advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. 12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the feast which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am called to come to her with the king. 13 Yet all of this is worth nothing to me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a ^{▼▼Lit tree, cf. Deut 21:22-23}gallows ^{▼▼Approx. 75 ft. or 23 m, a cubit was approx. 18 in. or 45 cm}fifty cubits high made and in the morning say to the king that Mordecai should be hanged on it; then go gladly with the king to the feast.” And the word was good to Haman, so he had the gallows made.