Est 6 | EE | STEP | That night the king could not sleep. He asked a servant to bring the Book of Years. And he asked the servant to read the book to him.

Esther 6

The king remembers Mordecai

1 That night the king could not sleep. He asked a servant to bring the Book of Years. And he asked the servant to read the book to him. ^{▼▼6:1 The Book of Years contained a report of everything that happened in the kingdom.}

2 The Book of Years included the report of how two officers wanted to kill the king. And how Mordecai had discovered this and he had told Queen Esther. The servant read this report to the king. 3 The king asked his servant, ‘When Mordecai saved me, what did I do for him?’ The servant told the king that Mordecai did not receive anything.

4 The king said, ‘Who is in the palace?’ And Haman had just come into the palace. He wanted to ask the king for his officers to kill Mordecai on the gallows. 5 The servants told the king that Haman was in the palace. The king said that Haman should come to him.

6 Haman came to the king. The king asked him, ‘What should I do for a man that I want to make very important?’ Haman thought to himself, ‘I am sure that I am that man. I am sure that the king wants to make me very important.’ 7 So Haman replied to the king. ‘You should do this for the man that you want to make very important: 8 Your servants should bring the clothes that the king wears. They should bring the king’s horse. It should have a royal crown on its head. So, everyone will know that it is the king’s horse. 9 Tell your servants that they must give the clothes and the horse to one of your officers. It should be the officer that you trust most. Ask the officer to put the king’s clothes on the man that you want to make very important. Tell the officer that he must help the man on to the king’s horse. The officer must then lead the man from the beginning to the end of the city. The officer must shout, “This is the man that the king wants to make very important. See what the king does for a man like that!”’

10 The king said, ‘Go quickly! Get the clothes and the horse. Do as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew. He is sitting at the King’s Gate. Be sure to do everything that you suggested.’ 11 So Haman dressed Mordecai in the king’s clothes. And he led Mordecai on the king’s horse from the beginning to the end of the city. Haman shouted, ‘This is the man that the king wants to make very important. See what the king does for a man like that!’

12 After this, Mordecai returned to the King’s Gate. But Haman hurried home. He covered his face because he was ashamed and angry. He was ashamed and angry about what had happened. 13 He told his wife and friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wife, Zeresh, and his friends who knew the law said, ‘You have already lost some of your power to Mordecai. If he is a Jew, you cannot fight against him. You cannot win against him.’

14 While they were speaking, the king’s eunuchs arrived. They took Haman in a hurry to Queen Esther’s feast.