Greek Esther 5

Common English Bible

Esther acts

^3 [a] Then the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want? I’ll give you anything—even half the kingdom.”

⁴ Esther answered, “Today is a special day for me. If the king wishes, please come today with Haman for a special dinner that I will prepare.”

⁵ “Hurry, get Haman,” the king ordered, “so we can do what Esther says.” So the king and Haman came to the dinner that Esther spoke about. ⁶ As they sipped wine, the king asked, “Now, what is it you wish, Queen Esther? I’ll give it to you, if you just ask.”

⁷ Esther answered, “This is my wish and this is what I want: ⁸ If I have pleased the king, I’d like the king and Haman to come tomorrow to another special dinner that I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will prepare the same things.”

Haman boasts, complains, and acts

⁹ That day Haman left the king’s court happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, Haman became very angry. ¹⁰ Haman went on home and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh. ¹¹ Haman told them about his wealth and the great honor the king had given him by promoting him to the highest office in the kingdom. ¹² Haman said, “Queen Esther has invited no one else but me to join the king for dinner, and I’m supposed to go tomorrow! ¹³ But none of this gives me any pleasure as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

¹⁴ So his wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Order preparation of a pole that is seventy-five feet high. In the morning, speak with the king about having Mordecai impaled on it. Then you can go with the king to the feast in a happy mood.” Haman liked the idea and had the pole prepared.