[1] On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner
court of the king's palace, opposite the king's hall. The king was sitting
on his royal throne inside the palace opposite the entrance to the palace;
[2] and when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found
favor in his sight and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in
his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. [3]
And the king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request?
It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom." [4] And Esther
said, "If it please the king, let the king and Haman come this day to a
dinner that I have prepared for the king." [5] Then said the king, "Bring
Haman quickly, that we may do as Esther desires." So the king and Haman
came to the dinner that Esther had prepared. [6] And as they were drinking
wine, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition? It shall be granted
you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be
fulfilled." [7] But Esther said, "My petition and my request is: [8] If I
have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to
grant my petition and fulfil my request, let the king and Haman come
tomorrow to the dinner which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will
do as the king has said." [9] And Haman went out that day joyful and glad
of heart. But when Haman saw Mor'decai in the king's gate, that he neither
rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mor'decai.
[10] Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home; and he sent and
fetched his friends and his wife Zeresh. [11] And Haman recounted to them
the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with
which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the
princes and the servants of the king. [12] And Haman added, "Even Queen
Esther let no one come with the king to the banquet she prepared but
myself. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. [13]
Yet all this does me no good, so long as I see Mor'decai the Jew sitting at
the king's gate." [14] Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to
him, "Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the
king to have Mor'decai hanged upon it; then go merrily with the king to the
dinner." This counsel pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.
