Esther Approaches the King
And it happened on the third day that Esther put on royalty, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, opposite the king’s house; and the king was sitting on the throne of his kingdom in the royal house, opposite the entrance of the house.
And it happened, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she carried favor in his eyes; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand, and Esther drew near and touched the head of the scepter.
And the king said to her, “What is it to you, Esther the queen? And what is your request? To half the kingdom — and it shall be given you.”
And Esther said, “If it is good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the feast that I have made for him.”
And the king said, “Hurry Haman, to do the word of Esther.” And the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had made.
And the king said to Esther at the feast of wine, “What is your petition? And it shall be given you. And what is your request? To half the kingdom — and it shall be done.”
And Esther answered and said, “My petition and my request —
if I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it is good to the king to give my petition and to do my request: let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will make for them, and tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king.”
Haman’s Plot against Mordecai
And Haman went out that day joyful and good of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not rise and did not tremble before him, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai.
But Haman held himself in, and came to his house; and he sent and brought his friends, and Zeresh his wife.
And Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his sons, and everything in which the king had made him great, and how he had lifted him above the officials and the servants of the king.
And Haman said, “Esther the queen also brought no one in with the king to the feast that she made except me; and tomorrow too I am called to her, with the king.
But all this is not worth anything to me, every time that I see Mordecai the Jew sitting in the king’s gate.”
And Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let them make a tree fifty cubits high, and in the morning say to the king, and let them hang Mordecai on it; then go with the king to the feast joyful.” And the word was good before Haman, and he made the tree.