Esther 5:4

THE MESSAGE

"If it please the king," said Esther, "let the king come with Haman to a dinner I've prepared for him."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for them.”

Hebrew Names Version
Ester said, If it seem good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

King James Version
And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

English Standard Version
And Esther said, "If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king."

New Century Version
Esther answered, "My king, if it pleases you, come today with Haman to a banquet that I have prepared for you."

New English Translation
Esther replied, "If the king is so inclined, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

Amplified Bible
Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

New American Standard Bible
Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

World English Bible
Esther said, If it seem good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then saide Ester, If it please the King, let the King & Haman come this day vnto the banket, that I haue prepared for him.

Legacy Standard Bible
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."

Berean Standard Bible
"If it pleases the king," Esther replied, "may the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for the king."

Contemporary English Version
Esther answered, "Your Majesty, please come with Haman to a dinner I will prepare for you later today."

Complete Jewish Bible
"If it is all right with the king," answered Ester, "let the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for him."

Darby Translation
And Esther said, If it seem good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

Easy-to-Read Version
Esther said, "I have prepared a party for you and Haman. Will you and Haman please come to the party today?"

George Lamsa Translation
And Esther answered, If it please the king, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I have pre pared for him.

Good News Translation
Esther replied, "If it please Your Majesty, I would like you and Haman to be my guests tonight at a banquet I am preparing for you."

Lexham English Bible
And Esther said, "If it is good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

Literal Translation
And Esther answered, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet which I have prepared for him.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Hester sayde: Yf it please ye kynge, let ye kynge & Aman come this daye vnto ye banket yt I haue prepared.

American Standard Version
And Esther said, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

Bible in Basic English
And Esther in answer said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the feast which I have made ready for him.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Esther aunswered: If it please the king, let the king and Haman come this day vnto the banket that I haue prepared for him.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Esther said: 'If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.'

King James Version (1611)
And Esther answered, If it seeme good vnto the King, let the King and Haman come this day vnto the banquet that I haue prepared for him.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Esther said, To-day is my great day: if then it seem good to the king, let both him and Aman come to the feast which I will prepare this day.

English Revised Version
And Esther said, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And sche answeride, If it plesith the kyng, Y biseche, that thou come to me to dai, and Aaman with thee, to the feeste, which Y haue maad redi.

Update Bible Version
And Esther said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Esther answered, If [it shall seem] good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

New King James Version
So Esther answered, "If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

New Living Translation
And Esther replied, "If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king."

New Life Bible
Esther said, "If it please the king, may the king and Haman come today to the special supper I have made ready for him."

New Revised Standard
Then Esther said, "If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet that I have prepared for the king."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Esther, If, unto the king, it seem good, let the king with Haman come in this day, unto the banquet which I have prepared for him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But she answered: If it please the king, I beseech thee to come to me this day, and Aman with thee to the banquet which I have prepared.

Revised Standard Version
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."

Young's Literal Translation
And Esther saith, `If unto the king [it be] good, the king doth come in, and Haman, to-day, unto the banquet that I have made for him;'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

Contextual Overview

¹Three days later Esther dressed in her royal robes and took up a position in the inner court of the palace in front of the king's throne room. The king was on his throne facing the entrance. When he noticed Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased to see her; the king extended the gold scepter in his hand. Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. The king asked, "And what's your desire, Queen Esther? What do you want? Ask and it's yours—even if it's half my kingdom!" ⁴ "If it please the king," said Esther, "let the king come with Haman to a dinner I've prepared for him." ⁵"Get Haman at once," said the king, "so we can go to dinner with Esther." So the king and Haman joined Esther at the dinner she had arranged. As they were drinking the wine, the king said, "Now, what is it you want? Half of my kingdom isn't too much to ask! Just ask." ⁷Esther answered, "Here's what I want. If the king favors me and is pleased to do what I desire and ask, let the king and Haman come again tomorrow to the dinner that I will fix for them. Then I'll give a straight answer to the king's question."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If it seem: Esther 5:8, Proverbs 29:11

the banquet: Mishteh, from shathah, "to drink," a compotation. feast, or banquet accompanied with drinking; the drinking in the East being at the beginning, and not at the end of the entertainment. Olearius, describing an entertainment at the Persian court, says, "The floor of the hall was covered with cotton cloth, which was covered with all sorts of fruits and sweetmeats in basons of gold. With them was served up excellent Shiraz wine. After an hour's time, the sweetmeats were removed, to make way for the more substantial part of the entertainment, such as rice, boiled and roast mutton, etc. When the company had been at table an hour and a half, warm water was brought, in a ewer of gold, for washing; and grace being said, they began to retire without speaking a word, according to the custom of the country." Esther 5:8, Esther 3:15, Genesis 27:25, Genesis 32:20, Psalms 112:5, 1 Corinthians 14:20

Reciprocal: Ezra 6:11 - timber Esther 1:9 - the queen

Cross-References

Genesis 5:1
This is the family tree of the human race: When God created the human race, he made it godlike, with a nature akin to God. He created both male and female and blessed them, the whole human race.

Genesis 5:3
When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was just like him, his very spirit and image, and named him Seth. After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, having more sons and daughters. Adam lived a total of 930 years. And he died.

Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don't eat that.

Genesis 11:12
When Arphaxad was thirty-five years old, he had Shelah. After Arphaxad had Shelah, he lived 403 more years and had other sons and daughters.

Psalms 127:3
Don't you see that children are God 's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.

Psalms 144:12
Make our sons in their prime like sturdy oak trees, Our daughters as shapely and bright as fields of wildflowers. Fill our barns with great harvest, fill our fields with huge flocks; Protect us from invasion and exile— eliminate the crime in our streets.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Esther answered, if it seem good unto the king,.... She humbly submits it to his pleasure, suggesting it would be exceeding grateful to her, could it be granted:

let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him; for the king; and supposing it would be acceptable to him, and the rather engage him to come to it, she invited his favourite; and chiefly, that she might have an opportunity of accusing him before the king to his face, and when alone.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Esther seems to have been afraid to make her real request of Xerxes too abruptly. She concluded that the king would understand that she had a real petition in the background, and would recur to it, as in fact he did Esther 5:6; Esther 7:2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Esther 5:4. Let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet — It was necessary to invite Haman to prevent his suspicion, and that he might not take any hasty step which might have prevented the execution of the great design.