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Esther did not tell anyone about her people or her kinsmen, for Mordecai had commanded her that she should not tell anyone about them.

Now when it reached the turn of each young lady to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their cosmetic treatment were fulfilled as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women—

Then the king held a great feast, Esther's feast, for all his princes and his servants; he also held a remission of taxes for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king's hand.

And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate were bowing down and prostrating themselves before Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow down or prostrate himself.

Now it happened when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's words would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

But he despised in his eyes to send forth his hand against Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not do the king's laws, so it is not worth it for the king to let them remain.

A copy of that which was written down to be given as law in every province was revealed to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day.

And he went as far as the king's gate, for no one was to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth.

He also gave him a copy of the written law which had been given in Susa for their destruction, in order to show Esther and to tell her and to command her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to seek him out for her people.

"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days."

Then Mordecai said for them to respond to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king's house can escape any more than all the Jews.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not reached royalty for such a time as this?"

Then Esther said for them to respond to Mordecai,

"Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish."

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."

Then, as they drank their wine at the feast, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition? For it shall be given to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done."

if I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it seems good to the king to give heed to my petition and to do my request, may the king and Haman come to the feast which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king."

But Haman controlled himself, went to his house, and sent for and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh.

During that night, sleep had fled from the king, so he said for them to bring the book of memoranda, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.