Study Desk

Then the king took the special ring from his hand that he used for marking his name and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who hated the Jews.

The letters were to be made a law in every land to all the people so that they should be ready for this day.

He went as far as the king's gate, for no one was to go through the king's gate wearing cloth made from hair.

Then Esther's women and men servants came and told her, and the queen was very troubled. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear, that he might take off his clothes made from hair. But he would not take them.

"All the king's servants and the people of the king's nation know that he has one law for any man or woman who comes to him in his room who has not been called: They will be put to death, unless the king holds out his special golden stick to him so that he may live. And I have not been called to come to the king for these thirty days."

For if you keep quiet at this time, help will come to the Jews from another place. But you and your father's house will be destroyed. Who knows if you have not become queen for such a time as this?"

"Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and have them all go without food so they can pray better for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my women servants will go without food in the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law. And if I die, I die."

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

As they drank their wine at the supper, the king said to Esther, "What is it that you want? For it will be given to you. What do you ask of me? You would be given as much as half the nation."

If I have found favor in the king's eyes, and if it please the king to give me what I ask of him, may the king and Haman come to the special supper that I will make ready for them. And tomorrow I will tell you what I want."

But Haman kept himself from doing anything at that time, and went home. There he sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh.

Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, "Have a tower made ready for hanging him. Let it be thirteen times taller than a man. And in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with joy to the special supper with the king." These words pleased Haman, so he had the tower built.

The king said, "What honor or reward has been given to Mordecai for this?" Then the king's servants who served him said, "Nothing has been done for him."

So the king said, "Who is outside?" Now Haman had just come into the garden outside the king's special house. He wanted to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the tower he had made ready for him.

So Haman came in and the king said to him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king wants to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king want to honor more than me?"

Then Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king wants to honor,

Then the king said to Haman, "Be quick to take the clothing and the horse as you have said. Do this for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king's gate. Do not do any less than all that you have said."

Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you cannot stand against him. For sure you will fall before him."

And the king said again to Esther on the second day, as they drank their wine at the special supper, "What do you want to ask of me, Queen Esther? It will be done for you. What do you want? You would be given as much as half the nation."

For I and my people have been sold, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be done away with. If we had only been sold as men and women servants, I would have kept quiet. For our trouble is not to be compared with the trouble it will make for the king."