1And it came to pass 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 his royal throne in the royal house, opposite the entrance of the house.
2And it came to pass, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she lifted up 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 top of the scepter.
3And the king said to her: What is to you, Esther the queen? And what is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be given to you.
4And Esther said: If it is good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have made for him.
5And the king said: Hasten Haman, to do the word of Esther. And the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had made.
6And the king said to Esther at the banquet of wine: What is your petition? And it shall be given to you. And what is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be done.
7And Esther answered and said: My petition and my request —
8if I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it is good to the king to grant my petition and to do my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall make for them, and tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king.
9And 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 nor tremble before him, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai.
10But Haman restrained himself, and came to his house; and he sent and brought his friends and Zeresh his wife (ishah).
11And Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his sons, and all how the king had magnified him, and how he had lifted him up above the princes and servants of the king.
12And Haman said: Also, Esther the queen brought no one with the king to the banquet that she made except me; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king.
13Yet all this is not worth anything to me, at every time that I see Mordecai the Jew sitting in the king's gate.
14And Zeresh his wife (ishah) and all his friends said to him: Let them make a tree fifty cubits high, and in the morning say to the king that they hang Mordecai upon it; then go in with the king to the banquet joyful. And the word was good before Haman, and he made the tree.