Estere rīko dzīres
1 Trešajā dienā Estere apvilka ķēniņienes tērpu un nostājās ķēniņa pils iekšpagalmā iepretī ķēniņa namam, bet ķēniņš sēdēja valsts tronī valdības namā pretī nama durvīm. 2 Kad ķēniņš redzēja Esteri stāvam pagalmā, tā guva viņa vēlību, un ķēniņš izstiepa Esterei pretī zelta zizli, un Estere tuvojās viņam un aizskāra zižļa galu.
3 Un ķēniņš viņai teica: “Kas tev, ķēniņiene Estere, ko tu vēlies? Pat pusi valsts tev došu!” 4 Un Estere teica: “Ja tas ķēniņam tīk, lai ķēniņš un Hāmāns šodien atnāk uz dzīrēm, ko es viņam esmu sarīkojusi.” 5 Un ķēniņš sacīja: “Ātri vediet Hāmānu šurp un darīsim, kā Estere liek!” Un ķēniņš un Hāmāns atnāca uz dzīrēm, ko bija sarīkojusi ķēniņiene Estere. 6 Dzerot vīnu, ķēniņš Esterei teica: “Ko tu prasi? Tas tev tiks dots! Ko tu vēlies? Pat pusi valsts tev došu!” 7 Un Estere atbildēja: “Redzi, ko es prasu un vēlos – 8 ja esmu guvusi ķēniņa vēlību un ķēniņam tīk apmierināt manas prasības un piepildīt manas vēlmes, tad lai ķēniņš un Hāmāns nāk uz dzīrēm, ko es rīkošu, tad es rīt darīšu, ko ķēniņš liks!”
Hāmāns ceļ karātavas Mordohajam
9 Todien Hāmāns aizgāja priecīgu un līksmu sirdi, bet, kad Hāmāns ieraudzīja ķēniņa galmā sēžam Mordohaju – un šis ne cēlās, ne bijās viņa –, viņš pielija dusmām pret Mordohaju. 10 Bet viņš savaldījās, aizgāja mājup un saaicināja visus savus tuvākos draugus, arī savu sievu Zerešu. 11 Un Hāmāns viņiem stāstīja par savu spožo bagātību un daudzajiem dēliem un par to, kā ķēniņš viņu cēlis godā un paaugstinājis pār visiem augstmaņiem un ķēniņa kalpiem. 12 Un Hāmāns teica: “Uz ķēniņienes Esteres rīkotajām dzīrēm viņa kopā ar ķēniņu neielūdza nevienu citu, un arī rīt viņa aicina tikai mani un ķēniņu! 13 Bet ar to visu man nav gana, kamēr es redzu jūdu Mordohaju sēžam ķēniņa galmā!” 14 Tad viņa sieva Zereša un viņa draugi teica: “Taisīsim piecdesmit elkoņus augstas karātavas, un rīt pasaki ķēniņam, lai Mordohaju tajās pakar, un ej uz dzīrēm priecīgs.” Tas Hāmānam patika, un viņš taisīja karātavas.
Esther Invites the King and Haman to a Banquet
1 On the third day of her fast Esther put on her royal robes and went and stood in the inner courtyard of the palace, facing the throne room. The king was inside, seated on the royal throne, facing the entrance. 2 When the king saw Queen Esther standing outside, she won his favor, and he held out to her the gold scepter. She then came up and touched the tip of it. 3 “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked. “Tell me what you want, and you shall have it—even if it is half my empire.”
4 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.”
5 The king then ordered Haman to come quickly, so that they could be Esther's guests. So the king and Haman went to Esther's banquet. 6 Over the wine the king asked her, “Tell me what you want, and you shall have it. I will grant your request, even if you ask for half my empire.”
7 Esther replied, 8 “If Your Majesty is kind enough to grant my request, I would like you and Haman to be my guests tomorrow at another banquet that I will prepare for you. At that time I will tell you what I want.”
Haman Plots to Kill Mordecai
9 When Haman left the banquet he was happy and in a good mood. But then he saw Mordecai at the entrance of the palace, and when Mordecai did not rise or show any sign of respect as he passed, Haman was furious with him. 10 But he controlled himself and went on home. Then he invited his friends to his house and asked his wife Zeresh to join them. 11 He boasted to them about how rich he was, how many sons he had, how the king had promoted him to high office, and how much more important he was than any of the king's other officials. 12 “What is more,” Haman went on, “Queen Esther gave a banquet for no one but the king and me, and we are invited back tomorrow. 13 But none of this means a thing to me as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the entrance of the palace.”
14 So his wife and all his friends suggested, “Why don't you have a gallows built, seventy-five feet tall? Tomorrow morning you can ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it, and then you can go to the banquet happy.”
Haman thought this was a good idea, so he had the gallows built.
