Esther

6 That night the king’s sleep would not come, and he ordered the book of history brought, the chronicles, and they were being read before him. 2 And it was found set down that Mordocai had reported about the king’s eunuchs Bigthana and Teresh, two of the guardians of the threshold, who had proposed to lay hands on King Xerxes.

3 And the king said “What honor and distinction was shown to Mordocai for this?”

And the pages in attendance on the king said “Nothing was done about him.”

4 And the king said “Who is in the court?”

And Haman had come to the outer court of the king’s house to tell the king to impale Mordocai on the stake he had got ready for him. 5 And the king’s pages said to him “There is Haman standing in the court.”

And the king said “Let him come in.”

6* And Haman came in, and the king said to him “What should be done for the man the king is pleased to honor?”

And Haman thought to himself “Whom would the king be more pleased to honor than me?” 7 And Haman said to the king “A man the king is pleased to honor 8 —let them bring royal robes that the king has worn, and a pony that the king has ridden and on the head of which a royal tiara is set, 9*** and give the robes and the pony into the hands of someone of the king’s foremost princes, and let them enrobe the man the king is pleased to honor and take him on the pony through the city square and call out before him ‘This is the way the man the king is pleased to honor is treated.’”

10 And the king said to Haman “Right off, take the robes and the pony as you propose and do so for the Jew Mordocai who sits in the king’s gate; do not omit a point of all you have proposed.”

11 And Haman took the robes and the pony and enrobed Mordocai and gave him the ride through the city square and called out before him “This is the way the man the king is pleased to honor is treated.” 12 And Mordocai went back to the king’s gate; and Haman bolted home mourning and muffling his head. 13 And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his intimate friends the story of all that had happened to him; and his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him “If Mordocai, before whom you have begun to fall, comes of the blood of the Jews, you will not be a match for him but are to fall before him.”

14 While they were still talking with him the king’s eunuchs arrived