1 第三天， 以斯帖穿上朝服， 站在王宫的内院， 对着王殿； 王在殿里坐在王位上， 对着殿门。 2 王见王后以斯帖站在院内， 就对她施恩， 向她伸出手中的金杖， 以斯帖就上前摸杖头。 3 王问她： "王后以斯帖啊， 你有什么事吗？你求什么？就是一半江山， 也必赐给你。" 4 以斯帖回答： "王若是欢喜， 就请王今天带着哈曼来赴我为王预备的筵席。" 5 王说： "快把哈曼召来， 好照着以斯帖的话去行。"于是王带着哈曼去赴以斯帖预备的筵席。 6 在酒席中， 王问以斯帖： "你要什么？我必赐给你； 你求什么？就是一半江山， 也必为你成全。" 7 以斯帖回答说： "我所要我所求的就是： 8 我若是在王眼前蒙恩， 王若是愿意赐给我所要的， 成全我所求的， 就请王带着哈曼明天再来赴我为你们预备的筵席； 明天我必照着王的命令行。" 9 那天哈曼心里快乐， 高高兴兴地出来； 但是哈曼见了末底改在御门那里不站起来， 也不因哈曼的缘故而退避， 哈曼心里就对末底改充满忿怒。 10 哈曼忍住怒气， 回家去了， 就派人去请他的朋友和妻子细利斯来。 11 哈曼把他的富贵荣华、儿女的众多， 以及王怎样使他尊大， 怎样抬举他在王的众领袖和众臣仆之上的一切事， 都数说给他们听。 12 哈曼又说： "王后以斯帖除我以外， 没有邀请别人与王一同去赴她预备的筵席； 明天又邀请我与王一同到她那里去赴席。 13 只是每逢我看见坐在朝门那里的犹大人末底改的时候， 这一切对我都没有多大的意思。" 14 他的妻子细利斯和他所有的朋友都对他说： "叫人立一个二十二公尺高的木架， 明早求王， 把末底改挂在上面， 然后你可以欢欢喜喜地与王一同赴筵席了。"这话使哈曼很满意， 就叫人做了木架。

1 And it cometh to pass on the third day, that Esther putteth on royalty, and standeth in the inner-court of the house of the king over-against the house of the king, and the king is sitting on his royal throne, in the royal-house, over-against the opening of the house,2 and it cometh to pass, at the king`s seeing Esther the queen standing in the court, she hath received grace in his eyes, and the king holdeth out to Esther the golden sceptre that [is] in his hand, and Esther draweth near, and toucheth the top of the sceptre.3 And the king saith to her, `What -- to thee Esther, O queen? and what thy request? unto the half of the kingdom -- and it is given to thee.`4 And Esther saith, `If unto the king [it be] good, the king doth come in, and Haman, to-day, unto the banquet that I have made for him;`5 and the king saith, `Haste ye Haman -- to do the word of Esther;` and the king cometh in, and Haman, unto the banquet that Esther hath made.6 And the king saith to Esther, during the banquet of wine, `What [is] thy petition? and it is given to thee; and what thy request? unto the half of the kingdom -- and it is done.`7 And Esther answereth and saith, `My petition and my request [is]:8 if I have found grace in the eyes of the king, and if unto the king [it be] good, to give my petition, and to perform my request, the king doth come, and Haman, unto the banquet that I make for them, and to-morrow I do according to the word of the king.`9 And Haman goeth forth on that day rejoicing and glad in heart, and at Haman`s seeing Mordecai in the gate of the king, and he hath not risen nor moved for him, then is Haman full of fury against Mordecai.10 And Haman forceth himself, and cometh in unto his house, and sendeth, and bringeth in his friends, and Zeresh his wife,11 and Haman recounteth to them the glory of his wealth, and the abundance of his sons, and all that with which the king made him great, and with which he lifted him up above the heads and servants of the king.12 And Haman saith, `Yea, Esther the queen brought none in with the king, unto the feast that she made, except myself, and also for to-morrow I am called to her, with the king,13 and all this is not profitable to me, during all the time that I am seeing Mordecai the Jew sitting in the gate of the king.`14 And Zeresh his wife saith to him, and all his friends, `Let them prepare a tree, in height fifty cubits, and in the morning speak to the king, and they hang Mordecai on it, and go thou in with the king unto the banquet rejoicing;` and the thing is good before Haman, and he prepareth the tree.