1 Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the kings house, across from the kings house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, in front of the gate of the house.2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his eyes, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.3 And the king said to her, What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you, even to half the kingdom.4 And Esther answered, If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.5 Then the king said, Summon Haman quickly, that he may do according to Esthers word. So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.6 At the banquet of wine the king said to Esther, What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request? And it shall be done, even to half the kingdom.7 Then Esther answered and said, My petition and request is this:8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king.9 So Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the kings gate, and that he did not stand or tremble before him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai.10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went to his house, and he sent and summoned his friends and his wife Zeresh.11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the rulers and servants of the king.12 Moreover Haman said, In addition to that, Queen Esther invited no one to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared, except me; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king.13 Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the kings gate.14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet. And these words were good to Haman; so he had the gallows made.
1 Forsothe in the thridde dai Hester was clothid in `the kyngis clothis, and stood in the porche of the kyngis hows, that was `the ynnere ayens the kyngis halle; and he sat on his trone, in the consistorie of the paleis, ayens the dore of the hows.2 And whanne he hadde seyn Hester, the queen, stondynge, sche pleside hise iyen, and he helde forth ayens hir the goldun yerde, which he helde in the hond; and sche neiyide, and kisside the hiynesse of his yerde.3 And the king seide to hir, Hester, the queen, what `wolt thou? what is thin axyng? Yhe, thouy thou axist the half part of my rewme, it schal be youun to thee.4 And sche answeride, If it plesith the kyng, Y biseche, that thou come to me to dai, and Aaman with thee, to the feeste, which Y haue maad redi.5 And anoon the king seide, Clepe ye Aaman soone, that he obeie to the wille of Hester. Therfor the kyng and Aaman camen to the feeste, which the queen hadde maad redi to hem.6 And the king seide to hir, aftir that he hadde drunk wiyn plenteuousli, What axist thou, that it be youun to thee, and for what thing axist thou? Yhe, thouy thou axist the half part of my rewme, thou schalt gete.7 To whom Hester answeride, My axyng and preieris ben these.8 If Y haue founde grace in the siyt of the kyng, and if it plesith the kyng, that he yyue to me that, that Y axe, and that he fille myn axyng, the kyng and Aaman come to the feeste, which Y haue maad redi to hem; and to morewe Y schal opene my wille to the kyng.9 Therfor Aaman yede out glad and swift `in that dai. And whanne he hadde seyn Mardochee sittynge bifor the yatis of the paleys, and not oneli to haue not rise to hym, but sotheli nether moued fro the place of his sittyng, he was ful wrooth;10 and `whanne the ire was dissymelid, he turnede ayen in to his hows, and he clepide togidire `to him silf frendis, and Zares, his wijf;11 and he declaride to hem the greetnesse of his richessis, and the cumpeny of children, and with hou greet glorie the kyng hadde enhaunsid hym aboue alle hise princis and seruauntis.12 And he seide after these thinges, Also the queen Hester clepide noon other man with the kyng to the feeste, outakun me, anentis `which queen Y schal ete also to morewe with the kyng.13 And whanne Y haue alle these thingis, Y gesse that Y haue no thing, as long as Y se Mardochee, Jew, sittynge bifor the `kyngis yatis.14 And Zares, his wijf, and othere frendis answeriden to hym, Comaunde thou an hiy beem to be maad redi, hauynge fifti cubitis of heiythe; and seie thou eerly to the kyng, that Mardochee be hangid theronne; and so thou schalt go glad with the kyng to the feeste.15 And the counsel plesyde him, and he comaundide an hiy cros to be maad redi.