1 On that night the king couldn’t sleep; and he commanded to bring
the book of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
2 It was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two
of the king’s chamberlains, of those who kept the threshold, who had sought
to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus. 3 The king said, What honor and
dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this? Then the king’s servants who
ministered to him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
4 The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman was come into the
outward court of the king’s house, to speak to the king to hang Mordecai on
the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 The king’s servants said to
him, Behold, Haman stands in the court. The king said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. The king said to him, What shall be done to the man
whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman said in his heart, To whom would
the king delight to do honor more than to myself? 7 Haman said to the
king, For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let royal clothing be
brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on,
and on the head of which a crown royal is set: 9 and let the clothing and
the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes,
that they may array the man therewith whom the king delights to honor, and
cause him to ride on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim
before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.
10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the clothing and the
horse, as you have said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the
king’s gate: let nothing fail of all that you have spoken. 11 Then took
Haman the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and caused him to
ride through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it
be done to the man whom the king delights to honor. 12 Mordecai came again
to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his
head covered. 13 Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends
everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife
said to him, If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, be of the seed of
the Jews, you shall not prevail against him, but shall surely fall before
him. 14 While they were yet talking with him, came the king’s
chamberlains, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had
prepared.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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