The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Esther 06
1 On that night, the king couldn’t sleep.
He commanded the book of records of the
chronicles to be brought, and they were
read to the king.
2 It was found written that Mordecai had
told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the
king’s eunuchs, who were doorkeepers,
who had tried to lay hands on the King
Ahasuerus.
3 The king said, “What honor and dignity
has been given to Mordecai for this?”
Then the king’s servants who attended
him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
4 The king said, “Who is in the court?”
Now Haman had come into the outer court
of the king’s house, to speak to the king
about hanging 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, “Who
would the king delight to honor more than
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
royal crown is set.
9 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 whom the king delights to honor with
them, and have him ride on horseback
through the city square, and proclaim before him,
‘Thus it shall be done to the man
whom the king delights to honor!’ ”
10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry
and take the clothing and the horse, as you
have said, and do this for Mordecai the
Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Let nothing
fail of all that you have spoken.”
11 Then Haman took the clothing and
the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had
him ride through the city square, and
proclaimed before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to
honor!”
12 Mordecai came back 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,
is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail
against him, but you will surely fall before
him.”
14 While they were yet talking with him,
the king’s eunuchs came, and hurried to
bring Haman to the banquet that Esther
had prepared.