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 bestowed on 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 crown royal 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 shall it 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 shall it
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.
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