Esther 5

1And on the third day Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s hall: now he sat upon his throne in the hall of the palace, over against the door of the house.

2And when he saw Esther the queen standing, she pleased his eyes, and he held out toward her the golden sceptre, which he held in his hand and she drew near, and kissed the top of his sceptre.

3And the king said to her: What wilt thou, queen Esther? what is thy request? if thou shouldst even ask one half of the kingdom, it shall be given to thee.

4But she answered: If it please the king, I beseech thee to come to me this day, and Aman with thee to the banquet which I have prepared.

5And the king said forthwith: Call ye Aman quickly, that he may obey Esther’s will. So the king and Aman came to the banquet which the queen had prepared for them.

6And the king said to her, after he had drunk wine plentifully: What dost thou desire should be given thee? and for what thing askest thou? although thou shouldst ask the half of my kingdom, thou shalt have it.

7And Esther answered: My petition and request is this:

8If I have found favour in the king's sight, and if it please the king to give me what I ask, and to fulfil my petition: let the king and Aman come to the banquet which I have prepared them, and tomorrow I will open my mind to the king.

9So Aman went out that day joyful and merry. And when he saw Mardochai sitting before the gate of the palace, and that he not only did not rise up to honour him, but did not so much as move from the place where he sat, he was exceedingly angry:

10But dissembling his anger, and returning into his house, he called together to him his friends, and Zares his wife:

11And he declared to them the greatness of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and with how great glory the king had advanced him above all his princes and servants.

12And after this he said: Queen Esther also hath invited no other to the banquet with the king, but me: and with her I am also to dine tomorrow with the king:

13And whereas I have all these things, I think I have nothing, so long as I see Mardochai the Jew sitting before the king’s gate.

14Then Zares his wife, and the rest of his friends answered him: Order a great beam to be prepared, fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king, that Mardochai may be hanged upon it, and so thou shalt go full of joy with the king to the banquet. The counsel pleased him, and he commanded a high gibbet to be prepared.

1Die autem tertio induta est Esther regalibus vestimentis, et stetit in atrio domus regiæ, quod erat interius, contra basilicam regis : at ille sedebat super solium suum in consistorio palatii contra ostium domus.

2Cumque vidisset Esther reginam stantem, placuit oculis ejus, et extendit contra eam virgam auream, quam tenebat manu : quæ accedens, osculata est summitatem virgæ ejus.

3Dixitque ad eam rex : Quid vis, Esther regina? quæ est petitio tua? etiam si dimidiam partem regni petieris, dabitur tibi.

4At illa respondit : Si regi placet, obsecro ut venias ad me hodie, et Aman tecum, ad convivium quod paravi.

5Statimque rex : Vocate, inquit, cito Aman ut Esther obediat voluntati. Venerunt itaque rex et Aman ad convivium, quod eis regina paraverat.

6Dixitque ei rex, postquam vinum biberat abundanter : Quid petis ut detur tibi? et pro qua re postulas? etiam si dimidiam partem regni mei petieris, impetrabis.

7Cui respondit Esther : Petitio mea, et preces sunt istæ:

8si inveni in conspectu regis gratiam, et si regi placet ut det mihi quod postulo, et meam impleat petitionem : veniat rex et Aman ad convivium quod paravi eis, et cras aperiam regi voluntatem meam.

9Egressus est itaque illo die Aman lætus et alacer. Cumque vidisset Mardochæum sedentem ante fores palatii, et non solum non assurrexisse sibi, sed nec motum quidem de loco sessionis suæ, indignatus est valde:

10et dissimulata ira reversus in domum suam, convocavit ad se amicos suos, et Zares uxorem suam,

11et exposuit illis magnitudinem divitiarum suarum, filiorumque turbam, et quanta eum gloria super omnes principes et servos suos rex elevasset.

12Et post hæc ait : Regina quoque Esther nullum alium vocavit ad convivium cum rege præter me : apud quam etiam cras cum rege pransurus sum.

13Et cum hæc omnia habeam, nihil me habere puto, quamdiu videro Mardochæum Judæum sedentem ante fores regias.

14Responderuntque ei Zares uxor ejus, et ceteri amici : Jube parari excelsam trabem, habentem altitudinis quinquaginta cubitos, et dic mane regi ut appendatur super eam Mardochæus, et sic ibis cum rege lætus ad convivium. Placuit ei consilium, et jussit excelsam parari crucem.

1καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ ὡς ἐπαύσατο προσευχομένη ἐξεδύσατο τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς θεραπείας καὶ περιεβάλετο τὴν δόξαν αὐτῆς

3καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς τί θέλεις Εσθηρ καὶ τί σού ἐστιν τὸ ἀξίωμα ἕως τοῦ ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου καὶ ἔσται σοι

4εἶπεν δὲ Εσθηρ ἡμέρα μου ἐπίσημος σήμερόν ἐστιν εἰ οὖν δοκεῖ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐλθάτω καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ Αμαν εἰς τὴν δοχήν ἣν ποιήσω σήμερον

5καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς κατασπεύσατε Αμαν ὅπως ποιήσωμεν τὸν λόγον Εσθηρ καὶ παραγίνονται ἀμφότεροι εἰς τὴν δοχήν ἣν εἶπεν Εσθηρ

6ἐν δὲ τῷ πότῳ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Εσθηρ τί ἐστιν βασίλισσα Εσθηρ καὶ ἔσται σοι ὅσα ἀξιοῖς

7καὶ εἶπεν τὸ αἴτημά μου καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμά μου

8εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλθάτω ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ Αμαν ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον εἰς τὴν δοχήν ἣν ποιήσω αὐτοῖς καὶ αὔριον ποιήσω τὰ αὐτά

9καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ Αμαν ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ὑπερχαρὴς εὐφραινόμενος ἐν δὲ τῷ ἰδεῖν Αμαν Μαρδοχαῖον τὸν Ιουδαῖον ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ ἐθυμώθη σφόδρα

10καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἐκάλεσεν τοὺς φίλους καὶ Ζωσαραν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ

11καὶ ὑπέδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἣν ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῷ περιέθηκεν καὶ ὡς ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν πρωτεύειν καὶ ἡγεῖσθαι τῆς βασιλείας

12καὶ εἶπεν Αμαν οὐ κέκληκεν ἡ βασίλισσα μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως οὐδένα εἰς τὴν δοχὴν ἀλλ' ἢ ἐμέ καὶ εἰς τὴν αὔριον κέκλημαι

13καὶ ταῦτά μοι οὐκ ἀρέσκει ὅταν ἴδω Μαρδοχαῖον τὸν Ιουδαῖον ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ

14καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ζωσαρα ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ φίλοι κοπήτω σοι ξύλον πηχῶν πεντήκοντα ὄρθρου δὲ εἰπὸν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ κρεμασθήτω Μαρδοχαῖος ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου σὺ δὲ εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν δοχὴν σὺν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ εὐφραίνου καὶ ἤρεσεν τὸ ῥῆμα τῷ Αμαν καὶ ἡτοιμάσθη τὸ ξύλον