Esther 6
1 That night the king passed without sleep, and he commanded the histories and chronicles of former times to be brought him. And when they were reading them before him,
But the Lord removed sleep from the king that night: and he told his servant to bring in the books, the registers of daily events, to read to him.
2 They came to that place where it was written, how Mardochai had discovered the treason of Bagathan and Thares the eunuchs, who sought to kill king Assuerus.
And he found the records written concerning Mardochaeus, how he had told the king concerning the two chamberlains of the king, when they were keeping guard, and sought to lay hands on Artaxerxes.
3 And when the king heard this, he said: What honour and reward hath Mardochai received for this fidelity? His servants and ministers said to him: He hath received no reward at all.
And the king said, What honour or favour have we done to Mardochaeus? And the king's servants said, You have not done anything to him.
4 And the king said immediately: Who is in the court? for Aman was coming in to the inner court of the king’s house, to speak to the king, that he might order Mardochai to be hanged upon the gibbet which was prepared for him.
And while the king was enquiring about the kindness of Mardochaeus, behold, Aman [was] in the court. And the king said, Who [is] in the court? Now Aman was come in to speak to the king, that he should hang Mardochaeus on the gallows, which he had prepared.
5 The servants answered: Aman standeth in the court, and the king said: Let him come in.
And the king's servants said, Behold, Aman stands in the court. And the king said, Call him.
6 And when he was come in, he said to him: What ought to be done to the man whom the king is desirous to honour? But Aman thinking in his heart, and supposing that the king would honour no other but himself,
And the king said to Aman, What shall I do to the man whom I wish to honour? And Aman said within himself, Whom would the king honour but myself?
7 Answered: The man whom the king desireth to honour,
and he said to the king, As for the man whom the king wishes to honour,
8 Ought to be clothed with the king’s apparel, and to be set upon the horse that the king rideth upon, and to have the royal crown upon his head,
let the king's servants bring the robe of fine linen which the king puts on, and the horse on which the king rides,
9 And let the first of the king’s princes and nobles hold his horse, and going through the street of the city, proclaim before him and say: Thus shall he be honoured, whom the king hath a mind to honour.
and let him give [it] to one of the king's noble friends, and let him array the man whom the king loves; and let him mount him on the horse, and proclaim through the street of the city, saying, Thus shall it be [done] to every man whom the king honours.
10 And the king said to him: Make haste and take the robe and the horse, and do as thou hast spoken to Mardochai the Jew, who sitteth before the gates of the palace. Beware thou pass over any of those things which thou hast spoken.
Then the king said to Aman, You have well said: so do to Mardochaeus the Jew, who waits in the palace, and let not a word of what you have spoken be neglected.
11 So Aman took the robe and the horse, and arraying Mardochai in the street of the city, and setting him on the horse, went before him, and proclaimed: This honour is he worthy of, whom the king hath a mind to honour.
So Aman took the robe and the horse, and arrayed Mardochaeus, and mounted him on the horse, and went through the street of the city, and proclaimed, saying, Thus shall it be to every man whom the king wishes to honour.
12 But Mardochai returned to the palace gate: and Aman made haste to go to his house, mourning and having his head covered:
And Mardochaeus returned to the palace: but Aman went home mourning, and having his head covered.
13 And he told Zares his wife, and his friends, all that had befallen him. And the wise men whom he had in counsel, and his wife answered him: If Mardochai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou canst not resist him, but thou shalt fall in his sight.
And Aman related the events that had befallen him to Zosara his wife, and to [his] friends: and his friends and his wife said to him, If Mardochaeus [be] of the race of the Jews, [and] you have begun to be humbled before him, you will assuredly fall, and you will not be able to withstand him, for the living God [is] with him.
14 As they were yet speaking, the king’s eunuchs came, and compelled him to go quickly to the banquet which the queen had prepared.
While they were yet speaking, the chamberlains arrived, to hasten Aman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.
