Ἐσθήρ 5

1 καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ ὡς ἐπαύσατο προσευχομένη ἐξεδύσατο τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς θεραπείας καὶ περιεβάλετο τὴν δόξαν αὐτῆς καὶ εἰσελθοῦσα πάσας τὰς θύρας κατέστη ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκάθητο ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ

Now on the third day, Esther put on her royal clothing and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, next to the king’s house. The king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, next to the entrance of the house.

2 καὶ ἄρας τὴν χρυσῆν ῥάβδον ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῆς καὶ ἠσπάσατο αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπεν λάλησόν μοι

When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favour in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the sceptre.

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

Then the king asked her, “What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.”

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

Esther said, “If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

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

Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that it may be done as Esther has said.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

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

The king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”

7 καὶ εἶπεν τὸ αἴτημά μου καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμά μου

Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and my request is this.

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

If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king has said.”

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

Then Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he didn’t stand up nor move for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.

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

Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.

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

Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

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

Haman also said, “Yes, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow I am also invited by her together with the king.

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

Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

14 καὶ 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

Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet.” This pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.