esther

¶ On that night the king could not sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king.

And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the keepers of the door, who had sought to lay hand on King Ahasuerus.

And the king said, What honour and dignity has been done unto Mordecai for this? Then the king’s servants who ministered unto him answered, Nothing has been done for him.

¶ And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman had come into the outward court of the king’s house to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

And the king’s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman stands in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.

So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delights to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?

And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delights to honour,

let the royal apparel be brought which the king wears, and the horse that the king rides upon, and the royal crown which is set upon his head;

and let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that he may clothe the man whom the king delights to honour and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honour.

10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do so unto Mordecai, the Jew, that sits at the king’s gate; let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.

11 Then Haman took the apparel and the horse and clothed Mordecai and brought him on horseback through the plaza of the city and caused it to be proclaimed before him, Thus shall be done unto the man whom the king delights to honour.

12 ¶ After that Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hastened to his house mourning and having his head covered.

13 And Haman told Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends all that had befallen him. Then his wise men and Zeresh, his wife, said unto him, If Mordecai is of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.

14 And while they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came in haste to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.