1以斯帖設宴款待王及哈曼第三天，以斯帖穿上朝服，站在王宮的內院，對著王殿；王在殿裡坐在王位上，對著殿門。
1Now it happened on the third day that 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王見王后以斯帖站在院內，就對她施恩，向她伸出手中的金杖，以斯帖就上前摸杖頭。
2When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther came near, and touched the top of the scepter.
3王問她：“王后以斯帖啊，你有甚麼事嗎？你求甚麼？就是一半江山，也必賜給你。”
3Then 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以斯帖回答：“王若是歡喜，就請王今天帶著哈曼來赴我為王預備的筵席。”
4Esther 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王說：“快把哈曼召來，好照著以斯帖的話去行。”於是王帶著哈曼去赴以斯帖預備的筵席。
5Then 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在酒席中，王問以斯帖：“你要甚麼？我必賜給你；你求甚麼？就是一半江山，也必為你成全。”
6The 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以斯帖回答說：“我所要我所求的就是：
7Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and my request is this.
8我若是在王眼前蒙恩，王若是願意賜給我所要的，成全我所求的，就請王帶著哈曼明天再來赴我為你們預備的筵席；明天我必照著王的命令行。”
8If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please 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哈曼立了一木架那天哈曼心裡快樂，高高興興地出來；但是哈曼見了末底改在御門那裡不站起來，也不因哈曼的緣故而退避，哈曼心裡就對末底改充滿忿怒。
9Then 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哈曼忍住怒氣，回家去了，就派人去請他的朋友和妻子細利斯來。
10Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.
11哈曼把他的富貴榮華、兒女的眾多，以及王怎樣使他尊大，怎樣抬舉他在王的眾領袖和眾臣僕之上的一切事，都數說給他們聽。
11Haman 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哈曼又說：“王后以斯帖除我以外，沒有邀請別人與王一同去赴她預備的筵席；明天又邀請我與王一同到她那裡去赴席。
12Haman 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只是每逢我看見坐在朝門那裡的猶大人末底改的時候，這一切對我都沒有多大的意思。”
13Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14他的妻子細利斯和他所有的朋友都對他說：“叫人立一個二十二公尺高的木架，明早求王，把末底改掛在上面，然後你可以歡歡喜喜地與王一同赴筵席了。”這話使哈曼很滿意，就叫人做了木架。
14Then 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.