¹Pada hari ketiga puasanya, Ester mengenakan pakaian ratunya, lalu pergi ke halaman dalam istana dan berdiri di depan pintu balairung. Raja sedang duduk di atas tahta yang menghadap ke pintu itu.

¹Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the entrance of the house.

²Ketika ia melihat Ratu Ester berdiri di luar, ia merasa sayang kepadanya dan mengulurkan tongkat emasnya kepadanya. Maka majulah Ester, lalu menyentuh ujung tongkat itu.

²And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

³Kemudian bertanyalah raja, "Ada apa, Permaisuriku? Apa yang kauinginkan? Katakanlah! Meskipun kauminta setengah dari kerajaanku, akan kuberikan juga."

³Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.

⁴Ester menjawab, "Kalau Baginda berkenan, hendaknya malam ini Baginda dan Haman datang ke perjamuan yang hamba adakan untuk Baginda."

⁴And Esther said, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

⁵Raja menyuruh Haman cepat datang, supaya mereka dapat memenuhi undangan Ester. Maka datanglah mereka ke perjamuan yang diadakan Ester itu.

⁵Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that it may be done as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

⁶Pada waktu minum anggur, raja bertanya, "Sekarang katakanlah apa yang kauinginkan. Apapun yang kauminta akan kuberikan, meskipun setengah dari kerajaanku!"

⁶And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.

⁷Ester menjawab,

⁷Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is:

⁸"Kalau Baginda berkenan mengabulkan permohonan hamba, hendaknya Baginda dan Haman datang lagi ke perjamuan yang hamba adakan besok malam. Nanti pada perjamuan itu hamba akan mengajukan permohonan hamba kepada Baginda."

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 shall prepare for them, and I will do to-morrow as the king hath said.

⁹Haman pulang dari perjamuan Ratu Ester dengan hati yang riang gembira. Tetapi ketika di pintu gerbang istana ia melihat Mordekhai yang tidak bangkit untuk memberi hormat kepadanya, ia menjadi marah sekali.

⁹Then went Haman forth that day joyful and glad of heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up nor moved for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.

¹⁰Namun ia menahan diri dan pulang ke rumahnya. Setibanya di sana ia menyuruh teman-temannya datang dan meminta Zeres, istrinya, untuk duduk-duduk bersama mereka.

¹⁰Nevertheless Haman refrained himself, and went home; and he sent and fetched his friends and Zeresh his wife.

¹¹Lalu Haman membual kepada mereka dan menyombongkan kekayaannya, banyaknya anak-anak lelakinya, kedudukan penting yang diterimanya dari raja, dan pangkatnya yang jauh lebih tinggi daripada pegawai-pegawai lain.

¹¹And Haman recounted unto them the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

¹²Katanya pula, "Bahkan Ratu Ester pun hanya mengundang aku dan raja ke perjamuan yang diadakannya bagi kami, dan besok malam kami diundangnya lagi.

¹²Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to-morrow also am I invited by her together with the king.

¹³Tetapi semua itu tidak berarti, selama masih kulihat Mordekhai, orang Yahudi itu, duduk di pintu gerbang istana."

¹³Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.

¹⁴Mendengar itu istri dan semua teman-temannya mengusulkan demikian, "Suruh saja membuat tiang gantungan setinggi dua puluh dua meter. Lalu besoknya, pagi-pagi mintalah izin kepada raja untuk menggantung Mordekhai pada tiang itu. Dengan demikian kau dapat pergi ke perjamuan itu dengan hati yang tenang." Usul itu baik sekali menurut pendapat Haman, sebab itu ia segera menyuruh membuat tiang gantungan itu.

¹⁴Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.