1
Now it
came about on the
third day that
Esther put on her
royal robes and
stood in the
inner court of the
king's palace in
front of the
king's rooms, and the
king was
sitting on his
royal throne in the
throne room,
opposite the
entrance to the
palace.
t.Wk.l;m reT.s,a v;B.liT;w yivyil.V;h ~w{Y;B yih.y;w ? x;k{n tyimyin.P;h .$,l,M;h -tyeB r;c]x;B d{m][;T;w ? w{t.Wk.l;m aeSiK -l;[ bevw{y .$,l,M;h.w .$,l,M;h tyeB ? tIy'B;h x;t,P x;k{n t.Wk.l;M;h tyeb.B
2
When the
king saw Esther the
queen standing in the
court, she
obtained favor in his
sight; and the
king extended to
Esther the
golden scepter which was in his
hand. So
Esther came near and
touched the
top of the
scepter.
h'K.l;M;h reT.s,a -t,a .$,l,M;h tw{a.rik yih.y;w ? j,vw{Y;w wy'nye[.B !ex h'a.f'n rec'x,B t,d,m{[ ? w{d'y.B r,v]a b'h'Z;h jyib.r;v -t,a reT.s,a.l .$,l,M;h ? jyib.r;V;h va{r.B [;GiT;w reT.s,a b;r.qiT;w
3
Then the
king said to her,
"What is troubling you,
Queen Esther? And
what is your
request?
Even to
half of the
kingdom it shall be
given to you."
h'K.l;M;h reT.s,a .$'L -h;m .$,l,M;h H'l r,ma{Y;w ? !et'NIy.w t.Wk.l;M;h yic]x -d;[ .$et'v'Q;B -h;m.W ? .$'l
4
Esther said,
"If it
pleases the
king, may the
king and
Haman come this
day to the
banquet that I have
prepared for him."
aw{b'y bw{j .$,l,M;h -l;[ -mia reT.s,a r,ma{T;w ? yityif'[ -r,v]a h,T.viM;h -l,a ~w{Y;h !'m'h.w .$,l,M;h ? w{l
5
Then the
king said,
"Bring Haman quickly that we may
do as
Esther desires." So the
king and
Haman came to the
banquet which Esther had
prepared.
r;b.D -t,a tw{f][;l !'m'h -t,a .Wr]h;m .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? h't.f'[ -r,v]a h,T.viM;h -l,a !'m'h.w .$,l,M;h a{b'Y;w reT.s,a ? reT.s,a
6
As they
drank their
wine at the
banquet, the
king said to
Esther,
"What is your
petition, for it shall be
granted to you. And
what is your
request?
Even to
half of the
kingdom it shall be
done."
.$et'lea.V -h;m !Iy;Y;h heT.vim.B reT.s,a.l .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? t.Wk.l;M;h yic]x -d;[ .$et'v'Q;B -h;m.W .$'l !et'NIy.w ? f'[et.w
7
So
Esther replied, "My
petition and my
request is:
yit'v'Q;b.W yit'lea.v r;ma{T;w reT.s,a !;[;T;w
8
if I have
found favor in the
sight of the
king, and
if it
pleases the
king to
grant my
petition and
do what I
request, may the
king and
Haman come to the
banquet which I will
prepare for them, and
tomorrow I will
do as the
king says."
.$,l,M;h -l;[ -mia.w .$,l,M;h yenye[.B !ex yita'c'm -mia ? yit'v'Q;B -t,a tw{f][;l.w yit'lea.v -t,a tet'l bw{j ? h,f/[,a r,v]a h,T.viM;h -l,a !'m'h.w .$,l,M;h aw{b'y ? .$,l,M;h r;b.diK h,f/[,a r'x'm.W ~,h'l
9
Then
Haman went out that
day glad and
pleased of
heart; but when
Haman saw Mordecai in the
king's gate and that he did not
stand up or
tremble before him,
Haman was
filled with
anger against Mordecai.
bel bw{j.w ;xem'f a.Wh;h ~w{Y;B !'m'h aeceY;w ? .$,l,M;h r;[;v.B y;k\D.r'm -t,a !'m'h tw{a.rik.w ? !'m'h ael'MiY;w .WN,Mim ['z -a{l.w ~'q -a{l.w ? h'mex y;k\D.r'm -l;[
10
Haman controlled himself, however,
went to his
house and
sent for his
friends and his
wife Zeresh.
x;l.viY;w w{tyeB -l,a aw{b'Y;w !'m'h q;P;a.tiY;w ? w{T.via v,r,z -t,a.w wy'b]h{a -t,a aeb'Y;w
11
Then
Haman recounted to them the
glory of his
riches, and the
number of his
sons, and
every instance
where the
king had
magnified him and
how he had
promoted him
above the
princes and
servants of the
king.
b{r.w w{r.v'[ dw{b.K -t,a !'m'h ~,h'l reP;s.y;w ? tea.w .$,l,M;h w{l.DiG r,v]a -l'K tea.w wy'n'B ? .$,l,M;h yed.b;[.w ~yir'F;h -l;[ w{a.Fin r,v]a
12
Haman also said,
"Even Esther the
queen let
no one but me
come with the
king to the
banquet which she had
prepared; and
tomorrow also I am
invited by her with the
king.
h'K.l;M;h reT.s,a h'ayibeh -a{l @;a !'m'h r,ma{Y;w ? yiK h't'f'[ -r,v]a h,T.viM;h -l,a .$,l,M;h -mi[ ? H'l -a.Wr'q yin]a r'x'm.l -m;g.w yitw{a -mia ? .$,l,M;h -mi[
13
"Yet
all of
this does not
satisfy me
every time I
see Mordecai the
Jew sitting at the
king's gate."
r,v]a te[ -l'k.B yil h,w{v .WN,nyea h,z -l'k.w ? r;[;v.B bevw{y yid.Wh.Y;h y;k\D.r'm -t,a h,a{r yin]a ? .$,l,M;h
14
Then
Zeresh his
wife and
all his
friends said to him, "Have a
gallows fifty cubits high made and in the
morning ask the
king to have
Mordecai hanged on it; then
go joyfully with the
king to the
banquet." And the
advice pleased Haman, so he had the
gallows made.
#e[ -.Wf][;y wy'b]h{a -l'k.w w{T.via v,r,z w{l r,ma{T;w ? .Wl.tIy.w .$,l,M;l r{m/a r,q{B;b.W h'M;a ~yiVim]x ;H{b'G ? h,T.viM;h -l,a .$,l,M;h -mi[ -a{b.W wy'l'[ y;k\D.r'm -t,a ? #e['h f;[;Y;w !'m'h yen.pil r'b'D;h b;jyiY;w ;xem'f