Mordecai Is Honored

1On that night, the sleep of the king fled away, and he said to bring the Book of the Records of Events of the Days,† and they were called out before the face of the king. 2And it was found written that Mordecai had declared concerning Bigthan† and Teresh, two eunuchs of the king, from the keepers of the threshold, who sought to stretch out a hand against King Ahasuerus.

3And the king said, “What honor and greatness has been done for Mordecai over this?”

And the young men of the king who attended him said, “Not a thing has been done with him.”

4And the king said, “Who is in the court?”

And Haman had come into the outer court of the house of the king to say to the king to hang Mordecai on the tree that he had prepared for him. 5And the young men of the king said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the court.”

And the king said, “Let him come in.”

6And Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?”

And Haman said in his heart, “For whom would the king delight to do honor more than me?”

7And Haman said to the king, “The man whom the king delights to honor, 8let them bring a garment of royalty that the king has clothed himself, and a horse that the king has ridden upon it, and that a crown of royalty has been given on its head, 9And let the garment and the horse be given upon the hand of a man from officials of the king, the nobles, and let them clothe the man whom the king delights to honor, and have him ride on the horse in the open square of the city, and let them call out before his face, ‘Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king delights to honor.’”

10And the king said to Haman, “Hurry, take the garment and the horse, as you have spoken, and do so for Mordecai the Jew,† the one sitting at the gate of the king. You shall not let fall a word from all that you have spoken.”

11And Haman took the garment and the horse, and he clothed Mordecai, and he led him in the open square of the city, and he called out before his face, “Thus shall it be done from the man whom the king delights to honor!”

12And Mordecai returned to the gate of the king, and Haman hurried to his house, mourning and covered his head.

13And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and to all his loved ones all that had happened to him. And his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai is from the seed of the Jews, whom you have begun to fall before his face, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before his face.”

14They were still speaking with him, and the eunuchs of the king arrived, and they hastened to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had made.