The Book of Esther

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 6 -

The king honors Mordecai

The same night the King slept not, and he comanded to bring ye booke of the records, and the chronicles: and they were read before ye King.

Then it was found written that Mordecai had tolde of Bigtana, and Teresh two of the Kings eunuches, keepers of the dore, who sought to lay hands on the King Ahashuerosh.

Then the King sayde, What honour and dignitie hath bene giuen to Mordecai for this? And the Kings seruants that ministred vnto him, sayd, There is nothing done for him.

And the King sayde, Who is in the court? (Now Haman was come into the inner court of the Kings house, that he might speake vnto the King to hang Mordecai on the tree that he had prepared for him.)

And the Kings seruants said vnto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the King sayd, Let him come in.

And when Haman came in, the King saide vnto him, What shalbe done vnto ye man, whom the King will honour? Then Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the King do honour more then to me?

And Haman answered the King, The man whome the King would honour,

Let them bring for him royall apparell, which the King vseth to weare, and the horse that the King rideth vpon, and that the crowne royall may be set vpon his head.

And let the raiment and the horse be deliuered by the hand of one of the Kings most noble princes, and let them apparel the man (whome the King will honour) and cause him to ride vpon the horse thorow the streete of the citie, and proclayme before him, Thus shall it be done vnto the man, whome the King will honour.

Then the King said to Haman, Make haste, take the rayment and the horse as thou hast said, and doe so vnto Mordecai the Iewe, that sitteth at the Kings gate: let nothing fayle of all that thou hast spoken.

So Haman tooke the rayment and the horse, and arayed Mordecai, and brought him on horse backe thorowe the streete of the citie, and proclaymed before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King will honour.

And Mordecai came againe to the Kings gate, but Haman hasted home mourning and his head couered.

And Haman tolde Zeresh his wife, and all his friends all that had befallen him. Then sayd his wise men, and Zeresh his wife vnto him, If Mordecai be of the seede of the Iewes, before whom thou hast begunne to fall; thou shalt not preuaile against him, but shalt surely fall before him.

And while they were yet talking with him, came the Kings eunuches and hasted to bring Haman vnto the banket that Ester had prepared.

The king honors Mordecai

On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.

It was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were doorkeepers, who had tried to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.

The king said, “ What honor and dignity has been given to Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “ Nothing has been done for him.”

The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king’s house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

The king’s servants said to him, “ Behold, (a) Haman stands in the court.” The king said, “Let him come in.”

So Haman came in. The king said to him, “ What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” Now Haman said in his heart, “ Who would the king delight to honor more than myself?”

Haman said to the king, “ For the man whom the king delights to honor,

let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a royal crown is set.

Let the clothing and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man whom the king delights to honor with them, and have him ride on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘ Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’”

Then the king said to Haman, “ Hurry and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken.”

Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “ Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”

Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered.

Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “ If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him.”

While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Footnotes

(a)6:5 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.