Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

On the third day, Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner courtyard of the palace, directly opposite where the king sat on his throne. When the king saw Esther, the queen, standing in the court, she won favor in his sight; he extended to her the golden scepter that was in his hand. Esther drew near and touched the top of the scepter.

The king said to her, "What do you desire, Queen Esther? What is your request? It will be granted to you up to half of the kingdom." Esther answered, "If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for him."

Then the king said to Haman, "Hurry and do what Esther has requested." So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. At the banquet of wine, the king asked Esther again, "What is your request? It shall be granted you, and what is your petition even up to half the kingdom will be performed."

Esther replied, "My request and petition are these: If I have found favor in the king's sight, and if it pleases him to grant my petition and perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them tomorrow as he has said." Then Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart.

However, when he saw Mordecai in the king's gate standing still without rising to honor him, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and returned home, where he sent for his friends and Zeresh, his wife.

Haman told them of the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, including his advancement above the princes and servants of the king. He said that Esther the queen had invited only him to join her and the king at the banquet she had prepared, and he was also invited to return with them tomorrow.

But despite all this, Haman couldn't shake off his anger when he thought about Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. His wife Zeresh and their friends encouraged him, saying, "Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak to the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon; then go in merrily with the king to the banquet." And Haman agreed, so he caused the gallows to be made.