Esther 6

1 But that night the Lord kept sleep away from the king, and he told his teacher to bring in the books, the daily records of events, and read them to him. [a] 2 And there he found what had been written about Mordecai: how he had told the king about the king's two eunuchs who, while standing guard, had plotted to lay hands on Artaxerxes. 3 The king said, “What glory or favor have we shown Mordecai?” And the king's servants said, “You have done nothing for him.”

4 While the king was still asking about the goodwill Mordecai had shown, there was Haman in the court. The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come in to tell the king to hang Mordecai on the pole he had prepared. 5 And the king's servants said, “Look — Haman is standing in the court.” And the king said, “Call him in.”

6 The king said to Haman, “What shall I do for the man I want to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king want to honor if not me?” 7 So he said to the king, “For the man the king wants to honor, 8 let the king's servants bring the robe of fine linen that the king himself wears, and the horse the king rides, 9 and let them be given to one of the king's honored friends; and let him robe the man the king loves, mount him on the horse, and proclaim through the main street of the city: This is how it shall be for every man whom the king honors.”

10 Then the king said to Haman, “Well said. Do exactly that for Mordecai the Jew, who serves in the court — and let nothing of all you have said be left out.” 11 So Haman took the robe and the horse; he robed Mordecai, mounted him on the horse, and went through the main street of the city, proclaiming, “This is how it shall be for every man whom the king wants to honor!”

12 Then Mordecai returned to the palace court, but Haman went back home grieving, his head covered. 13 Haman told Zeresh his wife and his friends everything that had happened to him, and his friends and his wife said to him, “If Mordecai is of the race of the Jews, and you have begun to be brought low before him, you will fall — you will surely fall. You will not be able to fight him off, because the living God is with him.” [b] 14 While they were still talking, the eunuchs arrived to hurry Haman off to the drinking feast Esther had prepared.