Esther Invites the King and Haman to a Banquet
1 On the third day of her fast Esther put on her royal robes and went and stood in the inner courtyard of the palace, facing the throne room. The king was inside, seated on the royal throne, facing the entrance. 2 When the king saw Queen Esther standing outside, she won his favor, and he held out to her the gold scepter. She then came up and touched the tip of it. 3 “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked. “Tell me what you want, and you shall have it—even if it is half my empire.”
4 Esther replied, “If it please Your Majesty, I would like you and Haman to be my guests tonight at a banquet I am preparing for you.”
5 The king then ordered Haman to come quickly, so that they could be Esther's guests. So the king and Haman went to Esther's banquet. 6 Over the wine the king asked her, “Tell me what you want, and you shall have it. I will grant your request, even if you ask for half my empire.”
7 Esther replied, 8 “If Your Majesty is kind enough to grant my request, I would like you and Haman to be my guests tomorrow at another banquet that I will prepare for you. At that time I will tell you what I want.”
Haman Plots to Kill Mordecai
9 When Haman left the banquet he was happy and in a good mood. But then he saw Mordecai at the entrance of the palace, and when Mordecai did not rise or show any sign of respect as he passed, Haman was furious with him. 10 But he controlled himself and went on home. Then he invited his friends to his house and asked his wife Zeresh to join them. 11 He boasted to them about how rich he was, how many sons he had, how the king had promoted him to high office, and how much more important he was than any of the king's other officials. 12 “What is more,” Haman went on, “Queen Esther gave a banquet for no one but the king and me, and we are invited back tomorrow. 13 But none of this means a thing to me as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the entrance of the palace.”
14 So his wife and all his friends suggested, “Why don't you have a gallows built, seventy-five feet tall? Tomorrow morning you can ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it, and then you can go to the banquet happy.”
Haman thought this was a good idea, so he had the gallows built.
Esita unokoka Hamani
1 Mu zhuba le butatu Esita kaambala zwiambalo zwizwe zwe bumambokadzi ngono kanoma mukatikati kwe ng'umba mbeli kwe ng'umba hwulu ya mambo. Mambo wakabe ali gele mu tjigalo tjitje mu ng'umba hwulu ye bushe akalingisana ne nkoba. 2 Wakati ebona Nfumakadzi Esita ali mile pakati kwe ng'umba kanshathisa kwazo ngono katambunudza swimbgwana iye ye bushe yaakabe akabhata yakathamiwa nge golide, ngono Esita kasedzela kaibhata ku nsholo. 3 Ipapo mambo bakandwa beti, “Kwatini Nfumakadzi Esita? Unoshakani kene? Leba koga, ndowokupa kunolizana ne gwamu le bushe gwangu.” 4 Esita wakashandula eti, “Tetshi wangu, apa kumushathisa, ndokumbila kuti muzhe ku mabhikwa na Hamani andinowomululwamisa nasi.” 5 Ngono mambo bakabe beti, “Danani Hamani abuye tjinyolotjo kuti azhe tithame tjinoshakiwa ndi Esita.” Ndizo mambo na Hamani bakayenda ku mabhikwa kuna Esita. 6 Ngono bakati batja ng'wa nkumbi we zhambi, mambo kabe eti kuna Esita, “Ini tjaunoshaka ndikuthamile itjo? Leba koga ndowokupa kunolizana ne gwamu le bushe gwangu.” 7-8 Ngono Esita kashandula eti, “Tetshi wangu apa kumushathisa, ndomukumbila kuti mushingikadze tjandinowokumbila, ndokumbila kuti muzhe na Hamani ku nzano we mabhikwa andinowomululwamisila kakale mangwana, mu tjibaka itjetjo ndipo pandinomubudza tjandinoshaka.” 9 Zhuba ilelo Hamani wakayenda etshambila pezhugwi akashatha kwazo, koga wakati ebona Modekayi ali pa nkoba wa mambo, asingamilike kene kunlakidza zila imwe koga ye kunteta kazhala bushongola kwazo, 10 koga kazwibhata kasilebe tjimwe ngono kayenda ku nzi uwe kanodana bakwinya babe ne nkadzi uwe Zereshi. 11 Ngono Hamani katangisa kuzwikudza mbeli kwabo ngekwe fumwa iye nenge bakololo babe bose. Kababudza ngekwe zila dzose dzaakakudziwa ndi mambo ne nge mamo awe anopinda e makulukota wose ne bashingi bose ba mambo ne kuti bamwe bashingi banafanilo dze kunteta kungapani. 12 Ngono Hamani kadwilila eti, “Bonani koga na Nfumakadzi Esita akuna mmwe waakoka kuti azhe na mambo ku nzano we mabhikwa kuzhe kwangu koga, ndizo takakokiwa imi na mambo ku zojiwa zwe mangwana. 13 Nenguba kwakajalo ikoku kose akutondishathisa apa nditjabona Modekayi we Njuta atjipa nkoba we bugalo gwa mambo.” 14 Ngono bakwinya babe ne nkadzi uwe Zereshi bakandwa bakati, “Iti kuthamwe thungamakole ye bulefu gunga bhata makumi mabili ana bubili, ngono mangwana mangwanana ukumbile mambo kuti Modekayi asungiligwe muili, kuti ndizo shule unoja mabhikwa na mambo wakashatha.” Ngono matama iyawa kashathisa Hamani ngono thungamakole ikabakwa.