Characters:
Narrator: ~55%
The King: ~16%
Queen Esther: ~9%
Haman: ~13%
Mrs. Haman: ~4%
Attendants: ~3%
Esther Chapters 5 - 7
Narrator: On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner courtyard of the king’s house, opposite the king’s house, while the king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal house opposite the entrance. As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she gained his favor, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Esther then approached and touched the top of the scepter. The king asked her:
The King: “What is the matter, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it will be granted you!”
Narrator: Esther replied:
Queen Esther: “If it pleases the king, let the king along with Haʹman, come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
Narrator: So the king said to his men:
The King “Tell Haʹman to come quickly, as Esther requests.”
Narrator: So the king and Haʹman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
During the banquet of wine, the king said to Esther:
The King: “What is your petition? It will be granted you! And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it will be done!”
Narrator: Esther answered:
Queen Esther: “My petition and my request is, If I have found favor with the king and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to act on my request, let the king and Haʹman come to the banquet that I will hold for them tomorrow; and tomorrow I will do as the king says.”
Narrator: On that day Haʹman went out joyful and with a cheerful heart. But when Haʹman saw Morʹde·cai in the king’s gate and noticed that he did not rise and tremble in his presence, Haʹman was filled with rage against Morʹde·cai. However, Haʹman restrained himself and went to his house. Then he sent for his friends and Zeʹresh his wife. Haʹman boasted about his glorious wealth, his many sons, and how the king had promoted him and had exalted him over the princes and the servants of the king. Haʹman added:
Haman:“What is more, Queen Esther invited no one else but me to accompany the king to the banquet she prepared. I am also invited tomorrow to be with her and the king.
But all of this fails to satisfy me as long as I see Morʹde·cai the Jew sitting in the king’s gate.”
Narrator: So Zeʹresh his wife and all his friends said to him:
Mrs. Haman: “Have a stake put up, 50 cubits high. And in the morning tell the king that Morʹde·cai should be hanged on it. Then go with the king to enjoy yourself at the banquet.”
Narrator: This suggestion seemed good to Haʹman, so he had the stake put up.
That night the king could not sleep. So he said to bring the book of the historical records of the times, and it was read to the king. There it was found written what Morʹde·cai had reported concerning Big·thaʹna and Teʹresh, two court officials of the king, doorkeepers, who had plotted to do away with King A·has·u·eʹrus. The king asked:
The King: “What honor and recognition has been given to Morʹde·cai for this?” To this the king’s personal attendants said:
Attendants: “Nothing has been done for him.”
Narrator: Later the king said:
The King: “Who is in the courtyard?”
Narrator: Now Haʹman had come into the outer courtyard of the king’s house to speak to the king about having Morʹde·cai hanged on the stake that he had prepared for him. The king’s attendants said to him:
Attendants: “It is Haʹman standing in the courtyard.”
Narrator: So the king said:
The King: “Have him come in.”
Narrator: When Haʹman came in, the king said to him:
The King: “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?”
Narrator: Haʹman said in his heart:
Haman: (Talking to himself) “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?”
Narrator: So Haʹman said to the king:
Haman: “For the man whom the king wishes to honor, 8 let them bring royal attire that the king wears and a horse on which the king rides, with the royal headdress on its head. Then let the attire and the horse be put into the charge of one of the king’s noble princes, and they should clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor and have him ride on the horse in the public square of the city. They should call out before him: ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to honor!’”
Narrator: At once the king said to Haʹman:
The King: “Quick! Take the attire and the horse, and do what you just said for Morʹde·cai the Jew who is sitting in the king’s gate. Do not leave out anything that you have said.”
Narrator: 11 So Haʹman took the attire and the horse, and he clothed Morʹde·cai and made him ride in the public square of the city and called out before him:
Haman: “This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to honor!”
Narrator: Afterward Morʹde·cai returned to the king’s gate, but Haʹman hurried to his house, mourning with his head covered.
When Haʹman related to his wife Zeʹresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him, his wise men and his wife Zeʹresh said to him:
Mrs. Haman: “If Morʹde·cai, before whom you have started to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him; you will surely fall before him.”
Narrator: While they were still speaking with him, the king’s court officials arrived and quickly took Haʹman to the banquet that Esther had made.
Narrator: So the king and Haʹman came in to Queen Esther’s banquet. The king said to Esther again on the second day during the banquet of wine:
The King: “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It will be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it will be done!”
Narrator: Queen Esther answered:
Queen Esther: “If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be granted as my petition, and my people as my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be annihilated, killed, and destroyed. If we had simply been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept silent. But the distress is not proper, for it will be damaging to the king.”
Narrator: King A·has·u·eʹrus then said to Queen Esther:
The King: “Who is this, and where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?”
Queen Esther: “The adversary and enemy is . . . this evil Haʹman.”
Narrator: Haʹman became terrified because of the king and the queen. The king rose up in a rage from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden, but Haʹman stood up to plead with Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king was determined to punish him.
The king returned from the palace garden to the house of the wine banquet and saw that Haʹman had thrown himself on the couch where Esther was. The king exclaimed:
The King: “Is he also going to rape the queen in my own house?”
Narrator: As soon as these words left the king’s mouth, they covered Haʹman’s face. Har·boʹna, one of the king’s court officials, now said:
Attedants: “Haʹman also prepared a stake for Morʹde·cai, whose report saved the king. It is standing at Haʹman’s house, 50 cubits high.”
Narrator: At that the king said:
The King: “Hang him on it.”
Narrator: So they hanged Haʹman on the stake that he had prepared for Morʹde·cai, and the king’s rage subsided.