¹On 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 .

²It 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.

³The king said , “What honour and dignity has been given to Mordecai for this ?”

Then the king ’s servants who attended him said , “Nothing has been done for him .”

⁴The 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 .

⁵The king ’s servants said to him , “Behold , Haman stands in the court .”[#6:5 “Behold”, from “”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.]

The king said, “Let him come in .”

⁶So Haman came in . The king said to him , “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honour ?”

Now Haman said in his heart , “Who would the king delight to honour more than myself ?”

⁷Haman said to the king , “For the man whom the king delights to honour ,

⁸let 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 .

⁹Let 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 honour 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 honour !’”

¹⁰Then 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 .”

¹¹Then 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 honour !”

¹²Mordecai came back to the king ’s gate , but Haman hurried to his house , mourning and having his head covered .

¹³Haman 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 .”

¹⁴While they were yet talking with him , the king ’s eunuchs came , and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared .