1 O n the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the royal or inner court of the king’s palace opposite his. The king was sitting on his throne, facing the main entrance of the palace.

وَفِي اليَومِ الثالِثِ، لَبِسَتْ أسْتِيرُ ثِيابَها المَلَكِيَّةَ، وَوَقَفَتْ فِي ساحَةِ القَصرِ الدّاخِلِيَّةِ. وَكانَ المَلِكُ جالِساً عَلَى عَرشِهِ فِي المَسكِنِ مُقابِلَ ساحَةِ القَصرِ الدّاخِلِيَّةِ.

2 A nd when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight, and he held out to the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the tip of the scepter.

وَعِندَما رَأى المَلِكُ أسْتِيرَ واقِفَةً فِي المَسكِنِ، نالَتِ استِحسانَهُ، وَمَدَّ صَولَجانَهُ الذَهَبِيَّ بِاتِجاهِها، فَاقتَرَبَتْ وَلَمَسَتِ الصَولَجانَ.

3 T hen the king said to her, What will you have, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of the kingdom.

فَقالَ المَلِكُ لأسْتِيرَ: «ما الذِي يُضايِقُكِ أيَّتُها المَلِكَةُ أسْتِيرُ؟ وَما هُوَ طَلَبُكِ؟ فَحَتَّى لَو طَلَبتِ نِصفَ مَملَكَتِي فَسَأُعْطِيهِ لَكِ.»

4 A nd Esther said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the dinner that I have prepared for the king.

فَقالَتْ أسْتِيرُ: «أرجُو أنْ يَقبَلَ المَلِكُ دَعوَتِي بِأنْ يَأتِيَ اليَومَ هُوَ وَهامانُ إلَى الوَلِيمَةِ التِي أعدَدتُها للمَلِكِ.»

5 T hen the king said, Cause Haman to come quickly, that what Esther has said may be done.

فَقالَ المَلِكُ: «استَدْعُوا هامانَ بِسُرعَةٍ، لِكَي نَعْمَلَ ما طَلَبَتْهُ أسْتِيرُ.» وَذَهَبَ المَلِكُ وَهامان إلَى الوَلِيمَةِ التِي أقامَتْها أسْتِيرُ.

6 S o the king and Haman came to the dinner that Esther had prepared.

وَأثناءَ شُربِ الخَمْرِ، قالَ المَلِكُ لأسْتِيرَ: «كُلُّ ما تَتَمَنِّينَهِ سَيُعطَى لَكِ، وَكُلُّ ما تَطلُبِينَهُ سَتَأخُذِينَهُ حَتَّى لَو كانَ نِصفَ مَملَكَتِي.»

7 A nd during the serving of wine, the king said to Esther, What is your petition? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed.

فَأجابَت أسْتِيرُ: «أتُرِيدُ أنْ تَعرِفَ أُمنِيَتِي وَطِلبَتِي؟

8 T hen Esther said, My petition and my request is: If I have found favor in the sight of the king and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the dinner that I shall prepare for them; and I will do tomorrow as the king has said.

إنْ نِلتَ اسْتِحسانَ المَلِكِ، وَأرادَ أنْ يُعْطِينِي طِلبَتِي، فَلِيَأتِ هُوَ وَهامانُ إلَى الوَلِيمَةِ التِي سَأُعِدُّها لَهُما غَداً. وَغَداً سَأُخبِرُ المَلِكَ بِطِلبَتِي.» هامانُ يَغضَبُ مِنْ مُرْدَخاي

9 H aman went away that day joyful and elated in heart. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate refusing to stand up or show fear before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.

فَخَرَجَ هامانُ فَرِحاً مُبتَهِجَ القَلبِ فِي ذلِكَ اليَومِ. وَلَكِّنَّهُ غَضِبَ جِدّاً عِندَما رَأى مُرْدَخايَ عِنْدَ بَوّابَةِ المَلِكِ، لأنَّ مُرْدَخايَ لَمْ يَقِفِ احتِراماً لَهُ، وَلَمْ يُبْدِ خُوفاً مِنهُ.

10 N evertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. There he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.

فَتَمالَكَ هامانُ نَفْسَهُ وَعادَ إلَى بَيتِهِ. ثُمَّ دَعا أصدِقاءَهُ وَزَوجَتَهُ زَرَشَ.

11 A nd Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the abundance of his sons, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

وَأخَذَ يَتَفاخَرُ أمامَهُمْ بِثَروَتِهِ، وَبِكَثرَةِ أبنائِهِ، وَكَيفَ أنَّ المَلِكَ رَقّاهُ وَأعطاهُ مَركِزاً أعلَى مِنْ كُلِّ رُؤَساءِ وَخُدّامِ المَلِكِ.

12 H aman added, Yes, and today Queen Esther did not let any man come with the king to the dinner she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king.

وَقالَ هامانُ: «لَمْ تَدْعُ المَلِكَةُ أسْتِيرُ أحَداً غَيرِي مَعَ المَلِكِ إلَى الوَلِيمَةِ التِي أعَدَّتْها، وَقَدْ دَعَتْنِي غَداً أيضاً مَعَ المَلِكِ.

13 Y et all this benefits me nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.

وَلَكِنَّ كُلَّ هَذا لا يَعنِي لِي شَيئاً وَأنا أرَى مُرْدَخايَ اليَهُودِيَّ جالِساً أمامَ بَوّابَةِ المَلِكِ.»

14 T hen Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king, that Mordecai may be hanged on it; then you go in merrily with the king to the dinner. And the thing pleased Haman, and he caused the gallows to be made.

فَقالَ لَهُ أصدِقاؤُهُ وَزَوجَتُهُ زَرَشُ: «جَهِّزْ عَمُوداً خَشَبِيّاً ارتِفاعُهُ خَمسُونَ ذِراعاً. وَفِي الصَّباحِ، اطلُبْ مِنَ المَلِكِ أنْ يُعَلَّقَ مُرْدَخايَ عَلَيهِ. ثُمَّ اذْهَبْ إلَى الوَلِيمَةِ وَابتَهِجْ مَعَ المَلِكِ.» فَأُعجِبَ هامانُ بِالفِكرَةِ، وَصَنَعَ العَمُودَ الخَشَبِيِّ.