And on the third day Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s hall: now he sat upon his throne in the hall of the palace, over against the door of the house.

Die autem tertio induta est Esther regalibus vestimentis, et stetit in atrio domus regiæ, quod erat interius, contra basilicam regis: at ille sedebat super solium suum in consistorio palatii contra ostium domus.

The third day came, and Esther put on her royal robes; and, so clad, made her appearance before the king’s palace, within the royal (that is, the inner) court. There sat the king on his throne, in the palace council chamber, facing the main door;

And when he saw Esther the queen standing, she pleased his eyes, and he held out toward her the golden sceptre, which he held in his hand: and she drew near, and kissed the top of his sceptre.

Cumque vidisset Esther reginam stantem, placuit oculis ejus, et extendit contra eam virgam auream, quam tenebat manu: quæ accedens, osculata est summitatem virgæ ejus.

he saw Esther, his queen, standing there without, and the sight of her won his heart. Out went the golden sceptre he bore, and as she drew near to kiss the tip of it,

And the king said to her: What wilt thou, queen Esther? what is thy request? if thou shouldst even ask one half of the kingdom, it shall be given to thee.

Dixitque ad eam rex: Quid vis, Esther regina? quæ est petitio tua? etiam si dimidiam partem regni petieris, dabitur tibi.

Why, Esther, said he, what is thy errand? Ask me for half my kingdom, and it is thine.

But she answered: If it please the king. I beseech thee to come to me this day, and Aman with thee to the banquet which I have prepared.

At illa respondit: Si regi placet, obsecro ut venias ad me hodie, et Aman tecum, ad convivium quod paravi.

My lord king, she answered, do me the honour of dining with me to-day; I have a feast prepared; and bring Aman with thee.

And the king said forthwith: Call ye Aman quickly, that he may obey Esther’s will. So the king and Aman came to the banquet which the queen had prepared for them.

Statimque rex: Vocate, inquit, cito Aman ut Esther obediat voluntati. Venerunt itaque rex et Aman ad convivium, quod eis regina paraverat.

The king, without more ado, had Aman summoned to wait, there and then, on Esther’s pleasure; and both of them went to the feast she had prepared.

And the king said to her, after he had drunk wine plentifully: What dost thou desire should be given thee? and for what thing askest thou? although thou shouldst ask the half of my kingdom, thou shalt have it.

Dixitque ei rex, postquam vinum biberat abundanter: Quid petis ut detur tibi? et pro qua re postulas? etiam si dimidiam partem regni mei petieris, impetrabis.

Deep drank the king that day, and said to Esther, What wouldst thou? Tell me what thy desire is? Be it half my kingdom, it shall not be denied thee.

And Esther answered: My petition and request is this:

Cui respondit Esther: Petitio mea, et preces sunt istæ:

What would I have? said she. I ask no more than this;

If I have found favour in the king’s sight, and if it please the king to give me what I ask, and to fulfil my petition: let the king and Aman come to the banquet which I have prepared them, and to morrow I will open my mind to the king.

si inveni in conspectu regis gratiam, et si regi placet ut det mihi quod postulo, et meam impleat petitionem: veniat rex et Aman ad convivium quod paravi eis, et cras aperiam regi voluntatem meam.

since the king’s grace is ready to humour my whim, to grant me what I ask, do me the favour to dine with me to-morrow, and Aman with thee; then I will make known to the royal ear what my request is.

So Aman went out that day joyful and merry. And when he saw Mardochai sitting before the gate of the palace, and that he not only did not rise up to honour him, but did not so much as move from the place where he sat, he was exceedingly angry:

Egressus est itaque illo die Aman lætus et alacer. Cumque vidisset Mardochæum sedentem ante fores palatii, et non solum non assurrexisse sibi, sed nec motum quidem de loco sessionis suæ, indignatus est valde:

A proud man was Aman that day, and he went home treading on air. But Mardochaeus still sat at the palace door; rise up he would not, nor stir from his post. And Aman, seeing it, fell into a rage.

But dissembling his anger, and returning into his house, he called together to him his friends, and Zares his wife:

et dissimulata ira reversus in domum suam, convocavit ad se amicos suos, et Zares uxorem suam,

He gave no mark of it then, but when he reached home he called all his friends about him, and his wife Zares among them,

And he declared to them the greatness of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and with how great glory the king had advanced him above all his princes and servants.

et exposuit illis magnitudinem divitiarum suarum, filiorumque turbam, et quanta eum gloria super omnes principes et servos suos rex elevasset.

and opened his mind. He recounted to them how great his wealth was, how many children were his, what honour the king had done him by promoting him to be the chief of all his nobles and courtiers.

And after this he said: Queen Esther also hath invited no other to the banquet with the king, but me: and with her I am also to dine to morrow with the king:

Et post hæc ait: Regina quoque Esther nullum alium vocavit ad convivium cum rege præter me: apud quam etiam cras cum rege pransurus sum.

More, he said; it was but this day queen Esther gave the king a banquet, and would have me and none other for his fellow-guest; to-morrow I must dine with her again, with the king present.

And whereas I have all these things, I think I have nothing, so long as I see Mardochai the Jew sitting before the king’s gate.

Et cum hæc omnia habeam, nihil me habere puto, quamdiu videro Mardochæum Judæum sedentem ante fores regias.

All this is mine, he said, and all this is nothing to me, while I yet see Mardochaeus sitting there at the palace gate.

Then Zares his wife, and the rest of his friends answered him: Order a great beam to be prepared, fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king, that Mardochai may be hanged upon it, and so thou shalt go full of joy with the king to the banquet. The counsel pleased him, and he commanded a high gibbet to be prepared.

Responderuntque ei Zares uxor ejus, et ceteri amici: Jube parari excelsam trabem, habentem altitudinis quinquaginta cubitos, et dic mane regi ut appendatur super eam Mardochæus, et sic ibis cum rege lætus ad convivium. Placuit ei consilium, et jussit excelsam parari crucem.

But they had a remedy for this, his wife Zares and those friends of his. Have a gallows made, fifty cubits high, so that tomorrow thou canst bid the king have Mardochaeus hanged on it. Then thou mayst go light-hearted enough, to feast with the king. This counsel Aman liked well, and he gave his men orders to have a high gallows in readiness.