ester 5:1-14
5 teesre din+ ester ne apne shaahi kapde pehne aur woh andarvale aangan mein aakaar raja ke bhavan ke theek saamne khadi ho gayi. us vakt raja apne bhavan* mein raajgaddi par baitha tha, jahaan se woh bhavan ka dvar saaf dekh sakta tha.
2 ab raja ki nazar raani ester par padi jo baahar aangan mein khadi thi. use dekhte hi woh khush ho gaya aur uske haath mein jo sone ka raajdand tha usne ester ki taraf badha diya.+ tab ester raja ke paas aayi aur usne raajdand ke sire ko chhua.
3 raja ne kaha, “kya baat hai raani ester? tujhe kya chahiye? agar tu aadha raajya bhi maange, to woh bhi tujhe de diya jaayega.”
4 ester ne kaha, “agar raja ko yah manzoor ho, to woh aaj mere yahaan aaye kyonki mainne khaas raja ke liye ek daavat rakhi hai. aur woh apne saath haaman ko bhi laaye.”+
5 raja ne apne aadmiyon se kaha, “jaisa raani ester chahti hai vaisa hi ho. jaao, haaman ko fauran bula laao.” fir raja aur haaman, ester ki daavat mein gaye.
6 daakh-madira ki daavat ke dauran raja ne ester se kaha, “bata teri kya binti hai? maang tujhe kya chahiye? agar tu aadha raajya bhi maange, to woh bhi tujhe de diya jaayega.”+
7 ester ne kaha, “raja se meri bas yahi binti hai, yahi fariyad hai
8 ki agar woh mujhse khush hai aur sachmuch meri binti poori karna chahta hai, to kal woh haaman ke saath ek aur daavat mein aaye jo mainne unke liye rakhi hai. kal main raja ko bataungi ki main kya chahti hoon.”
9 us din daavat se lautte vakt haaman bahot khush tha, woh foola nahin sama raha tha. magar jaise hi usne mahal ke faatak par mordakai ko dekha, woh gusse se bhar gaya. kyonki mordakai na to uske saamne khada hua, na hi use dekhkar dara.+
10 haaman khoon ka ghoont peekar reh gaya aur apne ghar laut gaya. usne apni patni jeresh aur apne doston ko bulvaya.+
11 woh apni beshumar daulat ki shekhi bagharne laga aur dingein maarne laga ki uske kitne saare bete hain+ aur kaise raja ne use unche pad par thehrakar baaki haakimon aur sevkon se zyada samman diya hai.+
12 haaman ne yah bhi kaha, “jaante ho, raani ester ne apni daavat mein raja ke alava aur kise bulaya tha? mujhe!+ aur kal raani ne mujhe raja ke saath ek aur daavat par bulaya hai.+
13 lekin jab tak woh yahoodi mordakai mahal ke faatak par baitha rahega, tab tak ye khushiyaan mere liye koi maayne nahin rakhtin.”
14 tab uski patni jeresh aur uske doston ne kaha, “ek kaam kar, tu 50 haath* uncha ek kaath khada karva. aur subah raja ke paas jaakaar usse keh ki mordakai ko kaath par latka diya jaaye.+ fir khushi-khushi raja ke saath daavat par chala jaa.” haaman ko yah salah pasand aayi aur usne ek kaath khada karvaya.