Scriptures

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Esther 2
¹⁸ Then the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
¹⁹ When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.
²⁰ Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care.
²¹ In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
²² But the plot became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
²³ Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.
Esther 3
¹ After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him.
² All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage.
³ Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, "Why are you transgressing the king’s command?"
⁴ Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.
⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage.