Esther Prepares a Banquet
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Now it happened a on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in b the inner court of the king's palace, across from the king's house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.
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So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that c she found favor in his sight, and d the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.
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And the king said to her, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? e It shall be given to you - up to half the kingdom!"
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So Esther answered, "If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."
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Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly, that he may do as Esther has said." So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
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At the banquet of wine f the king said to Esther, g "What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!"
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Then Esther answered and said, "My petition and request is this:
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"If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the h banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said."
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Cross References
Esther 4:16
"Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"
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Cross References
Esther 4:11
"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days."
Esther 6:4
So the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
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Cross References
Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
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Cross References
Esther 4:11
"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days."
Esther 8:4
And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king.
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Cross References
Esther 7:2
And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!
Mark 6:23
He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.
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Cross References
Esther 7:2
And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!
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Cross References
Esther 9:12
And the king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done.
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Cross References
Esther 6:14
While they were still talking with him, the king's eunuchs came, and hastened to bring Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.