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King Zerk-sees (Xerxes) wanted to show More-dek-eye (Mordecai) respect
1 In those days it was someone's job to write down in a book everything that happened in the country of Persia. It was called The Book about the Persian Nation.
When the supper with Queen Esther was finished, King Zerk-sees went home to sleep. But he could not go to sleep, so he asked one of his workers to get The Book about the Persian Nation, and read it to him. 2 The worker did that, and he got to the story about the 2 workers named Big-thana and Ter-resh. Those men were the guards at the door to the king's private rooms and they were the ones that had talked about killing the king. Then the king found out that More-dek-eye was the man that had warned him that 2 of his guards were going to kill him.
3 The king said, “More-dek-eye saved my life. Did we give him anything to say thank you? Did we show him any respect?”
The king's workers said, “No my master, nothing was done for him.”
4 And the king said, “Who is outside in the palace waiting room?” Just as he said that, Haman walked into the waiting room. He was on his way to ask the king to put More-dek-eye up on the pole that his workers had built.
5 The king's helpers said to the king, “Haman is waiting outside.”
So Zerk-sees said, “Bring him in to me.” 6 Haman went in and the king said to Haman, “There is a man that has done a good thing for me. I want everyone to know that I am happy with him and that I respect him. What should I do for that man?”
Haman said to himself, “The king must be talking about me. There is no-one more important than me!” 7 And so he said to the king, “These are the things you can do to show respect for that man. 8-9 Tell your workers to get one of the coats that you wear and put it on that man. Then tell your workers to get one of the horses that you ride. Make sure that your workers put a small king's crown on the horse's head to show that the horse belongs to you. Tell your workers to put the man that you want to respect on the horse. Then you should tell one of your important leaders to walk with the horse and the man everywhere in the town. That way everyone can see them. The person leading the horse has to shout out, ‘Look at what the king is doing for this man. The king is really happy with him and wants to show him respect.’ ”
10 The king said to Haman, “Good idea! Go quickly and get my coat and my horse. Then find More-dek-eye the Jew who sits at my gate. And do to him everything you just said.”
11 Haman took the king's coat and horse and went to find More-dek-eye. Haman put the coat on More-dek-eye, and put him on the king's horse. Then Haman led them up and down all the streets in the town so that everyone could see them. Haman shouted out, “Look at what the king is doing for this man. The king is really happy with him and wants to show him respect.”
12 When Haman and More-dek-eye got back to the king's palace, More-dek-eye went back and sat at the gate, but Haman was so shamed and upset, he ran home with his face looking down at the ground. 13 He told his wife Zeresh and all his friends what had happened to him, and they said, “Oh no! That man has shamed you. He is a Jew and if you keep on fighting him, you will lose and he will be the winner.” 14 They were still talking when the king's special workers got to Haman's house. They took him quickly to the palace where Esther had got a supper ready.