1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:
9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
14 And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
<html><b>The king’s sleep was disturbed.</b> It was a miracle.1<i class=“footnote”>Otherwise, would Achashveirosh’s sleep be disturbed, particularly on this night, after having partied earlier in the day. Achashveirosh’s sleep was disturbed by a dream in which he saw Haman grabbing a sword to kill him. (Esther Rabbah 10:1) </i> And some [Rabbis] say that he took to heart that Esther had invited Haman; [thinking] perhaps she had set eyes upon him, and he [Haman] would assassinate him.2<i class=“footnote”>Maseches Megillah 15b. </i> <b>To bring the book of archives.</b> It is the custom of kings that when their sleep is disturbed, parables and tales are recounted before them until their sleep is restored. Our Rabbis, however, explained that since he took to heart [the matter of] Haman and Esther, he said [to himself], “It is impossible that someone who is my friend should not know their plan and divulge it to me.” He [thought] again and said [to himself], “Perhaps someone did me a favor, and I did not repay him and they do not care about me anymore.” Therefore, “he ordered to bring the book of archives.”3<i class=“footnote”>Ibid. </i> </html>
<html><b>Let the robe and the horse be handed to a man.</b> But he did not mention the crown, because he saw that the king became jealous when he said that they should place the crown on [another] person’s head. </html>
<html><b>Mordechai then returned.</b> To his sackcloth, and to his fasting.4<i class=“footnote”>Maseches Megillah 16a. This was the last day of Mordechai’s three day fast. (Sifsei Chachomim) </i> <b>Grief stricken, his head covered [in shame].</b> Our Rabbis explained this matter in Maseches Megillah.5<i class=“footnote”>16a; The Rabbis explained that Haman’s daughter mistook the horse rider as her father, and the man leading him as Mordechai. Unwittingly, she tossed the contents of a chamber pot on her father. When Haman looked up and she saw that it was her father, she fell off the roof and died. Therefore Haman was “grief stricken” on account of his daughter’s death, and “his head covered” by the chamber pot’s contents. </i> </html>
<html><b>Since you have begun to fall, etc.</b> She said, “This nation has been compared to the stars and to the dust. When they descend, they descend to the dust, and when they ascend, they ascend up to the sky and the stars.”6<i class=“footnote”>Maseches Megillah 15a. Zeresh and Haman’s advisers forewarned Haman that Mordechai’s rise to honor signified the beginning of the rise of the Jews and of Haman’s downfall.</i></html>