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Friday, September 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Complete Jewish Bible

Esther 5:3

"What is it you want, Queen Ester?" the king asked her. "Whatever your request, up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - King;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Esther;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Birthday;   Chadias, They of;   Esther, Book of;   Esther, the Rest of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bat Ḳol;   Esther, Apocryphal Book of;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for July 3;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be given to you.”
Hebrew Names Version
Then said the king to her, What will you, queen Ester? and what is your request? it shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.
King James Version
Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.
English Standard Version
And the king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom."
New Century Version
The king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want to ask me? I will give you as much as half of my kingdom."
New English Translation
The king said to her, "What is on your mind, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even as much as half the kingdom will be given to you!"
Amplified Bible
Then the king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you, up to half of the kingdom."
New American Standard Bible
Then the king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you."
World English Bible
Then said the king to her, What will you, queen Esther? and what is your request? it shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then saide the King vnto her, What wilt thou, Queene Ester? & what is thy request? it shal be euen giuen thee to the halfe of ye kingdome.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you."
Berean Standard Bible
"What is it, Queen Esther?" the king inquired. "What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you."
Contemporary English Version
the king said, "Esther, what brings you here? Just ask, and I will give you as much as half of my kingdom."
Darby Translation
And the king said to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the king asked, "What is bothering you Queen Esther? What do you want to ask me? I will give you anything you ask for, even half my kingdom."
George Lamsa Translation
Then the king said to her, What troubles you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.
Good News Translation
"What is it, Queen Esther?" the king asked. "Tell me what you want, and you shall have it—even if it is half my empire."
Lexham English Bible
And the king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It will be given to you—even half the kingdom."
Literal Translation
And the king said to her. What shall be done to you, O Queen Esther, and what is your wish? It will be given to you also, even to half of the kingdom.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde ye kynge vnto her: What wilt thou quene Hester? & what requyrest thou? axe eue the halfe of ye empyre, & it shal be geue the.
American Standard Version
Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.
Bible in Basic English
Then the king said, What is your desire, Queen Esther, and what is your request? I will give it to you, even to the half of my kingdom.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then saide the king vnto her: What wylt thou queene Esther? and what requirest thou? [aske] euen the halfe of the empire, and it shalbe geuen thee.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said the king unto her: 'What wilt thou, queen Esther? for whatever thy request, even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be given thee.'
King James Version (1611)
Then sayd the King vnto her, What wilt thou, Queene Esther? and what is thy request? it shall bee euen giuen thee to the halfe of the kingdome.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king said, What wilt thou, Esther? and what is thy request? ask even to the half of my kingdom, and it shall be thine.
English Revised Version
Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the king seide to hir, Hester, the queen, what `wolt thou? what is thin axyng? Yhe, thouy thou axist the half part of my rewme, it schal be youun to thee.
Update Bible Version
Then the king said to her, What do you want, queen Esther? and what is your request? it shall be given to you even to the half of the kingdom.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then said the king to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what [is] thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.
New King James Version
And the king said to her, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you--up to half the kingdom!"
New Living Translation
Then the king asked her, "What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!"
New Life Bible
Then the king said to her, "What do you want, Queen Esther? What do you ask of me? You would be given even as much as half the nation."
New Revised Standard
The king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said the king unto her, What aileth thee, Queen Esther? and what is thy request? Unto the half of the kingdom, shall it be given thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king said to her: What wilt thou, queen Esther? what is thy request? if thou shouldst even ask one half of the kingdom, it shall be given to thee.
Revised Standard Version
And the king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom."
Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith to her, `What -- to thee Esther, O queen? and what thy request? unto the half of the kingdom -- and it is given to thee.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you."

Contextual Overview

1 On the third day, Ester put on her royal robes and stood in the inner courtyard of the king's palace, opposite the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the king's hall, across from the entrance to the hall. 2 When the king saw Ester the queen standing in the courtyard, she won his favor; so the king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Ester. Ester approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 "What is it you want, Queen Ester?" the king asked her. "Whatever your request, up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you." 4 "If it is all right with the king," answered Ester, "let the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for him." 5 The king said, "Bring Haman quickly, so that what Ester has asked for can be done." So the king and Haman came to the banquet Ester had prepared. 6 At the banquet of wine the king again said to Ester, "Whatever your request, you will be granted it; whatever you want, up to half the kingdom, it will be done." 7 Then Ester answered, "My request, what I want, is this: 8 if I have won the king's favor, if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I want, let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them; and tomorrow I will do as the king has said."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What: Esther 5:6, Esther 7:2, Esther 9:12, 1 Kings 2:20, 1 Kings 3:5, Matthew 20:20-22, Luke 18:41

to: Esther 5:6, Mark 6:23

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 2:4 - For what Matthew 14:7 - General Matthew 20:21 - What Acts 23:19 - What

Cross-References

Genesis 4:25
Adam again had sexual relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she named Shet [granted], "For God has granted me another seed in place of Hevel, since Kayin killed him."
Genesis 5:2
he created them male and female; he blessed them and called them Adam [humankind, man] on the day they were created.
Genesis 5:3
After Adam lived 130 years he fathered a son like himself and named him Shet.
Genesis 5:14
In all, Kenan lived 910 years; then he died.
Genesis 5:16
After Yered was born, Mahalal'el lived another 830 years and had sons and daughters.
Job 14:4
Who can bring what is pure from something impure? No one!
Job 25:4
How then can humans be righteous with God? How can those born of women be clean?
Psalms 51:5
For I know my crimes, my sin confronts me all the time.
Luke 1:35
The angel answered her, "The Ruach HaKodesh will come over you, the power of Ha‘Elyon will cover you. Therefore the holy child born to you will be called the Son of God.
John 3:6
What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said the king unto her, what wilt thou, Queen Esther?.... He supposed she had some business with him, some suit to make to him, by her coming in this manner:

and what is thy request? signifying he was ready to grant it, be it what it would:

it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom; as it was usual with the Persian kings to give their wives cities for certain purposes,

:-, here Ahasuerus, out of his great affection to Esther, offers half of his dominions, his one hundred and twenty seven provinces; meaning that he would grant her anything, and everything that was reasonable, and even magnificent; it is an hyperbolical and courtly way of speaking, and which has been used in later times, and in other countries; see Mark 6:23.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It shall be even given thee ... - Xerxes, on another occasion, when pleased with one of his wives, offered to grant her any request whatever, without limitation. Compare the margin reference.


 
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