Esther 7
1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
The king and Haman went to Queen Esther's dinner.
2 And the king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? And it shall be granted thee. And what is thy request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
At this second dinner, as they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther again, “What are you really asking for, Queen Esther? It will be given to you. What do you want? You shall have it, as much as half my empire!”
3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
Queen Esther answered, “If the king looks on me favorably, and if it please Your Majesty to grant me my life, that is my request; and the lives of my people, that is what I ask.
4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king's damage.
For my people and I have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. If we had only been sold as slaves, I would have kept quiet, because our suffering would not have justified disturbing the king.”
5 Then king Ahasuerus spoke and said to Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, who dares presume in his heart to do so?
The king asked Queen Esther, demanding to know, “Who is this? Where is the man who has dared to do this?”
6 And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
“The man, the opponent, the enemy, is this evil Haman!” Esther replied. Haman shook with terror in front of the king and the queen.
7 And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. And Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
The king was furious. He got up, leaving his wine, and went out into the palace garden. Haman stayed behind to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he realized the king planned an evil end for him.
8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine, and Haman was fallen upon the couch on which Esther was. Then the king said, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.
When the king came back in from the palace garden to the dining room, Haman had thrown himself on the couch where Queen Esther was. The king shouted out, “Is he even going to rape the queen here in the palace, right in front of me?” As soon as the king said this, the servants covered Haman's face.
9 Then Harbonah, one of the chamberlains who were before the king said, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him on it.
Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “Haman set up a pole beside his house for Mordecai, the one whose report saved the king's life. The pole is fifty cubits high.” “Impale him on it!” the king ordered.
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath was pacified.
So they impaled Haman on the pole that he had set up for Mordecai. Then the anger of the king died down.
