< Esther 7 >

1 And the king and Haman came to drink with Esther the queen.
So the king and Haman went to feast with Queen Esther.
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 done.
On this second day, while they were serving wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It will be granted to you. What is your request? Up to half of the kingdom, and it will be granted.”
3 And Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found grace 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;
Then Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, king, and if it pleases you, let my life be given to me—this is my petition, and I request this also for my people.
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 had held my tongue, although the adversary could not compensate the king's damage.
For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. If we had only been sold into slavery, as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, for no such distress as this would justify disturbing the king.”
5 And king Ahasuerus spoke and said to Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he that has filled his heart to do so?
Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen, “Who is he? Where is this person to be found who has filled his heart to do such a thing?”
6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
Esther said, “The hostile man, that enemy, is this evil Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
7 And the king in his wrath rose up from the banquet of wine, [and went] into the palace garden; but Haman stayed 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 got up in a rage from the wine-drinking at the feast and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther. He saw that disaster was being decided against him by the king.
8 And the king returned out of the palace garden into the house of the banquet of wine, and Haman was fallen upon the couch on which Esther was. And the king said, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? The word went forth out of the king's mouth, and they covered Haman's face.
Then the king returned from the palace garden into the room where the wine had been served. Haman had just fallen on the couch where Esther was. The king said, “Will he assault the queen in my presence in my own house?” As soon as this sentence came out of the king's mouth, the servants covered Haman's face.
9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold, also, the gallows fifty cubits high, that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him on it!
Then Harbona, one of the officials who served the king, said, “A gallows fifty cubits tall stands beside Haman's house. He set it up for Mordecai, the one who spoke up to protect the king.” The king said, “Hang him on it.”
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. And the king's wrath was appeased.
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's rage died down.

< Esther 7 >