< Esther 7 >

1 So the king and Haman went to eat the second banquet/feast that Queen Esther had prepared.
And the king came with Haman to drink with Esther the queen.
2 As they were drinking wine, the king asked again, “Esther, what do you want me to do [for you? Tell me, and] I will do it for you. Even if [you ask me for] half of my kingdom, I will give it to you.”
And the king said unto Esther also 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 if it be equal to half the kingdom, it shall still be done.
3 Esther replied, “O king, if you are pleased with me, and if you are willing to do [what I ask], save me, and save my people. That is what I want you to do for me.
Then answered Esther the queen and said, If I have found grace in thy eyes, O king! and if it be pleasing unto the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request;
4 [It is as though] I and my people [are cattle that] have been sold to be slaughtered. [It is as though] we have been sold to people who want to completely destroy us. If we had only been sold to people to become their male and female slaves, I would not say anything, because that would have been a matter too small to bother you, the king.”
For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain and to be exterminated; and if we had been only sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I would have remained silent; for the adversary regardeth not the damage of the king.
5 Then King Xerxes asked her, “Who would want to do such a [terrible] thing? Where is he?”
Then spoke king Achashverosh and said unto Esther the queen, Who is this, and where is he, whose heart hath emboldened him to do so?
6 Esther replied, “[The man who is] our enemy is this evil man Haman!” Then Haman was terrified as he stood in front of the king and queen.
And Esther said, An adversary, and inimical man, this wicked Haman. Then became Haman terrified before the king and the queen.
7 The king became extremely angry. He immediately left his wine and got up and went outside into the palace garden [to decide what to do]. But Haman stayed, in order to plead with Queen Esther that she would spare his life.
And the king arose in his fury from the banquet of wine, and went into the palace-garden: and Haman remained behind to make request for his life of Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil fully determined.
8 He threw himself down on the couch where Esther was reclining. But at that moment the king returned from the garden to the room where they had been eating. [He saw Haman, and assumed he was preparing to rape Esther]. He exclaimed, “Are you going to rape the queen while she is here with me in my own palace?” As soon as the king said that, some officials covered Haman’s head, [as they did to people who were about to be hanged].
And when the king returned out of the palace-garden into the apartment of the banquet of wine, Haman was fallen upon the couch whereon Esther was: then said the king. Will he even do violence to the queen before me in the house? The word had just come out of the king's mouth, when they covered Haman's face.
9 Then Harbona, one of the king’s personal officials, said, “[Outside, ] near Haman’s house, there is a (gallows/set of poles for hanging someone). It is 75 feet high. Haman made it for Mordecai, the man who spared your life!” The king said, “Hang him on it!”
Then said Charbonah, one of the chamberlains, before the king, Behold, there is also the gallows, which Haman hath had made for Mordecai, who hath spoken well for the king, standing in the house of Haman, fifty cubits high. And the king said, Hang him thereon.
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for hanging Mordecai! And then (the king’s anger cooled off/the king was no longer so angry).
So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the fury of the king was appeased.

< Esther 7 >