Ἐσθήρ 7
1 εἰσῆλθεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ Αμαν συμπιεῖν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ
So the king and Haman went to eat the second banquet/feast that Queen Esther had prepared.
2 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Εσθηρ τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ ἐν τῷ πότῳ τί ἐστιν Εσθηρ βασίλισσα καὶ τί τὸ αἴτημά σου καὶ τί τὸ ἀξίωμά σου καὶ ἔστω σοι ἕως τοῦ ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου
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.”
3 καὶ ἀποκριθεῖσα εἶπεν εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως δοθήτω ἡ ψυχή μου τῷ αἰτήματί μου καὶ ὁ λαός μου τῷ ἀξιώματί μου
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.
4 ἐπράθημεν γὰρ ἐγώ τε καὶ ὁ λαός μου εἰς ἀπώλειαν καὶ διαρπαγὴν καὶ δουλείαν ἡμεῖς καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν εἰς παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας καὶ παρήκουσα οὐ γὰρ ἄξιος ὁ διάβολος τῆς αὐλῆς τοῦ βασιλέως
[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.”
5 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς τίς οὗτος ὅστις ἐτόλμησεν ποιῆσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο
Then King Xerxes asked her, “Who would want to do such a [terrible] thing? Where is he?”
6 εἶπεν δὲ Εσθηρ ἄνθρωπος ἐχθρὸς Αμαν ὁ πονηρὸς οὗτος Αμαν δὲ ἐταράχθη ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῆς βασιλίσσης
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.
7 ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐξανέστη ἐκ τοῦ συμποσίου εἰς τὸν κῆπον ὁ δὲ Αμαν παρῃτεῖτο τὴν βασίλισσαν ἑώρα γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ἐν κακοῖς ὄντα
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.
8 ἐπέστρεψεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκ τοῦ κήπου Αμαν δὲ ἐπιπεπτώκει ἐπὶ τὴν κλίνην ἀξιῶν τὴν βασίλισσαν εἶπεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς ὥστε καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα βιάζῃ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ μου Αμαν δὲ ἀκούσας διετράπη τῷ προσώπῳ
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].
9 εἶπεν δὲ Βουγαθαν εἷς τῶν εὐνούχων πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἰδοὺ καὶ ξύλον ἡτοίμασεν Αμαν Μαρδοχαίῳ τῷ λαλήσαντι περὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ὤρθωται ἐν τοῖς Αμαν ξύλον πηχῶν πεντήκοντα εἶπεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς σταυρωθήτω ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ
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!”
10 καὶ ἐκρεμάσθη Αμαν ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου ὃ ἡτοίμασεν Μαρδοχαίῳ καὶ τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκόπασεν τοῦ θυμοῦ
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).
