אסתר 7
| ויבא המלך והמן לשתות עם אסתר המלכה | 1 |
So the king and Haman went to eat the second banquet/feast that Queen Esther had prepared.
| ויאמר המלך לאסתר גם ביום השני במשתה היין--מה שאלתך אסתר המלכה ותנתן לך ומה בקשתך עד חצי המלכות ותעש | 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.”
| ותען אסתר המלכה ותאמר--אם מצאתי חן בעיניך המלך ואם על המלך טוב תנתן לי נפשי בשאלתי ועמי בבקשתי | 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.
| כי נמכרנו אני ועמי להשמיד להרוג ולאבד ואלו לעבדים ולשפחות נמכרנו החרשתי--כי אין הצר שוה בנזק המלך | 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.”
| ויאמר המלך אחשורוש ויאמר לאסתר המלכה מי הוא זה ואי זה הוא אשר מלאו לבו לעשות כן | 5 |
Then King Xerxes asked her, “Who would want to do such a [terrible] thing? Where is he?”
| ותאמר אסתר--איש צר ואויב המן הרע הזה והמן נבעת מלפני המלך והמלכה | 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.
| והמלך קם בחמתו ממשתה היין אל גנת הביתן והמן עמד לבקש על נפשו מאסתר המלכה--כי ראה כי כלתה אליו הרעה מאת המלך | 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.
| והמלך שב מגנת הביתן אל בית משתה היין והמן נפל על המטה אשר אסתר עליה ויאמר המלך הגם לכבוש את המלכה עמי בבית הדבר יצא מפי המלך ופני המן חפו | 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].
| ויאמר חרבונה אחד מן הסריסים לפני המלך גם הנה העץ אשר עשה המן למרדכי אשר דבר טוב על המלך עמד בבית המן--גבה חמשים אמה ויאמר המלך תלהו עליו | 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!”
| ויתלו את המן על העץ אשר הכין למרדכי וחמת המלך שככה | 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).
