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Haman Is Executed

¹ The king and Haman came to feast^(F1)(C1) with Esther the queen. ² Once again, on the second day while drinking wine,^(C1) the king asked Esther, “Queen Esther, whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”^(C2)

³ Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your eyes, Your Majesty, and if the king is pleased,^(C1) spare my life; this is my request. And spare my people; this is my desire.^{(C2) 4} For my people and I have been sold^(C1) to destruction, death, and extermination.^(C2) If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves,^(C3) I would have kept silent. Indeed, the trouble wouldn’t be worth burdening the king.”

⁵ King Ahasuerus spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?” ^(F1)(C1)

⁶ Esther answered, “The adversary and enemy^(C1) is this evil Haman.”

Haman stood terrified^(C2) before the king and queen. ⁷ The king arose in anger^(C1) and went from where they were drinking wine to the palace garden.^(F1)(C2) Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life because he realized the king was planning something terrible for him.^{(C3) 8} Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall,^(F1) Haman was falling on the couch^(C1) where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually violate the queen while I am in the house?” As soon as the statement left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.^(C2)

⁹ Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs,^(C1) said: “There is a gallows seventy-five feet^(F1) tall at Haman’s house that he made for Mordecai,^(C2) who gave the report that saved^(F2) the king.”^(C3)

The king said, “Hang him on it.”

¹⁰ They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.^(C1) Then the king’s anger subsided.^(C2)