³ Then Queen Esther answered, ^(A)“If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request.

²⁶ then you shall say to them, ^(A)‘I made a humble plea to the king that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

⁴ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life.

Haman Is Hanged

⁷ And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into ^(A)the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king.

⁸ Mordecai also gave him ^(A)a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction,^[a] that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him^[b] on behalf of her people.

¹³ Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, ^(A)be precious in your sight.

³¹ And his servants said to him, “Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us ^(A)put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

^8 (A)If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king^[a] to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to ^(B)the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”