Haman Is Executed

7 The king and Haman came to feast^[a](A) with Esther the queen. ² Once again, on the second day while drinking wine,^(B) 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.”^(C)

³ Queen Esther answered, “If I have obtained your approval,^[b] my king, and if the king is pleased,^(D) spare my life—this is my request; and spare my people—this is my desire.^{(E) 4} For my people and I have been sold out^(F) to destruction, death, and extermination.^(G) If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves,^(H) 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?”^[c](I)

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

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

⁹ Harbona, one of the royal eunuchs,^(Q) said: “There is a gallows 75 feet^[d] tall at Haman’s house that he made for Mordecai,^(R) who gave the report that saved^[e] the king.”^(S)

The king commanded, “Hang him on it.”

¹⁰ They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.^(T) Then the king’s anger subsided.^(U)