Add parallel Print Page Options

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. The king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition, queen Esther? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”

Then Esther the queen answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king’s loss.”

Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen, “Who is he, and where is he who dared presume in his heart to do so?”

Esther said, “An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman!”

Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in front of me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were with the king said, “Behold, the gallows fifty cubits[a] high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, is standing at Haman’s house.”

The king said, “Hang him on it!”

10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was pacified.

Footnotes

  1. 7:9 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

Haman Executed

So the king and Haman entered to feast and drink with Queen Esther. The king repeated to Esther what he had said on the previous day while drinking wine, “For what are you asking, Queen Esther? It shall be granted to you. Now, what is your request? Even if it is half of the kingdom, it will be done!”

Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, at my petition, let my life be given me, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to be annihilated. If only we had been sold as male and female slaves, I could have kept quiet, for that distress would not be sufficient to trouble the king.”

Then King Ahasuerus answered and demanded of Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do so?”

Esther said, “This wicked Haman is the adversary and enemy!”

Then Haman was seized with terror before the king and the queen. And the king arose from the banquet of wine in his wrath and went into the palace garden. But Haman remained to plead for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king.

Now the king returned from the palace garden back to the hall of the banquet as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was.

Then the king said, “Will he also violate the queen while I am in the room?”

As the shout erupted from the king’s mouth, they covered the face of Haman. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in the king’s presence, said, “The gallows, fifty cubits[a] high, which Haman had constructed for Mordecai (who had spoken good on behalf of the king), stands at the house of Haman.”

10 Then the king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was pacified.

Footnotes

  1. Esther 7:9 About 75 feet, or 23 meters.