Haman Impaled

7 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet,^{(A) 2} and as they were drinking wine^(B) on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,^(C) it will be granted.^(D)”

³ Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor^(E) with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. ⁴ For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated.^(F) If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.^[a]”

⁵ King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

⁶ Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

9 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,^(A) the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand^(B) over those who hated them.^{(C) 2} The Jews assembled in their cities^(D) in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them,^(E) because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. ³ And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews,^(F) because fear of Mordecai had seized them.^{(G) 4} Mordecai^(H) was prominent^(I) in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.^(J)

⁵ The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them,^(K) and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. ⁶ In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. ⁷ They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, ⁸ Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, ⁹ Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, ¹⁰ the ten sons^(L) of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews.^(M) But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.^(N)