Esther 7
Lexham English Bible
Esther’s Banquet
7 So the king and Haman went to dine[a] with Queen Esther. 2 And the king again said to Esther, on the second day while they were drinking,[b] “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It will be given to you. What is your request? It will be given to you—even half the kingdom.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, and she said, “If I have found favor in your eyes,[c] O king, and if it is good to the king, let my life be given to me at my petition and my people at my request; 4 I and my people have been sold to be destroyed and killed, to be annihilated. If we had been sold as male and female slaves I would have kept quiet, because this[d] is not a need sufficient to trouble the king.”[e] 5 And King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who gave himself the right to do this?”[f] 6 And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this evil Haman!” And Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
Haman is Hanged
7 The king rose in his anger from the banquet[g] and went to the palace garden, and Haman stood to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he realized that the king was determined to make an end to his life.[h] 8 And the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall,[i] where Haman was lying prostrate on the couch that Esther was on, and the king said, “Will he also molest the queen with me in the house?” As the words[j] went from the king’s mouth they covered Haman’s face. 9 And Habrona, one of the eunuchs in the presence of the king, said, “Look, the same gallows that Haman had prepared for Mordecai who spoke good for the sake of the king stands at Haman’s house, fifty cubits high.” And the king said, “Hang him on it.” 10 And they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai, and the anger of the king was abated.
Footnotes
- Esther 7:1 Literally “to drink”
- Esther 7:2 Literally “at the meal of wine”
- Esther 7:3 Or “If I have won your favor”
- Esther 7:4 Hebrew “there”
- Esther 7:4 See HALOT 1437, s.v. NRSV translates, “but no enemy can compensate for this damage to the king”
- Esther 7:5 Literally “has filled his heart to do so”
- Esther 7:7 Literally “from the banquet of wine”
- Esther 7:7 Literally “that evil had been determined for him from the king”
- Esther 7:8 Literally “house of the meal of wine”
- Esther 7:8 Hebrew “word”
Esther 7
New King James Version
Haman Hanged Instead of Mordecai
7 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. 2 And on the second day, (A)at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
3 Then Queen Esther answered and said, “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. 4 For we have been (B)sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as (C)male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.”
5 So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?”
6 And Esther said, “The adversary and (D)enemy is this wicked Haman!”
So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
7 Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. 8 When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across (E)the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?”
As the word left the king’s mouth, they (F)covered Haman’s face. 9 Now (G)Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! (H)The [a]gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke (I)good on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.”
Then the king said, “Hang him on it!”
10 So (J)they (K)hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath subsided.
Footnotes
- Esther 7:9 Lit. tree or wood
Esther 7
King James Version
7 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.
5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7 And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and 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.
8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.
9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
Esther 7
1599 Geneva Bible
7 3 The queen biddeth the king and Haman again, and prayeth for herself and her people. 6 She accuseth Haman, and he is hanged on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai.
1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with the queen Esther.
2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of [a]wine, What is thy petition, Queen Esther, that it may be given thee? and what is thy request? It shall be even performed unto the half of the kingdom.
3 And Esther the queen answered, and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
4 For we are sold, I, and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish: but if we were sold for servants, and for handmaids, I would have held my tongue, although the adversary could not [b]recompense the king’s loss.
5 Then king Ahasuerus answered, and said unto the queen Esther, Who is he? and where is he that [c]presumeth to do thus?
6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7 And the king arose from the banquet of wine in his wrath, and went into the palace garden: but Haman stood up to make request for his life to the queen Esther: for he saw that there was a [d]mischief prepared for him of the king.
8 And when the king came again out of the palace garden, into the house where they drank wine, Haman was [e]fallen upon the bed whereon Esther sat: therefore the King said, Will he force the Queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the King’s mouth, they [f]covered Haman’s face.
9 And Harbonah one of the eunuchs, said in the presence of the King, Behold, there standeth yet the tree in Haman’s house fifty cubits high, which Haman had prepared for Mordecai, that spake [g]good for the king. Then the King said, Hang him thereon.
10 So they hanged Haman on the tree, that he had prepared for Mordecai: then was the King’s wrath pacified.
Footnotes
- Esther 7:2 Read Esther 5:6.
- Esther 7:4 Haman could not so much profit the king by this his malice, as he should hinder him by the loss of the Jews, and the tribute which he hath of them.
- Esther 7:5 Hebrew, filleth his heart.
- Esther 7:7 His conscience did accuse him that as he had conspired the death of innocents, so the vengeance of God might fall upon him for the same.
- Esther 7:8 He fell down at the bed’s feet or couch, whereupon she sat, and made request for his life.
- Esther 7:8 This was the manner of the Persians, when one was out of the King’s favor.
- Esther 7:9 Which discovered the conspiracy against the king, Esther 2:21, 22.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.

