⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? ^(A)See to it yourself.” ⁵ And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, ^(B)he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

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. ^4 (B)For we have been sold, I and my people, ^(C)to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” ⁵ Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared^[a] to do this?” ⁶ And Esther said, ^(D)“A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.

Haman Is Hanged

⁷ And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into ^(E)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 And the king returned from ^(F)the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on ^(G)the couch where Esther was. And the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face. ⁹ Then ^(H)Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Moreover, ^(I)the gallows^[b] that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, ^(J)whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman's house, fifty cubits^[c] high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” ^10 (K)So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. ^(L)Then the wrath of the king abated.

²³ When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to ^(A)his own city. He ^(B)set his house in order and ^(C)hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.