¹That night the king could not sleep. So he told ⸤a servant⸥ to bring the official daily records, and they were read to the king. ²The records showed how Mordecai had informed him that Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, had plotted a rebellion against King Xerxes.

³The king asked, “How did I reward and promote Mordecai for this?”

The king’s personal staff replied, “Nothing was done for him.”

⁴The king asked, “Who is in the courtyard?” At that moment, Haman came through the courtyard to the king’s palace to ask the king about hanging Mordecai on the pole he had prepared for him.

⁵The king’s staff answered him, “Haman happens to be standing in the courtyard.”

“Let him come in,” the king said.

⁶So Haman came in. The king then asked him, “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to reward?”

Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to reward more than me?” ⁷So Haman told the king, “This is what should be done: ⁸⸤The servants⸥ should bring a royal robe that the king has worn and a horse that the king has ridden, one that has a royal crest on its head. ⁹Give the robe and the horse to one of the king’s officials, who is a noble. Put the robe on the man whom the king wishes to reward and have him ride on the horse in the city square. The king’s servants are also to shout ahead of him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to reward.’ ”

¹⁰The king told Haman, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse as you said. Do this for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king’s gate. Do not omit anything you have said.”

¹¹So Haman took the robe and the horse. He put the robe on Mordecai and had him ride in the city square, shouting ahead of him, “This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to reward.”

¹²After that, Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried home. He was in despair and covered his head. ¹³There, Haman began to relate in detail to his wife Zeresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his counselors and his wife Zeresh told him, “You are starting to lose power to Mordecai. If Mordecai is of Jewish descent, you will never win out over him. He will certainly lead to your downfall.”

¹⁴While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the dinner Esther had prepared.

7TH CHAPTER

Esther Brings about Haman’s Downfall

¹So the king and Haman came to have dinner with Queen Esther. ²On the second day, while they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther, “What is your request, Queen Esther? It will be granted to you. And what would you like? Even if it is up to half of the kingdom, it will be granted.”

³Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, Your Majesty, spare my life. That is my request. And spare the life of my people. That is what I ask for. ⁴You see, we—my people and I—have been sold so that we can be wiped out, killed, and destroyed. If our men and women had only been sold as slaves, I would have kept silent because the enemy is not worth troubling you about, Your Majesty.”

⁵Then King Xerxes interrupted Queen Esther and said, “Who is this person? Where is the person who has dared to do this?”

⁶Esther answered, “Our vicious enemy is this wicked man Haman!” Then Haman became panic-stricken in the presence of the king and queen.

⁷The king was furious as he got up from dinner and went into the palace garden. But Haman stayed to beg Queen Esther for his life, because he saw that the king had a terrible end in mind for him. ⁸When the king returned from the palace garden to the palace dining room, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was lying. The king thought, “Is he even going to rape the queen while I’m in the palace?” Then the king passed sentence on him, and servants covered Haman’s face.

⁹Harbona, one of the eunuchs present with the king, said, “What a coincidence! The 75-foot pole Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke up for the well-being of the king, is still standing at Haman’s house.”

The king responded, “Hang him on it!” ¹⁰So servants hung Haman’s ⸤dead body⸥ on the very pole he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king got over his raging anger.

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