Esther 7

Haman Is Executed

7The king and Haman came to feast ^hiwith Esther the queen. ²Once again, on the second day while drinking wine, ^jthe king asked Esther, “Queen Esther, whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek, even to half the kingdom, will be done.” ^k

³Queen Esther answered, “If I have obtained your approval, ^lmy king, and if the king is pleased, ^mspare my life—this is my request; and spare my people—this is my desire. ⁿ⁴For my people and I have been sold out ^oto destruction, death, and extermination. ^pIf we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, ^qI would have kept silent. Indeed, the trouble wouldn’t be worth burdening the king.”

⁵King Ahasuerus spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?” ^rs

⁶Esther answered, “The adversary and enemy ^tis this evil Haman.”

Haman stood terrified ^ubefore the king and queen. ⁷Angered ^vby this, the king arose from where they were drinking wine and went to the palace garden. ^wHaman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life because he realized the king was planning something terrible for him. ^x8Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the house of wine drinking, Haman was falling on the couch ^ywhere Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually violate the queen while I am in the palace?” As soon as the statement left the king’s mouth, Haman’s face was covered. ^z

⁹Harbona, one of the royal eunuchs, ^asaid: “There is a gallows 75 feet ^btall at Haman’s house that he made for Mordecai, ^cwho gave the report that saved ^dthe king.” ^e

The king commanded, “Hang him on it.”

¹⁰They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. ^fThen the king’s anger subsided. ^g