Haman Is Executed

7 The king and Haman came to feast h i with Esther the queen. 2 Once again, on the second day while drinking wine, j the 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

3 Queen Esther answered, “If I have obtained your approval, l my king, and if the king is pleased, m spare my life—this is my request; and spare my people—this is my desire. n 4 For my people and I have been sold out o to destruction, death, and extermination. p If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, q I would have kept silent. Indeed, the trouble wouldn’t be worth burdening the king.”

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

6 Esther answered, “The adversary and enemy t is this evil Haman.”

Haman stood terrified u before the king and queen. 7 Angered v by this, the king arose from where they were drinking wine and went to the palace garden. w Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life because he realized the king was planning something terrible for him. x 8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the house of wine drinking, Haman was falling on the couch y where 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

9 Harbona, one of the royal eunuchs, a said: “There is a gallows 75 feet b tall at Haman’s house that he made for Mordecai, c who gave the report that saved d the king.” e

The king commanded, “Hang him on it.”

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