Ester 7

Haman Is Executed

1 The king and Haman came to feast  * 7:1 Lit drink,* 7:1 Gn 40:20 with Esther the queen. 2 Once again, on the second day while drinking wine,  * 7:2 Est 5:6 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."  * 7:2 Est 5:3,6

3 Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if the king is pleased,  * 7:3 Est 2:17; 5:8 spare my life; this is my request. And spare my people; this is my desire.  * 7:3 Est 4:12–144 For my people and I have been sold  * 7:4 Est 3:9,13; 4:7 to destruction, death, and annihilation.  * 7:4 Est 3:13; 8:11; 9:5–10 If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves,  * 7:4 Dt 28:48,68 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? "  * 7:5 Lit who would fill his heart to do this,* 7:5 Est 3:5–6,8–9

6 Esther answered, "The adversary and enemy  * 7:6 Est 3:10 is this evil Haman."

Haman stood terrified  * 7:6 Est 4:4 before the king and queen. 7 The king arose in anger  * 7:7 Est 1:12; Pr 20:2 and went from where they were drinking wine to the palace garden.  * 7:7 Lit the garden of the house, also in v. 8,* 7:7 Est 1:5–6 Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life because he realized the king was planning something terrible for him.  * 7:7 Est 6:138 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall,  * 7:8 Or the house of wine Haman was falling on the couch  * 7:8 Est 1:6 where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, "Would he actually violate the queen while I am in the house? " As soon as the statement left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.  * 7:8 Est 6:12; Jb 9:24

9 Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs,  * 7:9 Est 1:12 said, "There is a gallows seventy-five feet  * 7:9 Lit 50 cubits tall at Haman’s house that he made for Mordecai,  * 7:9 Est 5:14 who gave the report that saved  * 7:9 Lit who spoke good for the king."  * 7:9 Est 2:21–23; 6:1–2

The king said, "Hang him on it."

10 They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.  * 7:10 Est 5:14; Ps 7:16; 94:23; Pr 11:5,6; Dn 6:24 Then the king’s anger subsided.  * 7:10 Est 1:12; 2:1