Esther 7

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

1So the king and Haman came to eat the meal Esther had made.

2And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

2While they drank their wine on this second day, the king asked again. "Queen Esther, what do you want? I will give it to you. What are you asking for? I will do it, even if you ask for half my kingdom."

3Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:

3Queen Esther answered him. "King, if you are pleased with me, and if it seems good to you, then this is what I ask. Please let me live. And please let my people live too.

4For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.

4Someone has sold me and my people to be killed. Every one of us is meant to die. If we had only been sold to be servants, I would have stayed quiet. That trouble would not have been worth bothering you about."

5Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?

5Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther a question. "Who is this man? Where is he? Who would dare to plan such a thing?"

6And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

6Esther said, "The one against us is this wicked man, Haman!" Then Haman was terrified in front of the king and queen.

7And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.

7The king was very angry. He got up from his wine and went out to the palace garden. Haman stayed behind and begged Queen Esther to spare his life. He could see the king had already decided something terrible for him.

8Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

8The king came back in from the garden to the room where they had been eating. Haman had thrown himself down on the couch where Esther was resting. The king said, "Will he even attack the queen while I am here in the house?" As soon as the king said this, servants covered Haman's face.

NoteIn those days people lay on couches to eat instead of sitting on chairs. Covering a person's face was a sign that he was going to be put to death.

9And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

9Harbonah was one of the king's servants who worked close to him. He said, "There is also a tall wooden pole standing at Haman's house. It is fifty cubits high. Haman built it to hang Mordecai on. And Mordecai is the one who warned the king and saved him." The king said, "Hang Haman on it!"

NoteThe KJV says "gallows," but this was a tall wooden pole or stake. Fifty cubits is about 75 feet, taller than most houses. "Chamberlains" were trusted servants who worked inside the king's palace.

10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.

10So they hanged Haman on the pole he had built for Mordecai. Then the king was not angry anymore.