Esther 7

Christian Standard Bible

Haman Is Executed

7 The king and Haman came to feast^[a](A) with Esther the queen. ² Once again, on the second day while drinking wine,^(B) 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.”^(C)

³ Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if the king is pleased,^(D) spare my life; this is my request. And spare my people; this is my desire.^{(E) 4} For my people and I have been sold^(F) to destruction, death, and annihilation.^(G) If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves,^(H) 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?” ^[b](I)

⁶ Esther answered, “The adversary and enemy^(J) is this evil Haman.”

Haman stood terrified^(K) before the king and queen. ⁷ The king arose in anger^(L) and went from where they were drinking wine to the palace garden.^[c](M) Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life because he realized the king was planning something terrible for him.^{(N) 8} Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall,^[d] Haman was falling on the couch^(O) 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.^(P)

⁹ Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs,^(Q) said, “There is a gallows seventy-five feet^[e] tall at Haman’s house that he made for Mordecai,^(R) who gave the report that saved^[f] the king.”^(S)

The king said, “Hang him on it.”

¹⁰ They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.^(T) Then the king’s anger subsided.^(U)