The Book of Esther

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- Chapter 7 -

Haman is hanged instead of Mordecai

So the king and Haman arrived at the second feast with Queen Esther.

On the second day of the feast, while servants were serving the wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? I will give you whatever you ask for. What do you want? I would give you up to half of my kingdom.”

Esther replied, “If you are pleased with me, my king, and if you are willing to do what I ask, save my life! And save the lives of my people.

For I and my people have been condemned to destruction by a decree. I and my people, we have been handed over to be annihilated, to be killed, destroyed. If we had only been sold into slavery, I would have kept quiet, for that kind of trouble would not have been worth bothering you about.”

Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is the man who did this? Where is the one whose heart is full of this kind of evil?”

Esther replied, “The man who is our enemy is this evil man Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

The king got up in a rage. He left his wine and went outside into the palace garden to decide what to do. But Haman stayed in order to plead with Queen Esther, for her to intervene to save his life. He knew the king had decided to kill him.

Then the king returned from the palace garden and went back to where they were serving the wine. Just then Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was. The king said, “Will he assault the queen in my own house, with me standing by?” As soon as he said this, the servants put a cloth over Haman’s face.

Then Harbona, one of the king’s officials who served him said, “Outside, near Haman’s house, there is a gallows. It is twenty-three meters high. Haman made it for Mordecai, the one who spoke to protect the king!” The king said, “Hang him on it.”

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king became less angry.

Haman is hanged instead of Mordecai

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

The king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, “ What is your petition, queen Esther? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”

Then Esther the queen answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.

For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king’s loss.”

Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen, “ Who is he, and where is he who dared presume in his heart to do so?”

Esther said, “An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman!” Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. 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.

Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “ Will he even assault the queen in front of me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were with the king, said, “ Behold, the gallows fifty cubits(a) high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, is standing at Haman’s house.” The king said, “ Hang him on it!”

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

Footnotes

(a)7:9 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.