Esther Pleads for Her People
At the second banquet Esther finally asks for her own life and her people's, and names the man who sold them: Haman. The king storms out in fury; Haman falls begging on her couch and is taken as an assault. He hangs on his own pole.
7 1So the king and Haman came to drink with Queen Esther. 2On day two, over wine, the king again asked, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It's granted. Your request? Up to half the kingdom—done."
3Queen Esther answered, "If I've found favor in your eyes, king, and it pleases the king, give me my life at my petition, my people at my request. 4We're sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed, wiped out. Were we merely sold as male and female slaves, I'd have kept silent; such trouble wouldn't warrant disturbing the king."
5Then King Xerxes said to Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where, who dares do this?"
6Esther said, "An adversary and enemy—this wicked Haman!" Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
7Enraged, the king rose from the wine to the palace garden, while Haman stayed to beg Queen Esther for his life, seeing the king meant his ruin. 8The king came back from the palace garden to the banquet hall. Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was. The king said, "Will he even assault the queen while I'm here?" As the words left his mouth, the attendants covered Haman's face. a a v8 Covering a condemned man's face was the ancient sign that his fate was sealed — he was as good as dead.
9Harbona, one of the king's eunuchs, said, "The seventy-five-foot gallows Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke up for the king, stands at Haman's house." The king said, "Hang him on it."
10So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king's fury subsided.
