1So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.7.1 to banquet: Heb. to drink 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. 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: 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.7.4 to be destroyed…: Heb. that they should destroy, and kill, and cause to perish
5¶ Then 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?7.5 that…: Heb. whose heart hath filled him 6And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.7.6 The adversary: Heb. The man adversary7.6 before: or, at the presence of
7¶ And 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. 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.7.8 before me: Heb. with me 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.7.9 gallows: Heb. tree 10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.
Hamans endeligt
1Om aftenen sad kongen og Haman endnu en gang til fest hos dronning Ester. 2Mens de drak af vinen, spurgte kongen igen: „Hvad har du på hjerte, dronning Ester? Fortæl mig nu, hvad du ønsker. Jeg giver dig det, om det så er det halve kongerige!”
3Da svarede dronning Ester: „Hvis jeg har fundet nåde for Deres øjne, herre konge, beder jeg om, at De vil skåne mit eget og mine landsmænds liv. 4Det er blevet besluttet, at jeg og mit folk skal udryddes fuldstændigt. Hvis vi var blevet solgt som slaver, ville jeg ikke have ulejliget kongen af den grund, men total udryddelse er en anden sag.”
5„Hvad mener du?” spurgte kong Xerxes. „Hvem er det, der har besluttet at udrydde jer?”
6„Det er en fjende af jøderne, den onde Haman der!” svarede Ester.
Haman blev ligbleg og rystede af skræk. 7Kongen sprang op i vrede og gik ud i parken, mens Haman blev tilbage for at bønfalde dronning Ester om nåde, for han vidste, hvad kongens vrede betød. 8I sin fortvivlelse knælede Haman ned over divanen, som Ester lå på, netop som kongen vendte tilbage fra haven.
„Hvad i alverden!” råbte kongen. „Overfalder han dronningen for øjnene af mig i mit eget palads?” Straks sprang tjenerne til, overmandede Haman og tildækkede hans ansigt.
9Den tjener, der hed Harbona, sagde til kongen: „Herre, Haman har netop opstillet en høj galge, som var tænkt til Mordokaj, kongens redningsmand. Den står parat i Hamans gård.”
„Så hæng ham selv i den!” beordrede kongen. 10Så hængte de Haman i den galge, han havde tænkt til Mordokaj, og kongens vrede lagde sig.
