Esther Pleads for Her People 1 UDB So the king and Haman arrived at the second feast with Queen Esther. BSB BSB: So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen,
2 UDB 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." BSB BSB: and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled.”
3 UDB 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. BSB BSB: Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my request.
4 UDB 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." BSB BSB: For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.”
5 UDB 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?" BSB BSB: Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?”
6 UDB Esther replied, "The man who is our enemy is this evil man Haman!" Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. BSB BSB: Esther replied, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked man—Haman!” And Haman stood in terror before the king and queen.
The Hanging of Haman 7 UDB 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. BSB BSB: In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king was planning a terrible fate for him.
8 UDB 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. BSB BSB: Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually assault the queen while I am in the palace?” As soon as the words had left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9 UDB 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." BSB BSB: Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “There is a gallows fifty cubits high at Haman’s house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king.” “Hang him on it!” declared the king.
10 UDB So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king became less angry. BSB BSB: So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.