New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (nwt, en_US, 2013)

Esther

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10

Esther, 7

1 So the king and Haʹman came in to Queen Esther’s banquet.

2 The king said to Esther again on the second day during the banquet of wine: “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It will be granted you. And what is your request? Even to*1 the half of my kingdom, it will be done!”

  1. Or “for.”

3 Queen Esther answered: “If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life*1 be granted as my petition, and my people as my request.

  1. Or “soul.”

4 For we have been sold, I and my people, to be annihilated, killed, and destroyed. If we had simply been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept silent. But the distress is not proper, for it will be damaging to the king.”

5 King A·has·u·eʹrus then said to Queen Esther: “Who is this, and where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

6 Esther said: “The adversary and enemy is this evil Haʹman.” Haʹman became terrified because of the king and the queen.

7 The king rose up in a rage from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden, but Haʹman stood up to plead with Queen Esther for his life,*1 for he realized that the king was determined to punish him.

  1. Or “soul.”

8 The king returned from the palace garden to the house of the wine banquet and saw that Haʹman had thrown himself on the couch where Esther was. The king exclaimed: “Is he also going to rape the queen in my own house?” As soon as these words left the king’s mouth, they covered Haʹman’s face.

9 Har·boʹna, one of the king’s court officials, now said: “Haʹman also prepared a stake for Morʹde·cai, whose report saved the king. It is standing at Haʹman’s house, 50 cubits*1 high.” At that the king said: “Hang him on it.”

  1. About 22.3 m (73 ft). See App. B14.

10 So they hanged Haʹman on the stake that he had prepared for Morʹde·cai, and the king’s rage subsided.