The Word Am I

Additions to the Book of Esther

World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version

- Chapter 7 -

1
So the king and Haman went in to drink with the queen.
2
The king said to Esther at the banquet on the second day, “What is it, queen Esther? What is your request? What is your petition? It shall be done for you, up to half of my kingdom.”
3
She answered and said, “If I have found favor in the sight of the king, let my life be granted as my petition, and my people as my request.
4
For both I and my people are sold for destruction, pillage, and genocide. If both we and our children were sold for male and female slaves, I would not have bothered you, for this(a) isn’t worthy of the king’s palace.”
5
The king said, “Who has dared to do this thing?”
6
Esther said, “The enemy is Haman, this wicked man!” Then Haman was terrified in the presence of the king and the queen.
7
The king rose up from the banquet to go into the garden. Haman began to beg the queen for mercy, for he saw that he was in serious trouble.
8
The king returned from the garden; and Haman had fallen upon the couch, begging the queen for mercy. The king said, “Will you even assault my wife in my house?” And when Haman heard it, he changed countenance.
9
And Bugathan, one of the chamberlains, said to the king, “Behold, Haman has also prepared a gallows for Mordecai, who spoke concerning the king, and a fifty cubit high gallows has been set up on Haman’s property.” The king said, “Let him be(b) hanged on it!”
10
So Haman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was abated.

Footnotes

(a)7:4 see Hebrew: slanderer
(b)7:9 Or, impaled.
1
The great king Artexerxes unto the princes and governors of an hundred and seven and twenty provinces from India unto Ethiopia, and unto all our faithful subjects, greeting.
2
Many, the more often they are honoured with the great bounty of their gracious princes, the more proud they are waxen,
3
And endeavour to hurt not our subjects only, but not being able to bear abundance, do take in hand to practise also against those that do them good:
4
And take not only thankfulness away from among men, but also lifted up with the glorious words of lewd persons, that were never good, they think to escape the justice of God, that seeth all things and hateth evil.
5
Oftentimes also fair speech of those, that are put in trust to manage their friends' affairs, hath caused many that are in authority to be partakers of innocent blood, and hath enwrapped them in remediless calamities:
6
Beguiling with the falsehood and deceit of their lewd disposition the innocency and goodness of princes.
7
Now ye may see this, as we have declared, not so much by ancient histories, as ye may, if ye search what hath been wickedly done of late through the pestilent behaviour of them that are unworthily placed in authority.
8
And we must take care for the time to come, that our kingdom may be quiet and peaceable for all men,
9
Both by changing our purposes, and always judging things that are evident with more equal proceeding.
10
For Aman, a Macedonian, the son of Amadatha, being indeed a stranger from the Persian blood, and far distant from our goodness, and as a stranger received of us,