וַיָּבֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן לִשְׁתּוֹת עִם־אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה

The king and Haman came to attend the banquet with Queen Esther.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר גַּם בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי בְּמִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן מַה־שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וְתִנָּתֵן לָךְ וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד־חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת וְתֵעָשׂ

The king said to Esther also on the second day at the wine banquet: What is your wish, Queen Esther, and it will be granted to you. What is your request? Up to half the kingdom and it will be done. The king repeated his earlier question because he knew that Esther wanted something, which she was to reveal at this second feast.

וַתַּעַן אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וַתֹּאמַר אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאִם־עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב תִּנָּתֶן־לִי נַפְשִׁי בִּשְׁאֵלָתִי וְעַמִּי בְּבַקָּשָׁתִי

Queen Esther answered with the customary etiquette and said: If I have found favor in your eyes, the king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me with my wish, and my people with my request. You have agreed, in principle, to grant me half the kingdom, but all I want is that my life and my people be spared. This dramatic opening statement was designed to have maximum effect upon the king.

כִּי נִמְכַּרְנוּ אֲנִי וְעַמִּי לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרוֹג וּלְאַבֵּד וְאִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחוֹת נִמְכַּרְנוּ הֶחֱרַשְׁתִּי כִּי אֵין הַצָּר שֹׁוֶה בְּנֶזֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ

The queen clarifies her meaning: For we have been sold, my people and I, for our enemies to destroy, to kill, and to eliminate us. If we had only been sold as slaves and as maidservants, I would have been silent and would not ask for anything, as in that case the trouble, such an unfortunate event, would not have been worth the distress to the king. It would not be worth upsetting the king if we were only to be enslaved.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ וַיֹּאמֶר לְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה מִי הוּא זֶה וְאֵי־זֶה הוּא אֲשֶׁר־מְלָאוֹ לִבּוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן

King Ahashverosh, who was caught by surprise, as Esther had not told him that she was a Jew, said, he said to Queen Esther: Who is he, and where is he, who was so presumptuous to do so? What kind of person would dare seek to destroy you and your people?

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר אִישׁ צַר וְאוֹיֵב הָמָן הָרָע הַזֶּה וְהָמָן נִבְעָת מִלִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַמַּלְכָּה

Esther said: A man who is an adversary and an enemy, this evil Haman. Haman advised you to destroy us because he is an enemy of the Jews. Moreover, he is an evil man, and his intentions are far from pure; you should not trust him. Although Haman had been discouraged by his experience with Mordekhai, he was still under the impression that Esther had invited him because she held him in high regard and was entirely unprepared for the queen’s accusation. Therefore, Haman was terrified in the presence of the king and the queen.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ קָם בַּחֲמָתוֹ מִמִּשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן אֶל־גִּנַּת הַבִּיתָן וְהָמָן עָמַד לְבַקֵּשׁ עַל־נַפְשׁוֹ מֵאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה כִּי רָאָה כִּי־כָלְתָה אֵלָיו הָרָעָה מֵאֵת הַמֶּלֶךְ

The king rose in his fury from the wine banquet and went to the garden of the house. He had forgotten his own involvement in the decree, and the fact that he had granted permission for Haman’s plan. At this point, all he could see was Haman trying to destroy Esther and her people. In order to calm himself, he got up and went to take some air in the garden. And Haman remained to plead for his life from Queen Esther. Although by now Haman realized that she did not seek his favor, he hoped that she might have mercy upon him, as he had not yet harmed her in any way. He might also have sought to arouse her innate feminine compassion, for he saw that harm was resolved against him by the king.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁב מִגִּנַּת הַבִּיתָן אֶל־בֵּית מִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן וְהָמָן נֹפֵל עַל־הַמִּטָּה אֲשֶׁר אֶסְתֵּר עָלֶיהָ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ הֲגַם לִכְבּוֹשׁ אֶת־הַמַּלְכָּה עִמִּי בַּבָּיִת הַדָּבָר יָצָא מִפִּי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּפְנֵי הָמָן חָפוּ

The king returned from the garden of the house to the chamber of the wine banquet, and he saw that Haman was falling upon the couch on which Esther was lying. According to Persian and Greek custom, wealthy and noble individuals would not sit on chairs during a feast; rather, they would recline on couches. Haman was bending over Esther’s couch in supplication but the king interpreted it in the worst way possible. The king said: Is it also part of your plan to conquer the queen with me in the house, to rape the queen in my own presence? The words emerged from the king’s mouth, and Haman’s face fell. He turned pale as he realized that he was facing his demise. Apologizing was futile, as in these circumstances nothing he could say would save him.

וַיֹּאמֶר חַרְבוֹנָה אֶחָד מִן־הַסָּרִיסִים לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ גַּם הִנֵּה־הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה הָמָן לְמָרְדֳּכַי אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־טוֹב עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ עֹמֵד בְּבֵית הָמָן גָּבֹהַּ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ תְּלֻהוּ עָלָיו

The feast was served by waiters who were not considered to be attendees. However, when the king revealed his opinion about Haman, one of them dared to interject in support of that sentiment. Harvona, who was one of the chamberlains who was before the king, said: Indeed, behold, the gibbet that Haman prepared for Mordekhai, who is someone who spoke beneficially for the king. This is the true nature of Haman; he is a man who prepares a gibbet for one who helps the king. The gibbet is standing in the house of Haman, and is fifty cubits high. Perhaps Harvona disliked Haman for reasons of his own, and he now saw the chance to retaliate. The king said: Hang him on it. If the gibbet is already prepared, Haman’s sentence can be carried out without delay.

וַיִּתְלוּ אֶת־הָמָן עַל־הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר־הֵכִין לְמָרְדֳּכָי וַחֲמַת הַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁכָכָה

They hanged Haman on the gibbet that he had prepared for Mordekhai, and the king’s fury abated.