Esther Pleads for Her People

1  וַיָּבֹ֤א (And came in) הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ (the king) וְהָמָ֔ן (and Haman) לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת (to drink) עִם־ (with) אֶסְתֵּ֥ר (Esther) הַמַּלְכָּֽה׃ (the queen). 2  וַיֹּאמֶר֩ (And said) הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ (the king) לְאֶסְתֵּ֜ר (to Esther) גַּ֣ם (also) בַּיּ֤וֹם (on the day) הַשֵּׁנִי֙ (the second) בְּמִשְׁתֵּ֣ה (at the feast) הַיַּ֔יִן (of the wine), מַה־ (What) שְּׁאֵלָתֵ֛ךְ (is your petition), אֶסְתֵּ֥ר (Esther), הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה (the queen)? וְתִנָּ֣תֵֽן (And it shall be given) לָ֑ךְ (to you). וּמַה־ (And what) בַּקָּשָׁתֵ֛ךְ (is your request)? עַד־ (As much as) חֲצִ֥י (half) הַמַּלְכ֖וּת (of the kingdom). וְתֵעָֽשׂ׃ (And it shall be done).

3  וַתַּ֨עַן (And answered) אֶסְתֵּ֤ר (Esther) הַמַּלְכָּה֙ (the queen) וַתֹּאמַ֔ר (and said), אִם־ (If) מָצָ֨אתִי (I have found) חֵ֤ן (favor) בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ (in your eyes), הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (O king), וְאִם־ (and if) עַל־ (upon) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (the king) ט֑וֹב (it is good), תִּנָּֽתֶן־ (let be given) לִ֤י (to me) נַפְשִׁי֙ (my soul) בִּשְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י (at my petition), וְעַמִּ֖י (and my people) בְּבַקָּשָׁתִֽי׃ (at my request); 4  כִּ֤י (for) נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ (we have been sold), אֲנִ֣י (I) וְעַמִּ֔י (and my people), לְהַשְׁמִ֖יד (to be destroyed), לַהֲר֣וֹג (to be killed), וּלְאַבֵּ֑ד (and to be exterminated). וְ֠אִלּוּ (And if) לַעֲבָדִ֨ים (for menservants) וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹת (and for maidservants) נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ (we had been sold) הֶחֱרַ֔שְׁתִּי (I would have kept silent), כִּ֣י (for) אֵ֥ין (not) הַצָּ֛ר (the adversary) שֹׁוֶ֖ה (is equal) בְּנֵ֥זֶק (in the damage) הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ס (of the king).

5  וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (And spoke) הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ (King) אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ (Ahasuerus) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (and he said) לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר (to Esther) הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה (the queen), מִ֣י (Who) ה֥וּא (is he), זֶה֙ (this one), וְאֵֽי־ (and where is) זֶ֣ה (this one)— ה֔וּא (he) אֲשֶׁר־ (who) מְלָא֥וֹ (has filled) לִבּ֖וֹ (his heart) לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (to do) כֵּֽן׃ (thus)?

6  וַתֹּ֣אמֶר־ (And said) אֶסְתֵּ֔ר (Esther) אִ֚ישׁ (A man), צַ֣ר (an adversary) וְאוֹיֵ֔ב (and enemy), הָמָ֥ן (Haman), הָרָ֖ע (the evil) הַזֶּ֑ה (this).

וְהָמָ֣ן (And Haman) נִבְעַ֔ת (was terrified) מִלִּפְנֵ֥י (from before the faces) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (of the king) וְהַמַּלְכָּֽה׃ (and the queen).

The Hanging of Haman

7  וְהַמֶּ֜לֶךְ (And the king) קָ֤ם (arose) בַּחֲמָתוֹ֙ (in his anger) מִמִּשְׁתֵּ֣ה (from the feast) הַיַּ֔יִן (of the wine) אֶל־ (to) גִּנַּ֖ת (the garden); הַבִּיתָ֑ן (of the palace) וְהָמָ֣ן (and Haman) עָמַ֗ד (stood) לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ (to beg) עַל־ (for) נַפְשׁוֹ֙ (his soul) מֵֽאֶסְתֵּ֣ר (from Esther) הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה (the queen); כִּ֣י (for) רָאָ֔ה (he saw) כִּֽי־ (that) כָלְתָ֥ה (was determined) אֵלָ֛יו (against him) הָרָעָ֖ה (the evil) מֵאֵ֥ת (from) הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (the king).

8  וְהַמֶּ֡לֶךְ (And the king) שָׁב֩ (returned) מִגִּנַּ֨ת (from the garden) הַבִּיתָ֜ן (of the palace) אֶל־ (to) בֵּ֣ית׀ (the house) מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה (of the feast) הַיַּ֗יִן (of the wine), וְהָמָן֙ (and Haman) נֹפֵ֔ל (was falling) עַל־ (upon) הַמִּטָּה֙ (the couch) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) אֶסְתֵּ֣ר (Esther) עָלֶ֔יהָ (was on). וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And said) הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (the king), הֲ֠גַם (Is it also) לִכְבּ֧וֹשׁ (to subdue) אֶת־ (-) הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה (the queen) עִמִּ֖י (with me) בַּבָּ֑יִת (in the house)?

הַדָּבָ֗ר (The word) יָצָא֙ (went forth) מִפִּ֣י (from the mouth) הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (of the king), וּפְנֵ֥י (and the face) הָמָ֖ן (of Haman) חָפֽוּ׃ס (they covered).

9  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And said) חַ֠רְבוֹנָה (Harbonah), אֶחָ֨ד (one) מִן־ (from) הַסָּרִיסִ֜ים (the eunuchs), לִפְנֵ֣י (before the face) הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ (of the king), גַּ֣ם (Also) הִנֵּה־ (behold), הָעֵ֣ץ (the tree) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) עָשָׂ֪ה (made) הָמָ֟ן (Haman) לְֽמָרְדֳּכַ֞י (for Mordecai), אֲשֶׁ֧ר (who) דִּבֶּר־ (spoke) ט֣וֹב (good) עַל־ (over) הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ (the king), עֹמֵד֙ (is standing) בְּבֵ֣ית (at the house) הָמָ֔ן (of Haman) גָּבֹ֖הַּ (high) חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים (fifty) אַמָּ֑ה (cubits).

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (And said) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (the king), תְּלֻ֥הוּ (Hang him) עָלָֽיו׃ (on it).

10  וַיִּתְלוּ֙ (And they hanged) אֶת־ (-) הָמָ֔ן (Haman) עַל־ (on) הָעֵ֖ץ (the tree) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) הֵכִ֣ין (he had prepared) לְמָרְדֳּכָ֑י (for Mordecai). וַחֲמַ֥ת (And the rage) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (of the king) שָׁכָֽכָה׃פ (subsided).