Esther 7

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The king and Haman went to Queen Esther's banquet,	1 When Mordecai had heard this, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth, strewing ashes on his head, and he cried out with a loud voice in the main street of the city, revealing the anguish of his soul.
2 and this second day, during the banquet, the king again said to Esther, 'Tel me your request, QueenEsther. I grant it to you. Whatever you want; even if it is half my kingdom, it is yours for the asking.'	2 And he continued with this lamenting, even up to the gate of the palace, for no one clothed with sackcloth is permitted to enter the king’s court.
3 'If I have found favour in your eyes, O king,' Queen Esther replied, 'and if it please your majesty, grantme my life -- that is my request; and the lives of my people -- that is what I want.	3 Likewise, in all provinces, towns, and places where the king’s cruel decision arrived, there was extraordinary mourning among the Jews with fasting, wailing, and weeping, with many using sackcloth and ashes for their bed.
4 For we have been handed over, my people and I, to destruction, slaughter and annihilation; had wemerely been sold as slaves and servant-girls, I should not have said anything; but in the present case, it wil bebeyond the persecutor's means to make good the loss that the king is about to sustain.'	4 Then Esther’s maids and eunuchs went in and informed her. When she heard it, she was shocked, and she sent a garment to clothe him and to take away the sackcloth, but he would not accept it.
5 King Ahasuerus interrupted Queen Esther, 'Who is this man?' he exclaimed. 'Where is the man who hasthought of doing such a thing?'	5 And she sent for Hathach the eunuch, whom the king had appointed to minister to her, and she instructed him to go to Mordecai and to discern from him why he was doing this.
6 Esther replied, 'The persecutor, the enemy? Why, this wretch Haman!' Haman quaked with terror in thepresence of the king and queen.	6 And departing, Hathach went to Mordecai, who was standing in the street of the city, in front of the palace entrance.
7 In a rage the king got up from the banquet and went into the palace garden; while Haman, realising thatthe king was determined on his ruin, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.	7 He told him everything that had happened, how Haman had promised to transfer silver into the king’s treasury for the death of the Jews.
8 When the king came back from the palace garden into the banqueting hal , he found Haman sprawledacross the couch where Esther was reclining. 'What!' the king exclaimed. 'Is he going to rape the queen in myown palace?' The words were scarcely out of his mouth than a veil was thrown over Haman's face.	8 Also, he gave him a copy of the edict that was hanging up in Susa, so that he would show it to the queen and advise her to go in to the king and beg him on behalf of her people.
9 In the royal presence, Harbona, one of the officers, said, 'There is that fifty-cubit gal ows, too, whichHaman ran up for Mordecai, who spoke up to the king's great advantage. It is al ready at his house.' 'Hang himon it,' said the king.	9 And Hathach returned and informed Esther of all that Mordecai had said.
10 So Haman was hanged on the gal ows which he had erected for Mordecai, and the king's wrathsubsided.	10 Likewise, all Israel cried out to the Lord with the same intention and supplication because certain death was hanging over them.