The Fall of Aman
Esther 7
At Esther's second banquet she reveals to the king that she and her people have been condemned to destruction, and names Aman as the one responsible. The king's anger is roused, and Aman is hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mardochaeus.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonAND when the king came with Haman to banquet with the queen,
BrentonSo the king and Aman went in to drink with the queen.
GreekΕἴσῆλθε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ Ἀμὰν, συμπιεῖν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ.
KJVSo the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
JPSSo the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2
Thomsonthe king said to Esther the second day at the banquet, What is it, queen Esther? What is thy request, and what thy petition? To the half of my kingdom it shall be granted thee.
BrentonAnd the king said to Esther at the banquet on the second day, What is it, queen Esther? and what is thy request, and what is thy petition? and it shall be done for thee, to the half of my kingdom.
GreekΕἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἐσθὴρ τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ ἐν τῷ πότῳ, τί ἐστιν, Ἐσθὴρ βασίλισσα, καὶ τί τὸ αἴτημά σου; καὶ τί τὸ ἀξίωμά σου; καὶ ἔστω σοι ἕως ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου.
KJVAnd the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
JPSAnd the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine: ‘Whatever thy petition, queen Esther, it shall be granted thee; and whatever thy request, even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed.’
3
ThomsonThereupon she in reply said, If I have found favour in the sight of the king, let my life be granted at my request, and my people at my petition;
BrentonAnd she answered and said, If I have found favour in the sight of the king, let my life be granted to my petition, and my people to my request.
GreekΚαὶ ἀποκριθεῖσα, εἶπεν, εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, δοθήτω ἡ ψυχὴ τῷ αἰτήματί μου, καὶ ὁ λαός μου τῷ ἀξιώματί μου.
KJVThen Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
JPSThen Esther the queen answered and said: ‘If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request;
4
Thomsonfor I and my people are sold to be destroyed. Had it been to be plundered and reduced to slavery—that we and our children should be bondmen and bondwomen, I would have dissembled hearing it, for the accuser is not worthy of the king’s court.
BrentonFor both I and my people are sold for destruction, and pillage, and slavery; both we and our children for bondmen and bondwomen: and I consented not to it, for the slanderer is not worthy of the king's palace.
GreekἘπράθημεν γὰρ ἐγώ τε καὶ ὁ λαός μου εἰς ἀπώλειαν καὶ διαρπαγὴν καὶ δουλείαν, ἡμεῖς καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν εἰς παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας, καὶ παρήκουσα· οὐ γὰρ ἄξιος ὁ διάβολος τῆς αὐλῆς τοῦ βασιλέως.
KJVFor we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.
JPSfor we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace, for the adversary is not worthy that the king be endamaged.’
5
ThomsonAnd the king said, Who is he who hath dared to do such a thing?
BrentonAnd the king said, Who is this that has dared to do this thing?
GreekΕἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς, τίς οὗτος, ὅστις ἐτόλμησε ποιῆσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο;
KJVThen the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
JPSThen spoke the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen: ‘Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?’
6
ThomsonTo which Esther replied, The adversary is Haman, this bad man. At this Haman was struck with consternation for fear of the king and the queen.
BrentonAnd Esther said, The adversary is Aman, this wicked man. Then Aman was troubled before the king and the queen.
GreekΕἶπε δὲ Ἐσθὴρ, ἄνθρωπος ἐχθρὸς Ἀμὰν, ὁ πονηρὸς οὗτος. Ἀμὰν δὲ ἐταράχθη ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῆς βασιλίσσης.
KJVAnd Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
JPSAnd Esther said: ‘An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman.’ Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
7
ThomsonThen the king rising from the banquet went into the garden, and Haman supplicated the queen, for he saw himself in a desperate situation. And on the king’s returning out of the garden as Haman had prostrated himself on the sofa to supplicate the queen,
BrentonAnd the king rose up from the banquet to go into the garden: and Aman began to intreat the queen; for he saw that he was in an evil case.
GreekὉ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐξανέστη ἀπὸ τοῦ συμποσίου εἰς τὸν κῆπον· ὁ δὲ Ἀμὰν παρῃτεῖτο τὴν βασίλισσαν· ἑώρα γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ἐν κακοῖς ὄντα.
KJVAnd the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
JPSAnd the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman remained to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
8
Thomsonthe king said, What! would he offer violence to my wife in my house? Upon hearing this Haman was confounded.
BrentonAnd the king returned from the garden; and Aman had fallen upon the bed, intreating the queen. And the king said, Wilt thou even force my wife in my house? And when Aman heard it, he changed countenance.
GreekἘπέστρεψεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκ τοῦ κήπου. Ἀμὰν δὲ ἐπιπεπτώκει ἐπὶ τὴν κλίνην, ἀξιῶν τὴν βασίλισσαν· εἶπν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὥστε καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα βιάζῃ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ μου; Ἀμὰν δὲ ἀκούσας διετράπη τῷ προσώπῳ.
KJVThen the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
JPSThen the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the couch whereon Esther was. Then said the king: ‘Will he even force the queen before me in the house?’ As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9
ThomsonThen Bugathan, one of the chamberlains, said to the king, Behold Haman hath prepared a gallows for Mordecai who spoke for the king. There is at Haman’s house a gallows actually erected fifty cubits high. Thereupon the king said, Let him be hanged thereon.
BrentonAnd Bugathan, one of the chamberlains, said to the king, Behold, Aman has also prepared a gallows for Mardochæus, who spoke concerning the king, and a gallows of fifty cubits high has been set up in the premises of Aman. And the king said, Let him be hanged thereon.
GreekΕἶπε δὲ Βουγαθὰν εἷς τῶν εὐνούχων πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ἰδοὺ καὶ ξύλον ἡτοίμασεν Ἀμὰν Μαρδοχαίῳ τῷ λαλήσαντι περὶ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ὤρθωται ἐν τοῖς Ἀμὰν ξύλον πηχῶν πεντήκοντα· εἶπε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς, σταυρωθήτω ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ.
KJVAnd Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.
JPSThen said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king: ‘Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman.’ And the king said: ‘Hang him thereon.’
10
ThomsonSo Haman was hanged on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king’s anger was appeased.
BrentonSo Aman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mardochæus: and then the king's wrath was appeased.
GreekΚαὶ ἐκρεμάσθη Ἀμὰν ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου ὃ ἡτοιμάσθη Μαρδοχαίῳ· καὶ τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκόπασε τοῦ θυμοῦ.
KJVSo they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.
JPSSo they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath assuaged.