Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

The king and Haman were at a banquet with Esther, the queen. The king said to Esther once again, "What do you want? I'll give it to you. What is your request will be done, even if it costs half of everything in my kingdom."

Esther replied, "If I've found favor with you, O king, please let me live. My people also need a second chance. We're about to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated." Esther explained that they were sold as slaves, but she wouldn't have kept quiet even if the enemy had offered to pay for the loss.

The king asked, "Who is this person who dared to do such a thing?" Esther pointed out Haman, saying, "Haman, our enemy, has done all this." Seeing his fate sealed, Haman trembled before the king and queen.

The king's anger grew as he stormed out of the banquet hall into the palace garden, where Haman was standing before Esther. Haman fell to his knees, begging for mercy because he realized that evil intentions had been determined against him by the king.

The king returned to the banquet hall and saw Haman lying on a couch next to Esther. He asked, "Is this man also attacking my queen while I'm in the palace?" As soon as he spoke those words, attendants covered Haman's face.

One of the royal servants, Harbonah, noticed something peculiar. "Look, your majesty," he said, "the gallows that Haman built for Mordecai is standing right here in his house." The king ordered Haman to be hanged on it, saying, "He'll pay the price for what he did."

So they hung Haman from the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. At last, the king's anger was pacified.