פרק ז, א-ד
(א)וַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ וְהָמָ֔ן לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת עִם־אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּֽה׃
(ב)וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּ֜ר גַּ֣ם בַּיּ֤וֹם הַשֵּׁנִי֙ בְּמִשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֔יִן מַה־שְּׁאֵֽלָתֵ֛ךְ אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה וְתִנָּ֣תֵֽן לָ֑ךְ וּמַה־בַּקָּֽשָׁתֵ֛ךְ עַד־חֲצִ֥י הַמַּלְכ֖וּת וְתֵעָֽשׂ׃
(ג)וַתַּ֨עַן אֶסְתֵּ֤ר הַמַּלְכָּה֙ וַתֹּאמַ֔ר אִם־מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֨יךָ֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ ט֑וֹב תִּנָּֽתֶן־לִ֤י נַפְשִׁי֙ בִּשְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י וְעַמִּ֖י בְּבַקָּֽשָׁתִֽי׃
(ד)כִּ֤י נִמְכַּ֨רְנוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמִּ֔י לְהַשְׁמִ֖יד לַֽהֲר֣וֹג וּלְאַבֵּ֑ד וְ֠אִלּוּ לַֽעֲבָדִ֨ים וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹת נִמְכַּ֨רְנוּ֙ הֶֽחֱרַ֔שְׁתִּי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין הַצָּ֛ר שֹׁוֶ֖ה בְּנֵ֥זֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
Esther – Chapter 7, 1-4
(א)וַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ וְהָמָ֔ן לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת עִם־אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּֽה׃
(1) The king and Haman came to drink with Queen Esther.
(1) The king and Haman came to drink with Queen Esther.
(ב)וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּ֜ר גַּ֣ם בַּיּ֤וֹם הַשֵּׁנִי֙ בְּמִשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֔יִן מַה־שְּׁאֵֽלָתֵ֛ךְ אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה וְתִנָּ֣תֵֽן לָ֑ךְ וּמַה־בַּקָּֽשָׁתֵ֛ךְ עַד־חֲצִ֥י הַמַּלְכ֖וּת וְתֵעָֽשׂ׃
(2) On the second day during the wine feast the king again said to Esther, “What is your plea, Queen Esther? It will be granted you. What is your request? Even if it be] half the kingdom it will be fulfilled.”
(2) On the second day during the wine feast the king again said to Esther, “What is your plea, Queen Esther? It will be granted you.” By preceding her title to her name he emphasized that as a queen she could afford to make significant requests for herself. And if your request is for others, what is your request? Even if it be] half the kingdom it will be fulfilled.”
(ג)וַתַּ֨עַן אֶסְתֵּ֤ר הַמַּלְכָּה֙ וַתֹּאמַ֔ר אִם־מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֨יךָ֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ ט֑וֹב תִּנָּֽתֶן־לִ֤י נַפְשִׁי֙ בִּשְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י וְעַמִּ֖י בְּבַקָּֽשָׁתִֽי׃
(3) Queen Esther replied and said: “If I have found favor in your eyes, O King, and if it please the King, let my life be granted me by my plea, and my request is the life of my people.”
(3) Queen Esther replied and said: “If I have found favor in your eyes, O King, I have a personal favor to ask, and if it please the King to fulfill my request for others, let my life be granted me by my plea, and for others my request is neither riches nor glory, only the life of my people.”
(ד)כִּ֤י נִמְכַּ֨רְנוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמִּ֔י לְהַשְׁמִ֖יד לַֽהֲר֣וֹג וּלְאַבֵּ֑ד וְ֠אִלּוּ לַֽעֲבָדִ֨ים וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹת נִמְכַּ֨רְנוּ֙ הֶֽחֱרַ֔שְׁתִּי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין הַצָּ֛ר שֹׁוֶ֖ה בְּנֵ֥זֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
(4) “For my people and I have been sold to be annihilated, killed and destroyed Had we been sold as slaves and maidservants I would have kept silent. But indeed the persecutor is not worth the loss he intends to cause the King.”
(4) Then Esther began refuting Haman’s arguments. “For my people are a distinguished nation and important to the kingdom, and although Haman’s intention was particularly to kill me, my whole nation and I have all been sold to be annihilated, killed and destroyed.” Here Esther revealed to Achashverosh that Haman’s decree was not just to cause the Jews to abandon their religion, but to annihilate them completely. “Had we been merely sold as slaves and maidservants and not been threatened with extinction, I would have kept silent. But indeed the persecutor‘s life is not worth the loss he intends to cause the King by losing such important and loyal subjects.”
