ester 7:1-10
7 raja aur haaman,+ raani ester ki daavat mein aaye.
2 daavat ke doosre din jab daakh-madira pesh ki gayi, tab raja ne fir poochha, “raani ester, bata teri kya binti hai? maang tujhe kya chahiye? agar tu aadha raajya bhi maange, to woh bhi tujhe de diya jaayega.”+
3 raani ester ne kaha, “agar raja mujhse khush hai aur agar raja ko yah manzoor ho, to meri bas yahi binti hai ki woh meri aur mere logon+ ki jaan bacha le
4 kyonki hamein khatm karne aur hamara vajood mitane ke liye hamein bech diya gaya hai.+ agar hamein gulami mein becha jaata to main kuch na kehti. lekin jab hamare vinash se khud raja ko nuksan hoga to bhala main chup kaise reh sakti hoon? is aafat ko rokna hi hoga.”
5 yah sunkar raja ahash-verosh ne raani ester se poochha, “kisne aisa karne ki jurrat ki? kaun hai woh gustakh?”
6 ester ne kaha, “hamare khilaf saazish rachnevala, hamara dushman koi aur nahin, yah dusht haaman hai!”
yah sunte hi haaman unke saamne thar-thar kaanpne laga.
7 raja ka khoon khaul utha, woh daavat se uthkar baahar mahal ke bageeche mein chala gaya. haaman utha aur ester se apni jaan ki bheekh maangne laga kyonki woh samajh gaya ki ab raja use nahin chhodega.
8 jab raja mahal ke bageeche se vaapas daavat-ghar mein aaya, to usne dekha ki haaman, raani ester ke deevan par gira jaa raha hai. raja ne chillakar kaha, “ab yahi kasar baaki reh gayi thi! mere hi ghar mein raani ki izzat par haath daal raha hai?” raja ke kehne ki der thi ki haaman ka chehra kapde se dhak diya gaya.
9 tab raja ke ek darbaari harbona+ ne kaha, “huzoor, jis mordakai ki khabar se raja ki jaan bachi thi,+ haaman ne usi ke liye ek kaath taiyar karvaya hai.+ usne 50 haath* uncha yah kaath apne ghar ke paas khada karvaya hai.” raja ne hukm diya, “usi kaath par latka do ise!”
10 tab unhonne haaman ko usi kaath par latka diya jo usne mordakai ke liye taiyar kiya tha. aur raja ka krodh shaant ho gaya.
kai footnote
^ kareeb 22.3 m. (73 fut). ati. kha14 dekhein.
