1
And so the king and Haman went to eat with Esther
2
for a second time. Over the wine the king asked her again, "Now, Queen Esther, what do you want? Tell me and you shall have it. I'll even give you half the empire."
3
Queen Esther answered, "If it please Your Majesty to grant my humble request, my wish is that I may live and that my people may live.
4
My people and I have been sold into slavery; our possessions have been plundered, and now we are to be destroyed - all of us, including our children, will be slaves - and so far I have kept quiet. It isn't right that our enemy should be a member of the royal court."
5
Then King Xerxes asked Esther, "Who dares to do such a thing?"
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.