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[260]
Now while these men were thus talking one to another, Esther's eunuchs
hastened Haman away to come to supper; but one of the eunuchs, named Sabuchadas,
saw the gallows that was fixed in Haman's house, and inquired of one of
his servants for what purpose they had prepared it. So he knew that it
was for the queen's uncle, because Haman was about to petition the king
that he might be punished; but at present he held his peace. Now when the
king, with Haman, were at the banquet, he desired the queen to tell him
what gifts she desired to obtain, and assured her that she should have
whatsoever she had a mind to. She then lamented the danger her people were
in; and said that "she and her nation were given up to be destroyed,
and that she, on that account, made this her petition; that she would not
have troubled him if he had only given order that they should be sold into
bitter servitude, for such a misfortune would not have been intolerable;
but she desired that they might be delivered from such destruction."
And when the king inquired of her whom was the author of this misery to
them, she then openly accused Haman, and convicted him, that he had been
the wicked instrument of this, and had formed this plot against them. When
the king was hereupon in disorder, and was gone hastily out of the banquet
into the gardens, Haman began to intercede with Esther, and to beseech
her to forgive him, as to what he had offended, for he perceived that he
was in a very bad case. And as he had fallen upon the queen's bed, and
was making supplication to her, the king came in, and being still more
provoked at what he saw, "O thou wretch," said he, "thou
vilest of mankind, dost thou aim to force in wife?" And when Haman
was astonished at this, and not able to speak one word more, Sabuchadas
the eunuch came in and accused Haman, and said," He found a gallows
at his house, prepared for Mordecai; for that the servant told him so much
upon his inquiry, when he was sent to him to call him to supper."
He said further, that the gallows was fifty cubits high: which, when the
king heard, he determined that Haman should be punished after no other
manner than that which had been devised by him against Mordecai; so he
gave order immediately that he should be hung upon those gallows, and be
put to death after that manner. And from hence I cannot forbear to admire
God, and to learn hence his wisdom and his justice, not only in punishing
the wickedness of Haman, but in so disposing it, that he should undergo
the very same punishment which he had contrived for another; as also because
thereby he teaches others this lesson, that what mischiefs any one prepares
against another, he, without knowing of it, first contrives it against
himself.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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