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Haman Hangs · The Chosen People

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People... Did not fret Mordecai, the Jew?
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: You will not need to wait long to meet your fate.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: He must be made an example. His death must be public.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: And most importantly, wrote all here. Let all Jews know.
• 0:22
  Speaker 3: My word, sealed with the king's ring, is law.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: I will not be mocked. I will not be undermined.
• 0:31
  Speaker 4: On the seventh day of the month, two royal guards
• 0:34
  Speaker 4: conspired against the king.
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  Speaker 1: The plot was uncovered and reported by Mordecai.
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  Speaker 5: What honor or reward was given to the man? Harry,
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  Speaker 5: and do just as you proposed. For Mordecai the Jew,
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  Speaker 5: who sits at the city gate, to take my own
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  Speaker 5: garment and a horse from my stables for him.
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  Speaker 6: The words struck like a hammer blow. Haman's vision blurred.
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  Speaker 6: His stomach twisted.
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  Speaker 5: Yes.
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 1:01
  Speaker 4: My king.
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  Speaker 6: In that moment, Haman knew. The winds had shifted, and
• 1:08
  Speaker 6: the rope he had ordered was tightening around his own neck. Outside,
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  Speaker 6: the gallows loomed in the midday sun, a monument to pride,
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  Speaker 6: an omen of doom. The trap was set, but not
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  Speaker 6: for the man it was built for. Haman sat in
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  Speaker 6: silence long after his wife and his friends had gone.
• 1:39
  Speaker 6: The afternoon was turning to evening fast, too fast for comfort. Dark,
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  Speaker 6: leering shadows mocked him as the time for the queen's
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  Speaker 6: banquet drew nearer and nearer. His wife's chilling final words
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  Speaker 6: to him still echoed in his mind.
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  Speaker 7: Your downfall has already begun.
• 2:00
  Speaker 6: Before he could rise to shake the dread from his bones,
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  Speaker 6: there was an ominous knock at the door that reverberated
• 2:07
  Speaker 6: through the stone corridors of the estate. One of his
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  Speaker 6: servants answered, and mere moments later, Mamucan, the king's eunuch, appeared,
• 2:17
  Speaker 6: sneering in Haman's entryway. He could scarcely contain his malicious
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  Speaker 6: glee at Haman's damaged social standing due to his very
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  Speaker 6: public shaming earlier. The sight of his greedy smile made
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  Speaker 6: Haman's stomach turn.
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  Speaker 1: Lord Haman, the queen's banquet awaits.
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  Speaker 2: The king has summoned you.
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  Speaker 6: The very banquet he once anticipated, he now dreaded. It
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  Speaker 6: was an uncomfortable ride with Mamucan in the royal carriage
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  Speaker 6: sent from the palace. When they arrived, Mamucan slunk off
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  Speaker 6: to the edges of the grand hall as he was
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  Speaker 6: not invited to dine with the queen. At least in
• 3:00
  Speaker 6: that regard, Haman was still favoured. He took solace in that,
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  Speaker 6: but there was not much else to be grateful for
• 3:08
  Speaker 6: after the terrible reversal of fate earlier. The palace dining
• 3:13
  Speaker 6: hall glistened with gold and candlelight. Rich tapestries draped the
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  Speaker 6: walls and delicate crystal goblets sparkled beneath the soft glow.
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  Speaker 6: Esther's breath caught as she took in the scene. Once again,
• 3:28
  Speaker 6: Hetark's careful touch had transformed the room. Platters of roasted
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  Speaker 6: meats glistened with fragrant steam, mingling with the scents of
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  Speaker 6: honey dates, warm bread and spiced wine. The table was
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  Speaker 6: an opulent masterpiece, each detail more lavish than the last.
• 3:48
  Speaker 6: Esther steadied herself, smoothing her gown. Every movement measured. Her
• 3:55
  Speaker 6: heart fluttered. but she fought to keep her face serene.
• 3:59
  Speaker 6: She took her place, standing tall, and waited to greet
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  Speaker 6: her husband. The doors opened with a flourish. King Xerxes
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  Speaker 6: swept into the room, surrounded by his hand-selected noblemen and
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  Speaker 6: an entourage of loyal attendants, including the young Jewish cup-bearer
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  Speaker 6: from the last banquet. Esther's demeanour eased at the sight
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  Speaker 6: of him. It comforted her that she was not the
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  Speaker 6: only Jew in the palace tonight, Perhaps this was a
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  Speaker 6: sign that the god of their shared homeland was with them.
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  Speaker 6: The king's grin was wide and eager, like a child
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  Speaker 6: anticipating ripping into a long-awaited gift. His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
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  Speaker 6: Esther bowed low. When she rose, he gently lifted her
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  Speaker 6: chin and kissed her forehead. She met his gaze with
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  Speaker 6: a soft, radiant smile, determined to remain in his favour.
• 4:54
  Speaker 6: even as the weight of her request pressed heavily on
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  Speaker 6: her heart. Haman arrived shortly after the king, flanked by
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  Speaker 6: one of the king's eunuchs, Mamucan. Esther knew of him,
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  Speaker 6: but little else, yet his sharp glance toward Haman told
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  Speaker 6: her more than words could. There was no warmth between them.
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  Speaker 6: Mamucan bowed low before the king, then slipped to the
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  Speaker 6: edge of the grand dining hall, blending into the cluster
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  Speaker 6: of attendants and noblemen. Esther took note. He was a
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  Speaker 6: quiet observer, watching the undercurrents swirl. Just the sort of
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  Speaker 6: man her cousin had warned her about in King Xerxes' court,
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  Speaker 6: always sizing up an opportunity to advance his ambitions. Esther's
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  Speaker 6: eyes returned to Haman. His unbridled lust for power dwarfed
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  Speaker 6: Mamucan or anyone else she had seen in the king's court.
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  Speaker 6: though his condescending charm seemed somewhat dampened from what it
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  Speaker 6: was yesterday. She forced herself to stand and offer Haman
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  Speaker 6: the seat of honour across from her, beside the king.
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  Speaker 6: Her pulse quickened. She met Haman's eyes with a smile
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  Speaker 6: so carefully practised it felt brittle in her cheeks. Esther
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  Speaker 6: sat poised throughout the meal, reclining on the couch, as
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  Speaker 6: was the day's custom, at the edge of the lavish
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  Speaker 6: table beside the king. She spoke little, offering soft smiles
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  Speaker 6: and polite nods while reminding herself that she and her
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  Speaker 6: people and her newfound loyal friends had fasted and prayed
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  Speaker 6: for three days for this moment. With each breath, she
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  Speaker 6: willed her courage to rise, and she was surprised to
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  Speaker 6: find that her voice remained calm and steady. The rich
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  Speaker 6: aromas of roasted meats and spiced bread had faded, and
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  Speaker 6: now the servants crept through the room, refilling goblets with
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  Speaker 6: fine wine. Among them, the young Jewish cupbearer approached the king,
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  Speaker 6: his movements precise and practiced. Esther did not look directly
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  Speaker 6: at him, but his quiet presence steadied her heart as
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  Speaker 6: the moment drew nearer. The king reclined beside her, swirling
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  Speaker 6: his cup, his curiosity building with every moment. At last,
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  Speaker 6: As soon as decorum allowed, he leaned toward her, his
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  Speaker 6: eyes bright with anticipation.
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  Speaker 4: My queen, I can no longer wait. What is your petition?
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  Speaker 4: Whatever you desire, up to half my kingdom, it shall
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  Speaker 4: be given.
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  Speaker 6: Esther's breath came slow and deliberate. The weight of the
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  Speaker 6: moment pressed down on her. The room fell silent.
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  Speaker 7: If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and
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  Speaker 7: if the king is pleased, spare my life. This is
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  Speaker 7: my request.
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  Speaker 6: The king's brow furrowed. Haman's eyes narrowed over the goblet
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  Speaker 6: he had just raised to his lips.
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  Speaker 2: Your life? What do you mean?
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  Speaker 4: Who would dare threaten the queen?
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  Speaker 6: Esther's heart pounded in her chest. She could sense the
• 8:14
  Speaker 6: protective edge in the king's voice. She just hoped that
• 8:17
  Speaker 6: it would last as she continued in her request. She
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  Speaker 6: had heard from Hettarg how the king's anger had turned
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  Speaker 6: on Queen Vashti and how she was banished from Persia
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  Speaker 6: because of it. But despite the gnawing apprehension of what
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  Speaker 6: she was about to do, Esther met the king's gaze
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  Speaker 6: with a strength she didn't know she possessed, her voice clear, unwavering.
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  Speaker 7: Yes, I ask for my life. For my people and
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  Speaker 7: I have been sold to destruction and annihilation. If it
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  Speaker 7: were mere slavery, I would have remained silent. But this
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  Speaker 7: evil cannot be ignored.
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  Speaker 6: The king sat up straight, his face darkening. She could
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  Speaker 6: see his eyes calculating, searching, his anger rising at this
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  Speaker 6: ignorance of a policy in his court.
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  Speaker 5: Who is this? And where is the one who would
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  Speaker 5: devise such a scheme?
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  Speaker 6: Esther turned her gaze slowly, deliberately. Before she spoke, she
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  Speaker 6: looked once more to the young cupbearer. He met her gaze,
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  Speaker 6: a flicker of solidarity in his eyes. Whether he realized
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  Speaker 6: what he did or not, he gave the smallest nod.
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  Speaker 6: Courage surged within her, and.
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  Speaker 2: Then she spoke.
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  Speaker 7: My people are the Jews of Israel. And we have
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  Speaker 7: been marked for extermination by royal edict on the 13th
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  Speaker 7: day of Adar, in the 12th month of the year.
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  Speaker 7: But the man who authored the edict in the king's
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  Speaker 7: authority is here. The adversary and enemy of my people
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  Speaker 7: is this evil Haman.
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  Speaker 6: Gasps rippled through the room. Haman's face drained of color.
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  Speaker 6: The shock that washed over his features was unmistakable. He
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  Speaker 6: had not known. The very woman whose favor he had
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  Speaker 6: basked in was now his opponent. The shy young girl
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  Speaker 6: whose beauty had turned the head of the king was
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  Speaker 6: now a monarch in her own right. She was an
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  Speaker 6: unexpected force rising against him, threatening to topple his foul reign. Xerxes'
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  Speaker 6: fury erupted. He rose, blocking over his goblet, wine spilling
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  Speaker 6: like blood across the table. He whirled on Haman, cowering
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  Speaker 6: on the floor like a worm, and looked as though
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  Speaker 6: he might strike him for a moment, but then thought
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  Speaker 6: better of it. Without a word, he stormed into the garden,
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  Speaker 6: his mind racing. Hetark had explained the stakes to Esther.
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  Speaker 6: She knew that whether or not Xerxes had penned the edict,
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  Speaker 6: it still carried his authority, and as her cousin Mordecai
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  Speaker 6: had always taught her, the king's word was law. Outside,
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  Speaker 6: Xerxes paced furiously. His pride warred with his conscience.
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  Speaker 2: Can I undo a decree sealed by my own ring?
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  Speaker 2: Was I blind or manipulated by the man I trusted most?
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  Speaker 6: He clenched his fists. Rage simmered beneath the surface.
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  Speaker 2: Hermans ensnared me in one of his political schemes. This
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  Speaker 2: is how he rewards my favor. But was it ignorance
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  Speaker 2: or willful deceit?
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  Speaker 6: His thoughts turned darker.
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  Speaker 2: If he dared plot against my queen, how long before
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  Speaker 2: he sets his sight on his king?
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  Speaker 6: Xerxes' breath came fast and shallow. The fury in him boiled,
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  Speaker 6: seeking a place to land. Inside, the hall around Esther
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  Speaker 6: exploded into unabashed chatter in the king's absence of what
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  Speaker 6: had just taken place. Soon the halls of the palace
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  Speaker 6: and the streets of Susa would be buzzing with the
• 12:16
  Speaker 6: queen's request and her accusation. The declaration of her heritage
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  Speaker 6: revealed at last. In the chaos, Esther noticed the eunuch
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  Speaker 6: Mamucan lingering in the shadows, eyes sharp. plans forming, taking
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  Speaker 6: it all in. Across from Esther, Haman turned desperate. He
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  Speaker 6: stumbled to her side of the table and fell at
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  Speaker 6: her feet.
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  Speaker 3: Please, please, spare me. I beg you, I didn't know her.
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  Speaker 3: Had I known my queen was a Jew, I never
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  Speaker 3: would have. I never would have.
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  Speaker 2: Believe me, my queen, I swear it.
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  Speaker 3: Have mercy.
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  Speaker 7: Have mercy.
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  Speaker 6: A fury rose in Esther, foreign but fearsome.
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  Speaker 7: You would only spare me because I have a title,
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  Speaker 7: because I have privilege. What of my people? What of
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  Speaker 7: the hundreds of thousands of innocents throughout Persia?
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  Speaker 6: Esther's anger drew out new depths of Haman's desperation as
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  Speaker 6: he sobbed in terror and grasped for her wrists. Esther recoiled,
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  Speaker 6: but he clung to her, his fear suffocating.
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  Speaker 7: Get off me! Let go!
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  Speaker 6: At that very moment, the king re-entered. He froze at
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  Speaker 6: the sight of Haman sprawled across the queen's couch, clawing
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  Speaker 6: at her hands, trying to control her. He roared over
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  Speaker 6: the chaos in the banquet hall.
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  Speaker 3: Oh, would he violate my queen while I am in
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  Speaker 3: the house?
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  Speaker 6: The room fell into stunned silence. The royal guard surged forward,
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  Speaker 6: tearing Haman off of Esther. Haman's knees scraped the floor
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  Speaker 6: as they dragged him to his feet, where he swayed,
• 14:06
  Speaker 6: dazed and horrified. Xerxes stormed forward, his face etched in fury.
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  Speaker 6: He seized Haman savagely by the front of his robe,
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  Speaker 6: pulling him close enough for their breath to mingle. One
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  Speaker 6: wheezed with terror, the other burning with rage. Esther wanted
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  Speaker 6: desperately to look away from the feral violence, but found
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  Speaker 6: in her shock she could not tear her eyes away. Then,
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  Speaker 6: with a violent lunge, Xerxes ripped the signet ring from
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  Speaker 6: Haman's trembling right hand. Esther winced as the flesh of
• 14:43
  Speaker 6: his knuckles scraped against the engraved gold. Blood welled, but
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  Speaker 6: it went unnoticed by the dumbstruck Haman. The king then
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  Speaker 6: hurled the ring across the floor in his unbridled fury.
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  Speaker 6: The heavy gold struck stone with a sharp, echoing clang.
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  Speaker 6: Every head turned. The sound rang with an eerie finality.
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  Speaker 6: Haman's fate was sealed. The guards yanked a black cloth
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  Speaker 6: over Haman's head. a mark of shame and final condemnation,
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  Speaker 6: as the king turned away in disgust, weighing not if
• 15:20
  Speaker 6: Haman would die, but how. Esther collapsed into her seat
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  Speaker 6: and let out a shaky breath as her heart rate
• 15:29
  Speaker 6: began to slow after the commotion. The king was still
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  Speaker 6: shouting and reeling in anger as his attendants and noblemen
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  Speaker 6: clambered around him, their voices a frenzy of counsel and caution.
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  Speaker 6: Esther noticed Mamucan slink forward like a snake in the grass,
• 15:47
  Speaker 6: his voice oily and precise.
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  Speaker 3: My king, a gallow stands at Haman's estate, seventy feet high.
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  Speaker 3: It was built just last night, and it was built
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  Speaker 3: for Mordekai, the very man who saved your life.
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  Speaker 6: Esther's eyes widened in horror. If her banquet had been delayed,
• 16:09
  Speaker 6: would Haman have executed her cousin? Esther trembled at the thought,
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  Speaker 6: but Xerxes' face hardened into stone.
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  Speaker 2: Hang Haman on it.
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  Speaker 6: The guards dragged Haman from the hall. His struggles were useless.
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  Speaker 6: His cries drowned beneath the weight of royal decree. From
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  Speaker 6: across the hall, the young cupbearer met Esther's gaze again,
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  Speaker 6: his face grave. He had seen the fall of the mighty.
• 16:42
  Speaker 6: he would remember this night. Moments later, across town, the
• 16:47
  Speaker 6: gallows outside Haman's home held its builder. His body hung,
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  Speaker 6: impaled 75 feet above the ground, a gruesome sight, taller
• 16:59
  Speaker 6: than any tree for all of Susa to behold. The
• 17:04
  Speaker 6: enemy of the Jews was vanquished, but the king's edict
• 17:09
  Speaker 6: still loomed, sharp as any sword.
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  Speaker 1: The danger was far from over. This Pray.com production is
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schellebarger and Ben Gammon are
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu.
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz,
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher,
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by
• 17:49
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