3
1 After
these things
King Ahasuerus promoted
Haman the son
of Hammedatha
the Agagite, and
advanced him, and
set his seat
above all the
princes who were
with him.
2 All
the king’s
servants who were
in the king’s
gate bowed down
and paid homage
to Haman, for
the king had
so commanded
concerning him.
But Mordecai didn’t
bow down or pay
him homage.
3 Then
the king’s
servants who were
in the king’s
gate said to
Mordecai, “Why do
you disobey the
king’s commandment?”
4 Now
it came to
pass, when they
spoke daily to
him, and he didn’t
listen to them,
that they told
Haman, to see
whether Mordecai’s
reason would stand;
for he had
told them that
he was a
Jew.
5 When
Haman saw that
Mordecai didn’t bow
down nor pay him
homage, Haman was
full of wrath.
6 But
he scorned the
thought of laying
hands on
Mordecai alone, for
they had made
known to him
Mordecai’s people.
Therefore Haman
sought to destroy
all the Jews
who were
throughout the
whole kingdom
of Ahasuerus, even
Mordecai’s people.
7 In
the first month,
which is the
month Nisan, in
the twelfth year
of King Ahasuerus,
they cast Pur,
that is, the
lot, before Haman
from day to
day, and from
month to month,
and chose the
twelfth month,
which is the
month Adar.
8 Haman said
to King Ahasuerus, “There
is a certain
people scattered
abroad and
dispersed among
the peoples in
all the provinces
of your kingdom,
and their laws
are different from
other people’s.
They don’t keep
the king’s laws.
Therefore it is
not for the
king’s profit to
allow them
to remain.
9 If it
pleases the king,
let it be written
that they
be destroyed; and
I will pay
ten thousand talents
of silver into
the hands of
those who are
in charge of
the king’s
business, to bring
it into the
king’s treasuries.”
10 The
king took his
ring from his
hand, and gave
it to Haman
the son of
Hammedatha the Agagite,
the Jews’ enemy.
11 The
king said to Haman,
“The silver is
given to you,
the people also,
to do with
them as it
seems good to
you.”
12 Then
the king’s scribes
were called in
on the first
month, on the
thirteenth day of
the month; and
all that Haman
commanded was
written to the
king’s local governors,
and to the
governors who were
over every
province, and to
the princes of
every people, to
every province
according to its
writing, and to
every people in
their language. It
was written in
the name of
King Ahasuerus, and
it was sealed
with the king’s
ring.
13 Letters
were sent by
couriers into all
the king’s
provinces, to
destroy, to kill,
and to cause
to perish, all
Jews, both young
and old, little
children and women,
in one day,
even on the
thirteenth day of
the twelfth month,
which is the
month Adar, and to
plunder their
possessions.
14 A
copy of the
letter, that the
decree should be
given out in
every province,
was published to
all the peoples,
that they should
be ready against
that day.
15 The
couriers went out
in haste by the
king’s commandment,
and the decree
was given out
in the citadel
of Susa. The
king and Haman
sat down to
drink; but the
city of Susa
was perplexed.