Esther 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 at the king’s gate bowed and reverenced Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow nor reverence him.

³ Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” ⁴ Now it happened, when they spoke to him day by day, and he didn’t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow nor reverence him, Haman was full of wrath. ⁶ But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Then Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

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, to the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. ⁸ Then 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 every people, and they don’t keep the king’s laws; therefore it is not for the king’s profit to tolerate them. ⁹ If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those who do the work, 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 enemy of the Jews. 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 on the thirteenth day of the first month; and it was written according to all that Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, and to the governors that were over all the provinces, from India even to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province in its own script, and to every people in their own language; and to the Jews according to their script and language. ¹³ And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring; and letters were sent by posts on horseback, and by riders, mounted on mules and camels, to all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their goods.

¹⁴ A copy of the writing was to be issued as law in every province, and it was published to all peoples, that they should be ready for that day.

¹⁵ The posts went out hastily by the king’s command; and the decree was issued in Shushan the palace. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.