Esther 3

1After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, exalted him, and set his throne above all the officials who were with him.

2And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate were bowing down and paying homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.

3Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why are you transgressing the king’s command?”

4And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5When Haman saw that Mordecai was neither bowing down nor prostrating himself before him, Haman was filled with rage.

6But it seemed contemptible in his eyes to lay a hand on Mordecai alone, because they had told him what people Mordecai belonged to. So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.

7In the first month, that is, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur—that is, the lot—was cast before Haman, from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar.

8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people, scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.”

9If it seems good to the king, let it be written that they be destroyed, and I will weigh out ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.

10So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

11Then the king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, and the people also, to do with them as seems good in your eyes.”

12Then the king’s scribes were summoned in the first month, on the thirteenth day of it, and it was written exactly as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, and to the officials of each people, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring.

13Letters were sent by the hand of the couriers to all the provinces of the king, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, from young man to old man, children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, and to plunder their spoil.

14A copy of the written decree was to be issued as law in every province and province, being made known to all the peoples, so that they would be ready for this day.

15The couriers went out, hurried by the king’s command, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.