Esther 3

1 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.

After these things, did King Ahasuerus promote to power Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and exalted him, —and placed his seat above all the rulers who were with him.

2 All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.

And, all the kings servants who were in the kings gate, used to bend and bow themselves down unto Haman, for, so, had the king given command concerning him, —but, Mordecai, bent not nor bowed himself down.

3 Then the royal servants at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the command of the king?”

Then said the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate unto Mordecai, —

4 Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

Wherefore art, thou, transgressing the command of the king? And it came to pass, when they had spoken unto him day by day, and he had not hearkened unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether the account of Mordecai would stand, for he had told them, that, he, was a Jew.

5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage.

And, when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bend nor bow down unto him, then was Haman filled with wrath;

6 And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.

but, it was contemptible in his eyes, to thrust forth a hand on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai, —and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout all the kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai.

7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

In the first month—the same, was the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, was Pur cast—the same, is the Lot, before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, —and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the same, is the month Adar.

8 Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

Then said Haman unto King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people, scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples, throughout all the provinces of thy kingdom, —whose laws, are diverse from every people, and, the laws of the king, they observe not, for the king, therefore, it is not fit, to suffer them.

9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”

If, unto the king, it seem good, let it be written, to destroy them, —and, ten thousand talents of silver, will I weigh out upon the hands of them who are doing the business, to bring [it] into the treasuries of the king.

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

So then the king took his signet-ring from off his hand, and gave it unto Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of the Jews;

11 “Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”

and the king said unto Haman, The silver, is granted thee, —and the people, to do with them, as may seem good in thine eyes.

12 On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.

Then were called the scribes of the king, in the first month, on the thirteenth day therein, and it was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the satraps of the king, and unto the pashas, who were over every province, and unto the rulers of every people, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to the tongue thereof, —in the name of King Ahasuerus, was it written, and sealed with the signet- ring of the king.

13 And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.

Then were sent letters, by the hand of the runners, into all the provinces of the king, To destroy, to slay and to cause to perish all Jews, both young and old, little ones and women, in one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, the same, is the month Adar, —and the spoil of them to be a prey.

14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day.

A copy of the writing, to be delivered as an edict throughout every province, was published to all the peoples, —that they should be ready against this day.

15 The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.

The runners, went forth, urged on by the word of the king, and, the edict, was given in Shusan the palace, —and, the king and Haman, sat down to drink, but, the city of Shusan, was perplexed.