Esther 3

1 And after this king Artaxerxes highly honoured Aman [son] of Amadathes, the Bugaean, and exalted him, and set his seat above all his friends.

After these things king Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the rulers that were with him.

2 And all in the palace did him obeisance, for so the king had given orders to do: but Mardochaeus did not do him obeisance.

And all the king's servants, who were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down, nor do him reverence.

3 And they in the king's palace said to Mardochaeus, Mardochaeus, why do you transgress the commands of the king?

Then the king's servants, who were in the king's gate, said to Mordecai, Why do thou transgress the king's commandment?

4 [Thus] they spoke daily to him, but he listened not to them; so they represented to Aman that Mardochaeus resisted the commands of the king: and Mardochaeus had shown to them that he was a Jew.

Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he did not hearken to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 And when Aman understood that Mardochaeus did not obeisance to him, he was greatly enraged,

And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down, nor do him reverence, then Haman was full of wrath.

6 and took counsel to destroy utterly all the Jews who were under the rule of Artaxerxes.

But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

7 And he made a decree in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and cast lots daily and monthly, to kill in one day the race of Mardochaeus: and the lot fell on the fourteenth [day] of the month which is Adar.

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 And he spoke to king Artaxerxes, saying, There is a nation scattered amongst the nations in all your kingdom, and their laws differ from [those of] all the [other] nations; and they disobey the laws of the king; and it is not expedient for the king to let them alone.

And Haman said to king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws are diverse from those of every people, nor do they keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not for the king's profit to endure them.

9 If it seem good to the king, let him make a decree to destroy them: and I will remit into the king's treasury ten thousand talents of silver.

If it please 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 have the charge of the king's business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

10 And the king took off his ring, and gave it into the hands of Aman, to seal the decrees against the Jews.

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

11 And the king said to Aman, Keep the silver, and treat the nation as you will.

And the king said to Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to thee.

12 So the king's recorders were called in the first month, on the thirteenth [day], and they wrote as Aman commanded to the captains and governors in every province, from India even to Ethiopia, to a hundred and twenty-seven provinces; and to the rulers of the nations according to their [several] languages, in the name of king Artaxerxes.

Then the king's scribes were called in the first month, on the thirteenth day of it. And there was written according to all that Haman commanded to the king's satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the rulers of every people, to every province according to the writing of it, and to every people after their language, in the name of king Ahasuerus it was written. And it was sealed with the king's ring.

13 And [the message] was sent by posts throughout the kingdom of Artaxerxes, to destroy utterly the race of the Jews on the first day of the twelfth month, which is Adar, and to plunder their goods.

And letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little sons and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

14 And the copies of the letters were published in every province; and an order was given to all the nations to be ready against that day.

A copy of the writing 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 And the business was hastened, and [that] at Susa: and the king and Aman began to drink; but the city was troubled.

The posts went forth in haste by the king's commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.