Esther 3

1 After these things did King Ahashuerosh promote Haman the sonne of Hammedatha the Agagite, and exalted him, and set his seate aboue all the princes that were with him.

After these things hath the king Ahasuerus exalted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and lifteth him up, and setteth his throne above all the heads who [are] with him,

2 And all the Kings seruants that were at the Kings gate, bowed their knees, and reuerenced Haman: for the King had so commanded concerning him: but Mordecai bowed not the knee, neither did reuerence.

and all servants of the king, who [are] in the gate of the king, are bowing and doing obeisance to Haman, for so hath the king commanded for him; and Mordecai doth not bow nor do obeisance.

3 Then the Kings seruants which were at the Kings gate, said vnto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the Kings commandement?

And the servants of the king, who [are] in the gate of the king, say to Mordecai, 'Wherefore [art] thou transgressing the command of the king?'

4 And albeit they spake dayly vnto him, yet he would not heare them: therefore they tolde Haman, that they might see how Mordecais matters would stande: for he had tolde them, that he was a Iewe.

And it cometh to pass, in their speaking unto him, day by day, and he hath not hearkened unto them, that they declare [it] to Haman, to see whether the words of Mordecai do stand, for he hath declared to them that he [is] a Jew.

5 And when Haman sawe that Mordecai bowed not the knee vnto him, nor did reuerence vnto him, then Haman was full of wrath.

And Haman seeth that Mordecai is not bowing and doing obeisance to him, and Haman is full of fury,

6 Now he thought it too litle to lay hands onely on Mordecai: and because they had shewed him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Iewes, that were throughout the whole kingdome of Ahashuerosh, euen the people of Mordecai.

and it is contemptible in his eyes to put forth a hand on Mordecai by himself, for they have declared to him the people of Mordecai, and Haman seeketh to destroy all the Jews who [are] in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus — the people of Mordecai.

7 In the first moneth (that is the moneth Nisan) in the twelft yere of King Ahashuerosh, they cast Pur (that is a lot) before Haman, from day to day, and from moneth to moneth, vnto the twelft moneth, that is the moneth Adar.

In the first month — it [is] the month of Nisan — in the twelfth year of the king Ahasuerus, hath one caused to fall Pur (that [is] the lot) before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, [to] the twelfth, it [is] the month of Adar.

8 Then Haman said vnto King Ahashuerosh, There is a people scattered, and dispersed among the people in all the prouinces of thy kingdome, and their lawes are diuers from all people, and they doe not obserue the Kings lawes: therefore it is not the Kings profite to suffer them.

And Haman saith to the king Ahasuerus, 'There is one people scattered and separated among the peoples, in all provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws [are] diverse from all people, and the laws of the king they are not doing, and for the king it is not profitable to suffer them;

9 If it please the King, let it be written that they may he destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of siluer by the handes of them that haue the charge of this businesse to bring it into the Kings treasurie.

if to the king [it be] good, let it be written to destroy them, and ten thousand talents of silver I weigh into the hands of those doing the work, to bring [it] in unto the treasuries of the king.'

10 Then the King tooke his ring from his hand and gaue it vnto Haman the sonne of Hammedatha the Agagite the Iewes aduersarie.

And the king turneth aside his signet from off his hand, and giveth it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, adversary of the Jews;

11 And the King sayde vnto Haman, Let the siluer be thine, and the people to doe with them as it pleaseth thee.

and the king saith to Haman, 'The silver is given to thee, and the people, to do with it as [it is] good in thine eyes.'

12 Then were the Kings scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first moneth, and there was written (according to all that Haman commanded) vnto the Kings officers, and to the captaines that were ouer euery prouince, and to the rulers of euery people, and to euery prouince, according to the writing thereof, and to euery people according to their language: in the name of King Ahashuerosh was it written, and sealed with the Kings ring.

And scribes of the king are called, on the first month, on the thirteenth day of it, and it is written according to all that Haman hath commanded, unto lieutenants of the king, and unto the governors who [are] over province and province, and unto the heads of people and people, province and province, according to its writing, and people and people according to its tongue, in the name of the king Ahasuerus it hath been written and sealed with the signet of the king,

13 And the letters were sent by postes into all the Kings prouinces, to roote out, to kill and to destroy all the Iewes, both yong and olde, children and women, in one day vpon the thirteenth day of the twelft moneth, (which is the moneth Adar) and to spoyle them as a pray.

and letters to be sent by the hand of the runners unto all provinces of the king, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy all the Jews, from young even unto old, infant and women, on one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month — it [is] the month of Adar — and their spoil to seize,

14 The contents of the writing was, that there shoulde be giuen a commandement in all prouinces, and published vnto all people, that they should be ready against the same day.

a copy of the writing to be made law in every province and province is revealed to all the peoples, to be ready for this day.

15 And the postes compelled by the Kings commandement went forth, and the commandement was giuen in the palace at Shushan: and the King and Haman sate drinking, but the citie of Shushan was in perplexitie.

The runners have gone forth, hastened by the word of the king, and the law hath been given in Shushan the palace, and the king and Haman have sat down to drink, and the city Shushan is perplexed.