Esther 3

1 after [the] word: thing [the] these to magnify [the] king Ahasuerus [obj] Haman son: child Hammedatha [the] Agagite and to lift: exalt him and to set: make [obj] throne: seat his from upon all [the] ruler which with him

Some time later, King Xerxes (promoted/gave his most important job/work to) Haman, the son of Hammedatha, who was a descendant of [King] Agag. Haman became more important than all his other officials. [Only the king was more important.]

2 and all servant/slave [the] king which in/on/with gate [the] king to bow and to bow to/for Haman for so to command to/for him [the] king and Mordecai not to bow and not to bow

Then the king commanded that all the other officials had to bow down in front of Haman to honor him [when he walked by]. But Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman.

3 and to say servant/slave [the] king which in/on/with gate [the] king to/for Mordecai why? you(m. s.) to pass: trespass [obj] commandment [the] king

The [other] officials [saw that, and they] asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey what the king commanded?”

4 and to be (like/as to say they *Q(K)*) to(wards) him day: daily and day: daily and not to hear: hear to(wards) them and to tell to/for Haman to/for to see: see to stand: stand word Mordecai for to tell to/for them which he/she/it Jew

Mordecai told them that he was a Jew, [and that Jews would bow down only to God]. Day after day the other officials spoke to Mordecai about that, but he still refused to obey. So they told Haman about it, to see if Haman would tolerate it.

5 and to see: see Haman for nothing Mordecai to bow and to bow to/for him and to fill Haman rage

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down to him, he became extremely angry.

6 and to despise in/on/with eye: appearance his to/for to send: reach hand in/on/with Mordecai to/for alone him for to tell to/for him [obj] people Mordecai and to seek Haman to/for to destroy [obj] all [the] Jew which in/on/with all royalty Ahasuerus people Mordecai

[After he found out that Mordecai was a Jew, ] he decided that it would not be enough to get rid of only Mordecai. He decided to kill all the Jews in all the area that Xerxes ruled.

7 in/on/with month [the] first he/she/it month Nisan in/on/with year two ten to/for king Ahasuerus to fall: allot Purim he/she/it [the] allotted to/for face: before Haman from day to/for day and from month to/for month (and to fall: fall [the] allotted upon three ten day to/for month *X*) two ten he/she/it month Adar

So, during the twelfth year that Xerxes was ruling, during the month of April, [Haman told his advisors to] (cast lots/throw small marked stones) to determine the best month and the best day to kill the Jews. Haman’s advisors did that, and the day that was selected was March 7th [during the following/next year].

8 and to say Haman to/for king Ahasuerus there he people one to scatter and to separate between: among [the] people in/on/with all province royalty your and law their to change from all people and [obj] law [the] king nothing they to make: do and to/for king nothing be like to/for to rest them

Then Haman [went to] the king [and] said to [him], “[Your majesty, ] there is a certain group of people who live in many areas [of your empire] whose customs are different from ours. They even refuse to obey your laws. So it would be good for you to get rid of them.

9 if upon [the] king pleasant to write to/for to perish them and ten thousand talent silver: money to weigh upon hand to make: do [the] work to/for to come (in): bring to(wards) treasury [the] king

If it pleases you, command that they should all be killed. [If you do that, ] I will give (375 tons/750,000 pounds) of silver to your administrators so that you can use it for your government.”

10 and to turn aside: remove [the] king [obj] ring his from upon hand his and to give: give her to/for Haman son: child Hammedatha [the] Agagite to vex [the] Jew

The king liked [what Haman said, so, and to confirm what he decided], he gave the ring that had his official seal on it to Haman, who now hated the Jews.

11 and to say [the] king to/for Haman [the] silver: money to give: give to/for you and [the] people to/for to make: do in/on/with him like/as pleasant in/on/with eye: appearance your

The king told Haman, “Keep your money, but do what you want to with those people [whom you talked about]!”

12 and to call: call to scribe [the] king in/on/with month [the] first in/on/with three ten day in/on/with him and to write like/as all which to command Haman to(wards) satrap [the] king and to(wards) [the] governor which upon province and province and to(wards) ruler people and people province and province like/as writing her and people and people like/as tongue: language his in/on/with name [the] king Ahasuerus to write and to seal in/on/with ring [the] king

On April 17th Haman summoned the king’s secretaries, and he dictated a letter to them that they [translated and] wrote to all the governors and administrators and other officials in all the provinces. They wrote copies of the letter in every language and every kind of writing/alphabet that was used in the empire. They wrote that all the Jews, [including] young people and old people, women and children, had to be killed on one day. That day was March 7th of the following year. They also wrote that [those who killed the Jews] could take everything that belonged to the Jews. [They signed] the king’s name [at the end of] the letters. Then they sealed the letters [with wax, and stamped the wax by] using the king’s ring. Then they sent the letters swiftly to every province in the empire,

13 and to send: depart scroll: document in/on/with hand: by [the] to run: run to(wards) all province [the] king to/for to destroy to/for to kill and to/for to perish [obj] all [the] Jew from youth and till old child and woman in/on/with day one in/on/with three ten to/for month two ten he/she/it month Adar and spoil their to/for to plunder

14 copy [the] writing to/for to give: give law in/on/with all province and province to reveal: proclaim to/for all [the] people to/for to be ready to/for day [the] this

The king [also commanded that] copies of these letters should be [nailed up] where [all the people] could see them, in every province, so that the people would be ready to do on the day the king had set [what was written in the letter].

15 [the] to run: run to come out: come to hasten in/on/with word [the] king and [the] law to give: give in/on/with Susa [the] palace and [the] king and Haman to dwell to/for to drink and [the] city Susa to perplex

Then, according to what the king commanded, men [riding horses] took those letters quickly to every province [in the empire]. And one of the letters was read [aloud to the people] in the capital city, Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down and drank [wine], but the people in Susa were very perplexed [about why this was going to happen].