THE BOOK OF ESTHER

 

Esther Chapter 3

1 ¶ After this king Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and made a great man of him, and gave him a seat higher than all the officers who were with him.

2 And all the king’s servants, who were at the king’s gate, bowed, and worshipped Haman: because the king had ordered this concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down, or worship him.

3 Then the king’s servants, who were at the king’s gate, asked Mordecai, Why do you disobey the king’s commandment?

4 Now when they asked him this day after day, and he did not pay any attention to them, they told Haman, in order to find out if Mordecai’s excuse would be accepted: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow, or worship him, then he was very angry.

6 But he thought it beneath him to lay hands on Mordecai alone; after they told him who Mordecai’s people were: so Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

7 ¶ In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman for every day, and for every month, up to the twelfth month, which is, the month Adar.

8 Then Haman said to king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are different from all the other people; nor do they keep the king’s laws: therefore it is not in the king’s interest to tolerate them.

9 If it please the king, let an order be drawn up authorizing their destruction: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the accountants, for deposit in the royal treasury.

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

11 And the king said to Haman, The silver is given to you, and the people also, do with them as you like.

12 Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and all that Haman had ordered was written to the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province in its own script, and to each nationality in their own language; it was written in the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed with his ring.

13 And the letters were sent by special messengers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, kill, and wipe out, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take away their belongings as spoil.

14 A copy of the written order was to be published as a decree in every province for all people, so that they would be ready on that day.

15 The messengers hurried out, as the king ordered, and the decree was given out in Shushan the capital. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.