Esther 3
1 After these
things did
king Ahasuerus promote Haman the
son of
Hammedatha the
Agagite, and
advanced him, and
set his
seat above all the
princes that were with him.
2 And all the
king's servants, that were in the
king's gate, bowed, and
reverenced Haman: for the
king had so
commanded concerning him. But
Mordecai bowed not, nor did him
reverence.
3 Then the
king's servants, which were in the
king's gate, said unto
Mordecai, Why
transgressest thou the
king's commandment? 4 Now it came to pass, when they
spake daily unto him, and he
hearkened not unto 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
Haman saw that
Mordecai bowed not, nor did him
reverence, then was
Haman full of
wrath. 6 And he
thought scorn to
lay hands on
Mordecai alone; for they had
shewed him the
people of
Mordecai: wherefore
Haman sought to
destroy all the
Jews that were throughout the whole
kingdom of
Ahasuerus, even the
people of
Mordecai. 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 from
day to
day, and from
month to
month, to the
twelfth month, that is, the
month Adar. 8 And
Haman said unto
king Ahasuerus, There
is a
certain people scattered
abroad and
dispersed among the
people in all the
provinces of thy
kingdom; and their
laws are
diverse from all
people; neither
keep they the
king's laws: therefore it is not for the
king's profit to
suffer them.
9 If it
please the
king, let it be
written that they may be
destroyed: and I will
pay ten thousand talents of
silver to the
hands of those that have the
charge of the
business, to
bring it into the
king's treasuries. 10 And the
king took his
ring from his
hand, and
gave it unto
Haman the
son of
Hammedatha the
Agagite, the
Jews' enemy.
11 And the
king said unto
Haman, The
silver is
given to thee, the
people also, to
do with them as it
seemeth good to thee.
12 Then were the
king's scribes called on the
thirteenth day of the
first month, and there was
written according to all that
Haman had
commanded unto the
king's lieutenants, and to the
governors that were over every
province, and to the
rulers of every
people of every
province according to the
writing thereof, and to every
people after their
language; in the
name of
king Ahasuerus was it
written, and
sealed with the
king's ring. 13 And the
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
children 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 The
copy of the
writing for a
commandment to be
given in every
province was
published unto all
people, that they should be
ready against that
day. 15 The
posts went
out, being
hastened by the
king's commandment, and the
decree was
given in
Shushan the
palace. And the
king and
Haman sat
down to
drink; but the
city Shushan was
perplexed.