Esther

3 After these things did King Ahasuerus promote to power Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite and exalted him,—and placed his seat above all the rulers who were with him.

2 And all the kings servants who were in the kings gate used to bend and bow themselves down unto Haman, for so had the king given command concerning him,—but Mordecai bent not nor bowed himself down.

3 Then said the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate unto Mordecai,—

4 Wherefore art thou transgressing the command of the king? And it came to pass when they had spoken unto him day by day, and he had not hearkened unto them that they told Haman to see whether the account of Mordecai would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bend nor bow down unto him then was Haman filled with wrath;

6 but it was contemptible in his eyes to thrust forth a hand on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai,—and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout all the kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai.

7 In the first month—the same was the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus was Pur cast—the same is the Lot, before Haman from day to day and from month to month,—and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the same is the month Adar.

8 Then said Haman unto King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples, throughout all the provinces of thy kingdom,—whose laws are diverse from every people and the laws of the king they observe not, for the king therefore it is not fit to suffer them.

9 If unto the king it seem good let it be written to destroy them,—and ten thousand talents of silver will I weigh out upon the hands of them who are doing the business, to bring [it] into the treasuries of the king.

10 So then the king took his signet-ring from off his hand, and gave it unto Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite the adversary of the Jews;

11 and the king said unto Haman, The silver is granted thee,—and the people, to do with them as may seem good in thine eyes.

12 Then were called the scribes of the king in the first month on the thirteenth day therein, and it was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the satraps of the king and unto the pashas who were over every province and unto the rulers of every people, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to the tongue thereof,—in the name of King Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the signet-ring of the king.

13 Then were sent letters by the hand of the runners into all the provinces of the king, To destroy, to slay and to cause to perish all Jews both young and old, little ones and women, in one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, the same is the month Adar,—and the spoil of them to be a prey.

14 A copy of the writing to be delivered as an edict throughout every province was published to all the peoples,—that they should be ready against this day.

15 The runners went forth urged on by the word of the king, and the edict was given in Shusan the palace,—and the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shusan was perplexed.