Esther 3

Revised Geneva Translation

3 After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and exalted him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.

² And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed their knees and paid homage to Haman (for the king had so commanded concerning him). But Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage.

³ Then, the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s commandment?”

⁴ And even though they spoke daily to him, he would not listen. Therefore, they told Haman, to see how Mordecai’s words would stand (for he had told them that he was a Jew).

⁵ And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow to him, nor did he pay homage to him, then Haman was full of anger.

⁶ Now, he thought it wasn’t enough just to lay hands on Mordecai. And because they had told him Mordecai was a Jew, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even all 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, a lot) before Haman—every day of every month—until the twelfth month (that is the month Adar).

⁸ Then, Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a people, scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom. And their laws are different from all other people; and they do not observe the king’s laws. Therefore, it is not to the king’s profit to put up with 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 who are in charge of this business, to bring it into the king’s treasury.”

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

¹¹ And the king said to Haman, “Let the silver and the people be yours to do with as it pleases you.”

¹² Then, on the thirteenth day of the first month, the king’s scribes were called. And all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s officers and to the captains who were over every province and to the rulers of every people, and to every province according to its writing and to every people according to their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s ring.

¹³ And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces: to root out, to kill and to destroy all the Jews— both young and old, children and women—on one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month Adar) and to take the plunder as a possession.

¹⁴ The contents of the writing was that there should be given a commandment in all provinces, and published to all people, that they should be ready for that day.

¹⁵ And the couriers, compelled by the king’s commandment, went forth. And the commandment was given in the palace at Shushan. And the king and Haman sat, drinking. But the city of Shushan was in confusion.