After these things King Ahasuerus1 promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2All the king’s servants, who were in the king’s gate, bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down, nor did he pay him homage. 3Then the king’s servants, who were in the king’s gate, said to Mordecai, “Why disobey you the king’s command?” 4Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he did not listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them he was a Jew. 5When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down, nor did he pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath. 6But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai: therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7In the first month, which 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, which is the month Adar. 8Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are different from those of other people. They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain. 9If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
10The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11The king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
12Then the king’s scribes were called in the first month, on the thirteenth day; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to their writing script, and to every people according to their language; in the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and it was sealed with the king’s ring. 13Letters were sent by couriers 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, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take their possessions for plunder. 14A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the people, that they should be ready for that day. 15The couriers went forth in haste by the king’s command, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was perplexed.
- 3:1 Ahasuerus, or Xerxes. ↩︎