1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of
Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the
princes who were with him. 2 All 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 didn’t bow down or pay him homage.
3 Then the
king’s servants, who were in the king’s gate, said
to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s commandment?” 4 Now it came to
pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn’t listen to them, that they
told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told
them that he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow down,
nor pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath. 6 But he scorned the
thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him
Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were
throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the Mordecai’s people.
7 In 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, and chose the twelfth month, which is
the month Adar. 8 Haman 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 than other people’s.
They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit
to allow them to remain. 9 If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be
destroyed; and 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.”
10 The king took his ring from his hand, and gave
it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy. 11 The
king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with
them as it seems good to you.” 12 Then the king’s scribes were called in
on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman
commanded was written 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 its writing, and to every people in their
language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed
with the king’s ring. 13 Letters 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, even on the thirteenth
day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their
possessions. 14 A copy of the letter, that the decree should
be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they
should be ready against that day. 15 The couriers went forth in haste by the
king’s commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The
king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
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