Esther 3

Modern

Literal

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

¹After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.

¹After these things, King Ahasuerus made great Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and he lifted him up and he set his seat above all the officials who were with him.

²All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.

²And all the servants of the king who were at the gate of the king were bowing and prostrating themselves to Haman, for thus the king had commanded concerning him; and Mordecai would not bow and would not prostrate himself.

³Then the royal servants at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the command of the king?”

³And the servants of the king who were at the gate of the king said to Mordecai, “Why are you passing over the command of the king?”

⁴Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

⁴And it came to pass, in their speaking to him day by day, and he would not listen to them. And they declared it to Haman, to see if the words of Mordecai would stand, for he had declared to them that he was a Jew.

⁵When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage.

⁵And Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing and prostrating himself to him, and Haman was filled with rage.

⁶And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying^a hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.

⁶And it was despised in his eyes to stretch out a hand against Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai. And Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.

⁷In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan,^a the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.^b

⁷In the first month—it is the month of Nisan—in the two and tenth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot) before the face of Haman from day to day and from month to month, until month two and ten, it is the month of Adar.

⁸Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

⁸And Haman said to king Ahasuerus, “There is one people scattered and separated between the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from all people, and the laws of the king they are not doing, and for the king it is not fitting to let them remain.

⁹If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver^a into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”

⁹If upon the king it is good, let it be written for them to perish, and ten thousand talents of silver I will weigh out into the hands of those doing the work, to bring it into the treasuries of the king.”

¹⁰So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

¹⁰And the king removed his signet ring from upon his hand, and he gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

¹¹“Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”

¹¹And the king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, and the people, to do with them as is good in your eyes.”

¹²On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.

¹²And the scribes of the king were called in the first month, on the three and tenth day of it, and it was written according to all that Haman commanded to the satraps of the king, and to the governors who were over province and province, and to the officials of people and people, province by province according to its writing, and people by people according to its tongue. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and it was sealed with the signet ring of the king.

¹³And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.

¹³And the letters were sent by the hand of the runners to all the provinces of the king, to destroy, to kill, and to exterminate all of the Jews from young even to old, little children and women, in a single day, on the three and tenth day of the two and tenth month, it is the month of Adar, and to plunder their spoils.

¹⁴A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day.

¹⁴A copy of the writing was to be given as law in every province and province, being revealed to all the peoples, to be ready for this day.

¹⁵The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.

¹⁵The runners went forth, hurrying by the word of the king, and the law was given in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, and the city of Susa was in confusion.