^19 (A)Now when the virgins were gathered together for the second time, then Mordecai ^(B)was sitting at the king’s gate. ^20 (C)Esther still had not revealed her relatives or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed her; for Esther did ^[a]what Mordecai told her just as she had ^(D)when under his care.

Mordecai Saves the King

²¹ In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, ^(E)Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to ^[b]attack King Ahasuerus. ²² But the ^[c]plot became known to Mordecai and ^(F)he informed Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name. ²³ Then when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a wooden gallows; and it was written in ^(G)the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

3 After these events King Ahasuerus ^(H)honored Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^(I)the Agagite, and ^(J)promoted him and ^[d]established his authority over all the officials who were with him. ² All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid ^[e]homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded regarding him. But ^(K)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid ^[f]homage. ³ Then the king’s servants who were at ^(L)the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “^(M)Why are you violating the king’s command?” ⁴ Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason would ^[g]stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ When Haman saw that ^(N)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid ^[h]homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. ⁶ But he ^[i]considered it beneath his dignity to ^[j]kill Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; so Haman ^(O)sought to annihilate all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were found throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.