Esther 3
International Standard Version
Haman is Promoted by Ahasuerus
3 Sometime later King Ahasuerus promoted Hammedatha the Agagite’s son Haman, elevating him to a position above[a] all the other officials who were with him. 2 All the king’s ministers[b] who were in the king’s gate would kneel and bow down to Haman, because the king had commanded that Haman[c] be honored in this way. Mordecai, however, would not kneel and would not bow down.
3 The king’s ministers[d] who were in the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” 4 They asked him this day after day, and he would not listen to them, so they told Haman to see whether or not Mordecai would get away with his disobedience,[e] since he also had told them that he was Jewish. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel and bow down to him, he[f] flew into a rage. 6 Because they had told him who the people of Mordecai were, Haman[g] found it unacceptable[h] to kill[i] only Mordecai. So Haman sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jewish people, who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
Haman’s Plot against the Jewish People
7 In the twelfth year of the reign of[j] King Ahasuerus, in the first month (the month Nisan), the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in Haman’s presence to determine the best day and month to carry out his plot.[k] The lot indicated the twelfth month, the month Adar.[l] 8 Then Haman told King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and divided among the people throughout the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different than all the other people, they don’t obey the king’s laws, and it’s not in the king’s best interest[m] to leave them alone. 9 If the king approves, let it be decreed[n] that they’re to be destroyed, and I’ll measure out 10,000 silver talents[o] and bring it to the king’s treasury for those who will do the work.”
10 The king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Hammedatha the Agagite’s son Haman, the enemy of the Jewish people. 11 The king told Haman, “The silver is given to you, along with the people, to do with them as you see fit.”
12 The king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and all that Haman commanded was written to the regional authorities[p] of the king, to the governors who were over each province, and to the officials of each people. This order[q] was translated in the name of King Ahasuerus into the language of each province[r] and bore the seal of the king’s signet ring. 13 Letters were sent by couriers to all of the king’s provinces to annihilate, to kill, and to destroy all the Jewish people, both young and old, women and children, and to confiscate their goods[s] on a single day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar. 14 A copy of the letter was to be issued as an edict in every province and published to all the people, telling them[t] to be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out, urged on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in Susa the capital. The king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.
Footnotes
- Esther 3:1 Lit. setting his seat above
- Esther 3:2 Or servants
- Esther 3:2 Lit. commanded concerning him that he
- Esther 3:3 Or servants
- Esther 3:4 Lit. would stand
- Esther 3:5 Lit. Haman
- Esther 3:6 Lit. he
- Esther 3:6 Lit. contemptible
- Esther 3:6 Lit. sending a hand against
- Esther 3:7 The Heb. lacks the reign of
- Esther 3:7 Lit. before Haman from day to day and month to month
- Esther 3:7 Lit. day and month, the twelfth, the month Adar
- Esther 3:8 Lit. there is no advantage for the king
- Esther 3:9 Lit. written
- Esther 3:9 I.e. about 750,000 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
- Esther 3:12 Lit. satraps; Persian government officials similar in authority to a governor
- Esther 3:12 The Heb. lacks order
- Esther 3:12 Lit. Ahasuerus to the people, the script
- Esther 3:13 Lit. spoil
- Esther 3:14 The Heb. lacks telling them
Esther 3
Lexham English Bible
Haman is Promoted
3 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and he exalted him and set his position[a] above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all of the king’s servants who were at the gate of the king were kneeling and bowing down to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him, but Mordecai did not kneel and bow down. 3 And the king’s servants who were at the gate of the king said to Mordecai, “Why are you transgressing the command of the king?” 4 They spoke to him day after day, but he did not listen to them, and they informed Haman to see if Mordecai’s resolve would prevail;[b] for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And Haman saw that Mordecai was not kneeling and bowing down to him, and he was filled with anger. 6 But he considered it beneath him[c] to lay hands on Mordecai only, for they told him of Mordecai’s people, and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7 In the first month, that is, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasurus, he cast pur—that is, the lot—before the presence of Haman for the day and for the month,[d] until[e] the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar. 8 And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all of the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from every other people, and they do not observe[f] the laws of the king; it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will pay[g] ten thousand talents[h] of silver to those who do the job, to bring to the treasury of the king.” 10 So the king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you and to the people to do with it as you see fit.[i]
12 And the king’s secretaries were called in the first month on the thirteenth day, and a decree was issued, according to all that Haman commanded, to the satraps of the king and to the governors who were over all the provinces, and to the officials of all the people, to each province according to its own script and to all people according to their own language; it was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was sealed with the king’s ring. 13 Letters were sent by couriers[j] to all the provinces of the king to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old,[k] women and children, on one day, the thirteenth day of the month, that is Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the edict was presented as law in every province making it known to all the people to be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out quickly by order of the king, and the law was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; and the city of Susa was bewildered.[l]
Footnotes
- Esther 3:1 Literally “his throne”
- Esther 3:4 Literally “the word’s of Mordecai would stand”
- Esther 3:6 Literally “he despised it in his eyes”
- Esther 3:7 Literally “from day to day and from month to month”
- Esther 3:7 The Septuagint adds, “and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of”
- Esther 3:8 Literally “do”
- Esther 3:9 Or “I will weigh”
- Esther 3:9 Hebrew “talent”
- Esther 3:11 Literally “as the good is in your eyes”
- Esther 3:13 Or “by runners”
- Esther 3:13 Literally “from young to old”
- Esther 3:15 Or “disturbed”
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software