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Esther 3
New International Version

Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews

3 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,(A) elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. 2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

3 Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”(B) 4 Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply.(C) Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.

5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.(D) 6 Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way(E) to destroy(F) all Mordecai’s people, the Jews,(G) throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur(H) (that is, the lot(I)) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.(J)

8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs(K) are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey(L) the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.(M) 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents[b] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”(N)

10 So the king took his signet ring(O) from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”

12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language(P) of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed(Q) with his own ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews(R)—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,(S) and to plunder(T) their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.(U)

15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.(V) The king and Haman sat down to drink,(W) but the city of Susa was bewildered.(X)

Footnotes

  1. Esther 3:7 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have And the lot fell on.
  2. Esther 3:9 That is, about 375 tons or about 340 metric tons
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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

  1. Esther 3:1 Lit. setting his seat above
  2. Esther 3:2 Or servants
  3. Esther 3:2 Lit. commanded concerning him that he
  4. Esther 3:3 Or servants
  5. Esther 3:4 Lit. would stand
  6. Esther 3:5 Lit. Haman
  7. Esther 3:6 Lit. he
  8. Esther 3:6 Lit. contemptible
  9. Esther 3:6 Lit. sending a hand against
  10. Esther 3:7 The Heb. lacks the reign of
  11. Esther 3:7 Lit. before Haman from day to day and month to month
  12. Esther 3:7 Lit. day and month, the twelfth, the month Adar
  13. Esther 3:8 Lit. there is no advantage for the king
  14. Esther 3:9 Lit. written
  15. Esther 3:9 I.e. about 750,000 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
  16. Esther 3:12 Lit. satraps; Persian government officials similar in authority to a governor
  17. Esther 3:12 The Heb. lacks order
  18. Esther 3:12 Lit. Ahasuerus to the people, the script
  19. Esther 3:13 Lit. spoil
  20. Esther 3:14 The Heb. lacks telling them
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