Haman’s Plot against the Jews

3 After these events King Ahasuerus ^(A)honored Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^(B)the Agagite, and ^(C)promoted him and ^[a]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 ^[b]homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded regarding him. But ^(D)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid ^[c]homage. ³ Then the king’s servants who were at ^(E)the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “^(F)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 ^[d]stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ When Haman saw that ^(G)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid ^[e]homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. ⁶ But he ^[f]considered it beneath his dignity to ^[g]kill Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; so Haman ^(H)sought to annihilate all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were found throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

⁸ Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; ^(A)their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not ^[a]comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. ⁹ If it is pleasing to the king, let it be ^[b]decreed that they be eliminated, and I will pay ^[c]ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.” ¹⁰ Then ^(B)the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^(C)the Agagite, ^(D)the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ And the king said to Haman, “The silver is ^[d]yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.”

¹⁵ The couriers went out, speeded by the king’s ^[a]order while the decree was ^[b]issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, ^(A)the city of Susa was agitated.

^4 (A)The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! ⁵ For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and ^(B)you will ^[a]become like God, knowing good and evil.”

¹⁶ But as it is, you boast in your ^[a]arrogance; ^(A)all such boasting is evil.