Esther 3
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Haman’s Plan to Kill the Jews
3 After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honoured Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite.(A) He promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials.(B) 2 The entire royal staff at the King’s Gate(C) bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this to be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.(D) 3 The members of the royal staff at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, ‘Why are you disobeying the king’s command? ’ 4 When they had warned him day after day(E) and he still would not listen to them, they told Haman in order to see if Mordecai’s actions would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or paying him homage, he was filled with rage.(F) 6 And when he learned of Mordecai’s ethnic identity, it seemed repugnant to Haman to do away with[a] Mordecai alone. He planned to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews,(G) throughout Ahasuerus’s kingdom.(H)
7 In the first month, the month of Nisan, in King Ahasuerus’s twelfth year,(I) the pur – that is, the lot – was cast before Haman for each day in each month, and it fell on the twelfth month,(J) the month Adar.(K) 8 Then Haman informed King Ahasuerus, ‘There is one ethnic group, scattered throughout the peoples in every province of your kingdom,(L) keeping themselves separate. Their laws are different from everyone else’s and they do not obey the king’s laws.(M) It is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.(N) 9 If the king approves, let an order be drawn up authorising their destruction, and I will pay 345 tonnes of silver to[b] the officials to deposit in the royal treasury.’(O)
10 The king removed his signet ring(P) from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.(Q) 11 Then the king told Haman, ‘The money and people are given to you to do with as you see fit.’
12 The royal scribes were summoned(R) on the thirteenth day of the first month, and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded. It was intended for the royal satraps,(S) the governors of each of the provinces, and the officials of each ethnic group and written for each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language.(T) It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus(U) and sealed with the royal signet ring.(V) 13 Letters were sent by couriers(W) to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people – young and old, women and children – and plunder their possessions on a single day,(X) the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.[c]
14 A copy of the text, issued as law throughout every province, was distributed to all the peoples so that they might get ready for that day. 15 The couriers left, spurred on by royal command, and the law was issued in the fortress of Susa.(Y) The king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was in confusion.(Z)
Esther 3
International Children’s Bible
Haman Plans to Destroy the Jews
3 After these things happened, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He gave Haman a new rank that was higher than all the important men. 2 And all the royal officers at the king’s gate would bow down and kneel before Haman. This was what the king had ordered. But Mordecai would not bow down, and he did not kneel.
3 Then the royal officers at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why don’t you obey the king’s command?” 4 And they said this to him every day. When he did not listen to them, they told Haman about it. They wanted to see if Haman would accept Mordecai’s behavior because Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.
5 Then Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down to him or kneel before him. And he became very angry. 6 He had been told who the people of Mordecai were. And he thought of himself as too important to try to kill only Mordecai. So he looked for a way to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, in all of Xerxes’ kingdom.
7 It was in the first month of the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ rule. That is the month of Nisan. Pur (that is, the lot) was thrown before Haman. The lot was used to choose a day and a month. So the twelfth month, the month of Adar, was chosen.
8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain group of people in all the areas of your kingdom. They are scattered among the other people. They keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all the other people. And they do not obey the king’s laws. It is not right for you to allow them to continue living in your kingdom. 9 If it pleases the king, let an order be given to destroy those people. Then I will pay 375 tons of silver to those who do the king’s business. They will put it into the royal treasury.”
10 So the king took his signet ring off and gave it to Haman. Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, was the enemy of the Jews. 11 Then the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are yours. Do with them as you please.”
12 On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal secretaries were called. They wrote out all of Haman’s orders. They wrote to the king’s governors and to the captains of the soldiers in each area. And they wrote to the important men of each group of people. The orders were written to each area in its own form of writing. And they were written to each group of people in their own language. They were written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with his signet ring. 13 Letters were sent by messengers to all the king’s empire. They stated the king’s order to destroy, kill and completely wipe out all the Jews. That meant young and old, women and little children, too. The order said to kill all the Jews on a single day. That was to be the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which was Adar. And it said to take all the things that belonged to the Jews. 14 A copy of the order was to be given out as a law in every area. It was to be made known to all the people so that they would be ready for that day.
15 The messengers set out, hurried by the king’s command. At the same time the order was given in the palace at Susa. And the king and Haman sat down to drink. But the city of Susa was in confusion.
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