Esther 3
New King James Version
Haman’s Conspiracy Against the Jews
3 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the (A)Agagite, and (B)advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were (C)within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai (D)would not bow or pay homage. 3 Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the (E)king’s command?” 4 Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai (F)did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was (G)filled with wrath. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman (H)sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, (I)they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman [a]to determine the day and the [b]month, [c]until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; (J)their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
10 So the king (K)took (L)his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the (M)enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”
12 (N)Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province (O)according to its script, and to every people in their language. (P)In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 And the letters were (Q)sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, (R)in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and (S)to plunder their [d]possessions. 14 (T)A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in [e]Shushan the [f]citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but (U)the city of Shushan was [g]perplexed.
Footnotes
- Esther 3:7 Lit. from day to day and month to month
- Esther 3:7 LXX adds to destroy the people of Mordecai in one day; Vg. adds the nation of the Jews should be destroyed
- Esther 3:7 So with MT, Vg.; LXX and the lot fell on the fourteenth of the month
- Esther 3:13 LXX adds the text of the letter here
- Esther 3:15 Or Susa
- Esther 3:15 palace
- Esther 3:15 in confusion
Esther 3
Young's Literal Translation
3 After these things hath the king Ahasuerus exalted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and lifteth him up, and setteth his throne above all the heads who [are] with him,
2 and all servants of the king, who [are] in the gate of the king, are bowing and doing obeisance to Haman, for so hath the king commanded for him; and Mordecai doth not bow nor do obeisance.
3 And the servants of the king, who [are] in the gate of the king, say to Mordecai, `Wherefore [art] thou transgressing the command of the king?'
4 And it cometh to pass, in their speaking unto him, day by day, and he hath not hearkened unto them, that they declare [it] to Haman, to see whether the words of Mordecai do stand, for he hath declared to them that he [is] a Jew.
5 And Haman seeth that Mordecai is not bowing and doing obeisance to him, and Haman is full of fury,
6 and it is contemptible in his eyes to put forth a hand on Mordecai by himself, for they have declared to him the people of Mordecai, and Haman seeketh to destroy all the Jews who [are] in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus -- the people of Mordecai.
7 In the first month -- it [is] the month of Nisan -- in the twelfth year of the king Ahasuerus, hath one caused to fall Pur (that [is] the lot) before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, [to] the twelfth, it [is] the month of Adar.
8 And Haman saith to the king Ahasuerus, `There is one people scattered and separated among the peoples, in all provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws [are] diverse from all people, and the laws of the king they are not doing, and for the king it is not profitable to suffer them;
9 if to the king [it be] good, let it be written to destroy them, and ten thousand talents of silver I weigh into the hands of those doing the work, to bring [it] in unto the treasuries of the king.'
10 And the king turneth aside his signet from off his hand, and giveth it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, adversary of the Jews;
11 and the king saith to Haman, `The silver is given to thee, and the people, to do with it as [it is] good in thine eyes.'
12 And scribes of the king are called, on the first month, on the thirteenth day of it, and it is written according to all that Haman hath commanded, unto lieutenants of the king, and unto the governors who [are] over province and province, and unto the heads of people and people, province and province, according to its writing, and people and people according to its tongue, in the name of the king Ahasuerus it hath been written and sealed with the signet of the king,
13 and letters to be sent by the hand of the runners unto all provinces of the king, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy all the Jews, from young even unto old, infant and women, on one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month -- it [is] the month of Adar -- and their spoil to seize,
14 a copy of the writing to be made law in every province and province is revealed to all the peoples, to be ready for this day.
15 The runners have gone forth, hastened by the word of the king, and the law hath been given in Shushan the palace, and the king and Haman have sat down to drink, and the city Shushan is perplexed.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
