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Esther 3
New American Standard Bible

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.

7 In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, [h]Pur, that is the lot, was (I)cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, [i]until the twelfth month, that is (J)the month Adar. 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; (K)their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not [j]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 [k]decreed that they be eliminated, and I will pay [l]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 (L)the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha (M)the Agagite, (N)the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The silver is [m]yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.”

12 (O)Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to (P)the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the officials of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written (Q)in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 Letters were sent by (R)couriers to all the king’s provinces (S)to annihilate, kill, and destroy all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, (T)in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to (U)seize their possessions as plunder. 14 (V)A copy of the edict to be [n]issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they would be ready for this day. 15 The couriers went out, speeded by the king’s [o]order while the decree was [p]issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, (W)the city of Susa was agitated.

Footnotes

  1. Esther 3:1 Lit set his seat
  2. Esther 3:2 I.e., great respect and honor to a superior
  3. Esther 3:2 I.e., great respect and honor to a superior
  4. Esther 3:4 I.e., as valid
  5. Esther 3:5 I.e., great respect and honor to a superior
  6. Esther 3:6 Lit despised in his eyes
  7. Esther 3:6 Lit send a hand against
  8. Esther 3:7 Lit he cast Pur...before
  9. Esther 3:7 LXX and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of
  10. Esther 3:8 Lit do the
  11. Esther 3:9 Lit written
  12. Esther 3:9 About 375 tons or 340 metric tons
  13. Esther 3:11 Lit given to you
  14. Esther 3:14 Lit given
  15. Esther 3:15 Lit word
  16. Esther 3:15 Lit given
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Esther 3
The Voice

The Persians execute their criminals by impaling them on a sharpened pole.

3 A little while later, according to King Ahasuerus’ wishes, Haman (son of Hammedatha, an Agagite) was promoted to a rank above all his fellow nobles in the kingdom. 2 The officials at the king’s gate all bowed down before Haman and paid him homage because the king commanded this. But Mordecai, the Jew, refused to kneel and refused to honor him.

The bad blood between the families of Benjamin and Agag goes back a long way to the time when Saul, a Benjaminite, destroyed the Amalekites and took their king, Agag, as his captive (1 Samuel 15:7–9). Now the tables are turned, and Agag’s descendant exercises nearly supreme power over Mordecai and the other subjects of Persian power. But, true to his Jewish teaching, Mordecai bows to no man nor pays him homage. That honor is reserved for God and Him alone.

3 Mordecai’s actions came to the attention of the king’s officials standing at the gate.

Officials (looking at Mordecai): Why are you disobeying the king’s command?

4 The officers questioned him daily about his disobedience to the king, but Mordecai refused to listen and bow down. The officers reported this to Haman to learn whether or not Mordecai’s excuse would be tolerated, for Mordecai had told them he was a Jew. 5 Haman was furious when he saw that Mordecai refused to bow and pay him the respect he was due. 6 But Haman wasn’t to be satisfied with killing only Mordecai, so he began to think of ways to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

7 During the 1st month (the month of Nisan) of Ahasuerus’ 12th year as king, they cast lots (also known as “purim”) in the presence of Haman in order to select a day and month. [The lot fell on the 13th day of][a] the 12th month (the month of Adar), a day nearly one year in the future.

Haman (to the king): 8 All the provinces in your kingdom are overrun with one insignificant group of foreigners, people who haven’t adopted our customs. Their laws differ from all other peoples’, and they do not keep your laws. Therefore it’s not a good idea for you to tolerate them or their actions any longer. 9 If it is your wish, sign an order that these people be destroyed, and I will bear all the costs. I’ll pay 375 tons of silver directly to those who carry out the king’s business in order to relieve the royal treasury of the expense.

10 Not knowing which group of foreigners was being targeted, the king took his signet ring, the symbol of his power and authority, from his finger and passed it to Haman (son of Hammedatha, the Agagite), who hated the Jews.

King Ahasuerus (to Haman): 11 The money is yours and the people are yours also to do with as you wish.

12 On the 13th day of the 1st month, the royal secretaries were summoned. The king’s order was written down exactly the way Haman dictated it to all of the king’s rulers of the regions, governors of the provinces, and nobles of the ethnic groups. The orders were written in every script and every language spoken in the provinces in the name of the king, and they were sealed into law with his ring. 13 Messengers were sent out to all the royal provinces with the official law giving the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all of the Jews. They were to kill everyone, including women and children, young and old, on the 13th day of the 12th month (the month of Adar), and they were free to take everything the Jews owned. 14 An official copy of the king’s order was to be issued to every province and read publicly, so that the people could get ready for that day. 15 The messengers were quickly dispatched by order of the king. Then the decree was publicly proclaimed in the citadel of Susa. As the king and Haman relaxed and drank wine, the city of Susa was thrown into chaos.

Footnotes

  1. 3:7 Hebrew manuscripts omit this portion.
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Esther 3
The Message

3 1-2 Some time later, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, making him the highest-ranking official in the government. All the king’s servants at the King’s Gate used to honor him by bowing down and kneeling before Haman—that’s what the king had commanded.

2-4 Except Mordecai. Mordecai wouldn’t do it, wouldn’t bow down and kneel. The king’s servants at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai about it: “Why do you cross the king’s command?” Day after day they spoke to him about this but he wouldn’t listen, so they went to Haman to see whether something shouldn’t be done about it. Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.

5-6 When Haman saw for himself that Mordecai didn’t bow down and kneel before him, he was outraged. Meanwhile, having learned that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman hated to waste his fury on just one Jew; he looked for a way to eliminate not just Mordecai but all Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

7 In the first month, the month of Nisan, of the twelfth year of Xerxes, the pur—that is, the lot—was cast under Haman’s charge to determine the propitious day and month. The lot turned up the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

8-9 Haman then spoke with King Xerxes: “There is an odd set of people scattered through the provinces of your kingdom who don’t fit in. Their customs and ways are different from those of everybody else. Worse, they disregard the king’s laws. They’re an affront; the king shouldn’t put up with them. If it please the king, let orders be given that they be destroyed. I’ll pay for it myself. I’ll deposit 375 tons of silver in the royal bank to finance the operation.”

10 The king slipped his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, archenemy of the Jews.

11 “Go ahead,” the king said to Haman. “It’s your money—do whatever you want with those people.”

12 The king’s secretaries were brought in on the thirteenth day of the first month. The orders were written out word for word as Haman had addressed them to the king’s satraps, the governors of every province, and the officials of every people. They were written in the script of each province and the language of each people in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.

13-14 Bulletins were sent out by couriers to all the king’s provinces with orders to massacre, kill, and eliminate all the Jews—youngsters and old men, women and babies—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and to plunder their goods. Copies of the bulletin were to be posted in each province, publicly available to all peoples, to get them ready for that day.

15 At the king’s command, the couriers took off; the order was also posted in the palace complex of Susa. The king and Haman sat back and had a drink while the city of Susa reeled from the news.

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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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