Esther 3
Christian Standard Bible
Haman’s Plan to Kill the Jews
3 After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored 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 authorizing their destruction, and I will pay 375 tons of silver to[b] the officials for 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
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Haman Undertakes to Destroy the Jews
3 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite and advanced him and set his seat above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and did obeisance to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance.(A) 3 Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”(B) 4 When they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance to him, Haman was infuriated.(C) 6 But he thought it beneath him to kill[a] only Mordecai. So, having been told who Mordecai’s people were, Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.(D)
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur—which means “the lot”—before Haman for the day and for the month, and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of[b] the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.(E) 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them.(F) 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued for their destruction, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, so that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.” 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.(G) 11 The king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, and the people as well, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
12 Then the king’s secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king’s satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language; it was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s ring.(H) 13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, giving orders to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, children and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.(I) 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation, calling on all the peoples to be ready for that day.(J) 15 The couriers went quickly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.(K)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.