Haman’s Plan to Kill the Jews

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) 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) The members of the royal staff at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” 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.

When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or paying him homage, he was filled with rage.(F) 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)

Read full chapter

Notas al pie

  1. 3:6 Lit to stretch out a hand against

Haman is Promoted

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and he exalted him and set his position[a] above all the officials who were with him. And all of the king’s servants who were at the gate of the king were kneeling and bowing down to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him, but Mordecai did not kneel and bow down. And the king’s servants who were at the gate of the king said to Mordecai, “Why are you transgressing the command of the king?” They spoke to him day after day, but he did not listen to them, and they informed Haman to see if Mordecai’s resolve would prevail;[b] for he had told them that he was a Jew. And Haman saw that Mordecai was not kneeling and bowing down to him, and he was filled with anger. But he considered it beneath him[c] to lay hands on Mordecai only, for they told him of Mordecai’s people, and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Read full chapter

Notas al pie

  1. Esther 3:1 Literally “his throne”
  2. Esther 3:4 Literally “the word’s of Mordecai would stand”
  3. Esther 3:6 Literally “he despised it in his eyes”