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In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, [a]Pur, that is the lot, was (A)cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, [b]until the twelfth month, that is (B)the month Adar. Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; (C)their laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not do the king’s laws, so it is not worth it for the king to let them remain. If it seems good to the king, let it be written down that they should perish, and I will pay [c]10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who do this work, to bring into the king’s treasuries.” 10 Then (D)the king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha (E)the Agagite, (F)the adversary of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The silver is [d]yours, and the people also, to do with them according to what is good in your eyes.”

12 (G)Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to (H)the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its tongue, being written (I)in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 And letters were sent by the hand of (J)couriers to all the king’s provinces (K)to destroy, to kill, and to cause all the Jews to perish, both young and old, little ones and women, (L)in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to (M)plunder their spoil. 14 (N)A copy of that which was written down to be given as law in every province was revealed to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. 15 The couriers went out, hastened by the word of the king. And the law was given at the citadel in Susa. Now the king and Haman sat down to drink, but (O)the city of Susa was in confusion.

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 3:7 Lit he cast Pur...before
  2. Esther 3:7 Gr and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of
  3. Esther 3:9 Approx. 375 tons or 340 metric tons, a talent was approx. 75 lb. or 34 kg
  4. Esther 3:11 Lit given to you

So in the month of April,[a] during the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign, lots were cast in Haman’s presence (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.[b]

Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live. If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks[c] of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”

10 The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 The king said, “The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.”

12 So on April 17[d] the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year.[e] The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.

14 A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. 15 At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:7a Hebrew in the first month, the month of Nisan. This month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred within the months of April and May 474 B.c.; also see note on 2:16.
  2. 3:7b As in 3:13, which reads the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar; Hebrew reads in the twelfth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. The date selected was March 7, 473 B.c.; also see note on 2:16.
  3. 3:9 Hebrew 10,000 talents, about 375 tons or 340 metric tons in weight.
  4. 3:12 Hebrew On the thirteenth day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was April 17, 474 B.c.; also see note on 2:16.
  5. 3:13 Hebrew on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. The date selected was March 7, 473 B.c.; also see note on 2:16.