Esther 3:7-15
New King James Version
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, (A)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; (B)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 (C)took (D)his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the (E)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 (F)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 (G)according to its script, and to every people in their language. (H)In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 And the letters were (I)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, (J)in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and (K)to plunder their [d]possessions. 14 (L)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 (M)the city of Shushan was [g]perplexed.
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- 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 3:7-15
Lexham English Bible
7 In the first month, that is, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasurus, he cast pur—that is, the lot—before the presence of Haman for the day and for the month,[a] until[b] the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar. 8 And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all of the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from every other people, and they do not observe[c] the laws of the king; it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will pay[d] ten thousand talents[e] of silver to those who do the job, to bring to the treasury of the king.” 10 So the king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you and to the people to do with it as you see fit.[f]
12 And the king’s secretaries were called in the first month on the thirteenth day, and a decree was issued, according to all that Haman commanded, to the satraps of the king and to the governors who were over all the provinces, and to the officials of all the people, to each province according to its own script and to all people according to their own language; it was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was sealed with the king’s ring. 13 Letters were sent by couriers[g] to all the provinces of the king to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old,[h] women and children, on one day, the thirteenth day of the month, that is Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the edict was presented as law in every province making it known to all the people to be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out quickly by order of the king, and the law was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; and the city of Susa was bewildered.[i]
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- Esther 3:7 Literally “from day to day and from month to month”
- Esther 3:7 The Septuagint adds, “and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of”
- Esther 3:8 Literally “do”
- Esther 3:9 Or “I will weigh”
- Esther 3:9 Hebrew “talent”
- Esther 3:11 Literally “as the good is in your eyes”
- Esther 3:13 Or “by runners”
- Esther 3:13 Literally “from young to old”
- Esther 3:15 Or “disturbed”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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