Esther Chapter 3

Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews

¹ After that, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and made his authority secure over his fellow officials. ² The king’s aides at the king’s gate bowed in homage to Haman because that’s what the king commanded. But Mordecai didn’t bow. ³ The king’s aides at the king’s gate said, “Why aren’t you obeying the king?” ⁴ When they’d spoken every day to him and he ignored them they told Haman to see if he would tolerate Mordecai’s reason for not bowing to him: he’d told them he was a Jew. ⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow in homage, it made him mad. ⁶ But he thought it was beneath his station to arrest only Mordecai. Since they’d told him what Mordecai’s nationality was, he made an effort to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom.                                       Esther 3:1-6

⁷ In the first month (Nisan), twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (the lot) in front of Haman daily and from month to month, till the twelfth month (Adar). ⁸ Then Haman told King Ahasuerus,

“There’s a nation scattered around the provinces whose laws are different from other people’s laws. They don’t observe your laws; so it’s not in your interest to let them stay. ⁹ If it pleases you, issue a decree to destroy them. I’ll pay 377½ tons ^{10,000 talents} of silver to the ones that carry out your business, and I’ll put it in your treasuries.”               Esther 3:7-9

¹⁰ The king took off his signet ring and gave it to Haman, enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ He told him, “The silver is yours, and the people too. Do what you want to with them.” ¹² Then the king’s scribes were summoned the thirteenth day, first month. They wrote what Haman told the king’s satraps, the governors in each province, the rulers of each people group—each province in its script, each people in its language—in the king’s name, sealed with his signet ring. ¹³ Letters went out by couriers to the king’s provinces to destroy, kill, and annihilate the Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day, twelfth month (Adar), and to confiscate their possessions. ¹⁴ A copy of the edict was issued in every province and published to all the people so they’d be ready on that day. ¹⁵ The couriers went out, urged by the king’s command, while the decree was issued in Susa. While the king and Haman sat down to drink, Susa was in confusion.               Esther 3:10-15