[1] After these things King Ahasu-e'rus promoted Haman the Ag'agite, the
son of Hammeda'tha, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes
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 Mor'decai did not bow down or do obeisance. [3] Then
the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mor'decai, "Why do
you transgress the king's command?" [4] And when they spoke to him day
after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see
whether Mor'decai's words would avail; for he had told them that he was a
Jew. [5] And when Haman saw that Mor'decai did not bow down or do obeisance
to him, Haman was filled with fury. [6] But he disdained to lay hands on
Mor'decai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mor'decai,
Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mor'decai, throughout
the whole kingdom of Ahasu-e'rus. [7] In the first month, which is the
month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasu-e'rus, they cast Pur,
that is the lot, before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after
month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. [8] Then Haman
said to King Ahasu-e'rus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and
dispersed 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 for the king's profit to tolerate them.
[9] If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I
will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who have
charge of the king's business, 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 the Ag'agite, the son of Hammeda'tha, the enemy of the Jews.
[11] And the king said to Haman, "The money is given to you, the people
also, 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 princes 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 Ahasu-e'rus and sealed
with the king's ring. [13] Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's
provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old,
women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,
which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. [14] A copy of the
document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to
all the peoples to be ready for that day. [15] The couriers went in haste
by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the capital. And
the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was perplexed.
