After these
events
King
Ahasuerus
apromoted
Haman
, the son
of Hammedatha
bthe Agagite
, and aadvanced
him and 1established
his authority
over
all
the princes
who
were with him.
All the king's
servants
who
were at the king's
gate
bowed
down
1and paid
homage
to Haman
; for so
the king
had commanded
concerning him. But aMordecai
neither
bowed
down
nor
paid
homage
.
Then the king's servants
who
were at athe king's
gate
said
to Mordecai
, " bWhy
are you transgressing
the king's
command
?"
Now it was when they had spoken daily
to him and he would not listen
to them, that they told
Haman
to see
whether Mordecai's
reason
would stand
; for he had told
them that he was a Jew
.
When Haman saw
that aMordecai
neither
bowed
down
nor
paid
homage
to him, Haman
was filled
with rage
.
But he 1disdained to 2lay
hands
on Mordecai
alone
, for they had told
him who the people
of Mordecai
were; therefore Haman
asought
to destroy
all
the Jews
, the people
of Mordecai
, who
were throughout the whole
kingdom
of Ahasuerus
.
In the first month
, which
is the month
Nisan
, in the twelfth
year
of King
Ahasuerus
, 1Pur
, that is the lot
, was acast
before
Haman
from day
to day
and from month
to month, 2until the twelfth
month
, that is bthe month
Adar
.
Then Haman said
to King
Ahasuerus
, "There
is a certain
people
scattered
and dispersed
among
the peoples
in all
the provinces
of your kingdom
; atheir laws
are different
from those of all
other people
and they do not observe
the king's
laws
, so it is not in the king's
interest
to let them remain
.
"If it is pleasing
to the king
, let it be 1decreed
that they be destroyed
, and I will pay
ten
thousand
talents
of silver
into the hands
of those who carry
on the king's business
, to put
into the king's treasuries
."
Then athe king took
his signet
ring
from his hand
and gave
it to Haman
, the son
of Hammedatha
bthe Agagite
, cthe enemy
of the Jews
.
The king said
to Haman
, "The silver
is 1yours
, and the people
also, to do
with them as you please
."
aThen the king's scribes
were summoned
on the thirteenth
day
of the first
month
, and it was written
just
as Haman
commanded
to bthe 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 language
, being written
cin the name
of King
Ahasuerus
and sealed
with the king's
signet
ring
.
Letters were sent
by acouriers
to all
the king's
provinces
bto destroy
, to kill
and to annihilate
all
the Jews
, both
young
and old
, women
and children
, cin one
day
, the thirteenth
day of the twelfth
month
, which
is the month
Adar
, and to dseize
their possessions
as plunder
.
aA copy of the edict
to be 1issued
as law
in every
province
was published
to all
the peoples
so that they should be ready
for this
day
.
The couriers went
out impelled
by the king's
command
while the decree
was 1issued
at the citadel
in Susa
; and while the king
and Haman
sat
down
to drink
, athe city
of Susa
was in confusion
.