Haman’s Plot against the Jews

1After these things, King Ahasuerus made great Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and he lifted him up and he set his seat above all the officials who were with him. 2And all the servants of the king who were at the gate of the king were bowing and prostrating themselves to Haman, for thus the king had commanded concerning him; and Mordecai would not bow and would not prostrate himself.

3And the servants of the king who were at the gate of the king said to Mordecai, “Why are you passing over the command of the king?”

4And it came to pass, in their speaking to him day by day, and he would not listen to them. And they declared it to Haman, to see if the words of Mordecai would stand, for he had declared to them that he was a Jew.†

5And Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing and prostrating himself to him, and Haman was filled with rage. 6And it was despised in his eyes to stretch out a hand against Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai. And Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.

7In the first month—it is the month of Nisan†—in the two and tenth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot) before the face of Haman from day to day and from month to month, until month two and ten, it is the month of Adar.†

8And Haman said to king Ahasuerus, “There is one people scattered and separated between the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from all people, and the laws of the king they are not doing, and for the king it is not fitting to let them remain. 9If upon the king it is good, let it be written for them to perish, and ten thousand talents of silver† I will weigh out into the hands of those doing the work, to bring it into the treasuries of the king.”

10And the king removed his signet ring from upon his hand, and he gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11And the king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, and the people, to do with them as is good in your eyes.”

12And the scribes of the king were called in the first month, on the three and tenth day of it, and it was written according to all that Haman commanded to the satraps of the king, and to the governors who were over province and province, and to the officials of people and people, province by province according to its writing, and people by people according to its tongue. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and it was sealed with the signet ring of the king.

13And the letters were sent by the hand of the runners to all the provinces of the king, to destroy, to kill, and to exterminate all of the Jews from young even to old, little children and women, in a single day, on the three and tenth day of the two and tenth month, it is the month of Adar, and to plunder their spoils.

14A copy of the writing was to be given as law in every province and province, being revealed to all the peoples, to be ready for this day. 15The runners went forth, hurrying by the word of the king, and the law was given in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, and the city of Susa was in confusion.

Footnotes:

4 Or Judean(s); The term is not limited to the ancestral tribe of Judah, but refers more broadly to the exilic/post-exilic people dispersed throughout the Persian Empire; here and throughout the chapter
7 Nisan is the first month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of March and April.
7 LXX before the face of Haman—a day and month—and the lot fell on the fourteenth of the month of Adar; the month of Adar (also in verse 13) is the twelfth month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of February and March.
9 10,000 talents is approximately 377 tons or 342 metric tons of silver.