Haman’s Plot against the Jews

1After these events, King Xerxes (I will be silent and poor) honored Haman (magnificent) son of Hammedatha (double), the Agagite (I will overtop), elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him. 2All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman (magnificent), because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai (little man) would not bow down or pay homage.

3Then the royal servants at the king’s gate asked Mordecai (little man), “Why do you disobey the command of the king?”

4Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman (magnificent) to see whether Mordecai’s (little man) behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

5When Haman (magnificent) saw that Mordecai (little man) would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage. 6And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s (little man) people, he scorned the notion of \he disdained in his eyes/a laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he (magnificent) sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes (I will be silent and poor).

7In the twelfth year of King Xerxes (I will be silent and poor), in the first month, the month of Nisan (March / April),b the Pur (lot / piece) (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman (magnificent) to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.c

8Then Haman (magnificent) informed King Xerxes (I will be silent and poor), “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver <377 t / 342 mt>d into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”

10So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman (magnificent) son of Hammedatha (double), the Agagite (I will overtop), the enemy of the Jews. 11“Keep your money,” said the king to Haman (magnificent). “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”

12On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman (magnificent) commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes (I will be silent and poor) and sealed with the royal signet ring.

13And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar (February / March), the twelfth month.

14A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day. 15The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa (lily). Then the king and Haman (magnificent) sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.