Skip to content
Esther / Haman Elevated and the Decree Against the Jews
Navigation
A A

Haman Elevated and the Decree Against the Jews

Esther 3:1-15

3
Chapter 3
1 After these matters King Ahasuerus greatly exalted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite and bore him up and set his throne above all the chiefs who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate were bowing and prostrating themselves to Haman, for so the king had commanded him. But Mordecai did not bow and did not prostrate himself. 3 The king's servants at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why are you transgressing the king's commandment?" 4 As they were saying to him day after day and he did not obey them, they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, because he had told them that he is a Jew. 5 Haman saw that Mordecai was not kneeling and prostrating to him, and Haman was filled with wrath. 6 He despised in his eyes sending a hand against Mordecai alone, for they had told him the people of Mordecai, and he sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai. 7 In the first month, it the month Nisan, in the year twelve to King Ahasuerus, he cast Pur, it the lot, before Haman from day to day and from month to month, twelve, it month Adar. 8 Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is one people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from every people, and they do not keep the king's laws. It is not fitting for the king to let them be." 9 If it seems good to the king, he may write to destroy them, and ten thousands of talents of silver I will weigh into the hands of those who do the work to bring into the treasuries of the king. 10 And the king removed his ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, enemy of the Jews. 11 The king said to Haman, "The silver is given to you, and the people, to do with them as seems good in your eyes." 12 They called the king's scribes in the first month, on the thirteenth day of it. He wrote according to all that Haman commanded to the king's satraps and to the governors who were over province and province and to the chiefs of people and people, province and province, according to its writing and people and people according to its tongue. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and it was sealed with the king's ring. 13 Letters were sent by the hand of the couriers to all the provinces of the king to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, from boy to elder, little ones and women, on one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month—it is the month Adar—and their spoil to plunder. 14 A copy of the document was given to grant a law in every province and province, revealed to all the peoples, to be ready for this day. 15 The couriers went out, urged on 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 Susa was confused.