Esther 3

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

1AfterH310 theseH428 eventsH1697 KingH4428 AhasuerusH325 1promotedH1431 HamanH2001, the sonH1121 of HammedathaH1992 2the AgagiteH91, and 3advancedH5375 him and 4establishedH7760 his authorityH3678 overH4480H5921 allH3605 the princesH8269 whoH834 were with him. 2AllH3605 the king’sH4428 servantsH5650 whoH834 were at the king’sH4428 gateH8179 bowedH3766 downH3766 5and paidH7812 homageH7812 to HamanH2001; for soH3651 the kingH4428 had commandedH6680 concerning him. But 6MordecaiH4782 neitherH3808 bowedH3766 downH3766 norH3808 paidH7812 homageH7812. 3Then the king’sH4428 servantsH5650 whoH834 were at 7the king’sH4428 gateH8179 saidH559 to MordecaiH4782, “8WhyH4069 are you transgressingH5674 the king’sH4428 commandH4687?” 4Now it was when they had spokenH559 dailyH3117 to him and he would not listenH8085 to them, that they toldH5046 HamanH2001 to seeH7200 whether Mordecai’sH4782 reasonH1697 would standH5975; for he had toldH5046 them that he was a JewH3064. 5When HamanH2001 sawH7200 that 9MordecaiH4782 neitherH369 bowedH3766 downH3766 norH369 paidH7812 homageH7812 to him, HamanH2001 was filledH4390 with rageH2534. 6But he 10disdainedH959H5869 to 11layH7971 handsH3027 on MordecaiH4782 aloneH905, for they had toldH5046 him who the peopleH5971 of MordecaiH4782 were; therefore HamanH2001 12soughtH1245 to destroyH8045 allH3605 the JewsH3064, the peopleH5971 of MordecaiH4782, whoH834 were throughout the wholeH3605 kingdomH4438 of AhasuerusH325.

7In the firstH7223 monthH2320, whichH1931 is the monthH2320 NisanH5212, in the twelfthH8147H6240 yearH8141 of KingH4428 AhasuerusH325, 13PurH6332, that is the lotH1486, was 14castH5307 beforeH6440 HamanH2001 from dayH3117 to dayH3117 and from monthH2320 to month, 15until the twelfthH8147H6240 monthH2320, that is 16the monthH2320 AdarH143. 8Then HamanH2001 saidH559 to KingH4428 AhasuerusH325, “ThereH3426 is a certainH259 peopleH5971 scatteredH6340 and dispersedH6504 amongH996 the peoplesH5971 in allH3605 the provincesH4082 of your kingdomH4438; 17their lawsH1881 are differentH8132 from those of allH3605 other peopleH5971 and they do not observeH6213 the king’sH4428 lawsH1881, so it is not in the king’sH4428 interestH7737 to let them remainH5117. 9IfH518 it is pleasingH2895 to the kingH4428, let it be 18decreedH3789 that they be destroyedH6, and I will payH8254 tenH6235 thousandH505 talentsH3603 of silverH3701 into the handsH3027 of those who carryH6213 on the king’s businessH4399, to putH935 into the king’s treasuriesH1595.” 10Then 19the kingH4428 tookH5493 his signetH2885 ringH2885 from his handH3027 and gaveH5414 it to HamanH2001, the sonH1121 of HammedathaH1992 20the AgagiteH91, 21the enemyH6887 of the JewsH3064. 11The kingH4428 saidH559 to HamanH2001, “The silverH3701 is 22yoursH5414, and the peopleH5971 also, to doH6213 with them as you pleaseH2896H5869.”

1223Then the king’sH4428 scribesH5613 were summonedH7121 on the thirteenthH7969H6240 dayH3117 of the firstH7223 monthH2320, and it was writtenH3789 justH3605H834 as HamanH2001 commandedH6680 to 24the king’sH4428 satrapsH323, to the governorsH6346 whoH834 were overH5921 eachH4082 provinceH4082 and to the princesH8269 of eachH5971 peopleH5971, eachH4082 provinceH4082 according to its scriptH3791, eachH5971 peopleH5971 according to its languageH3956, being writtenH3789 25in the nameH8034 of KingH4428 AhasuerusH325 and sealedH2856 with the king’sH4428 signetH2885 ringH2885. 13LettersH5612 were sentH7971 by 26couriersH7323 to allH3605 the king’sH4428 provincesH4082 27to destroyH8045, to killH2026 and to annihilateH6 allH3605 the JewsH3064, bothH4480 youngH5288 and oldH2205, womenH802 and childrenH2945, 28in oneH259 dayH3117, the thirteenthH7969H6240 day of the twelfthH8147H6240 monthH2320, whichH1931 is the monthH2320 AdarH143, and to 29seizeH962 their possessionsH7998 as plunderH962. 1430A copyH6572 of the edictH3791 to be 31issuedH5414 as lawH1881 in everyH3605 provinceH4082 was publishedH1540 to allH3605 the peoplesH5971 so that they should be readyH6264 for thisH2088 dayH3117. 15The couriersH7323 wentH3318 out impelledH1765 by the king’sH4428 commandH1697 while the decreeH1881 was 32issuedH5414 at the citadelH1002 in SusaH7800; and while the kingH4428 and HamanH2001 satH3427 downH3427 to drinkH8354, 33the cityH5892 of SusaH7800 was in confusionH943.