Esther 3

1AfterH310 theseH428 things didH834 kingH4428 AhasuerusH325 promote HamanH2001 the sonH1121 of Hammedatha the AgagiteH91, and advancedH5375 him, and setH7760 his seatH3678 aboveH5921 allH3605 the princesH8269 that were with him. 2And allH3605 the king’sH4428 servantsH5650, that were in the king’sH4428 gateH8179, bowedH7812 downH7812, and didH834 reverence to HamanH2001: for the kingH4428 had soH3651 commandedH6680 concerning him. But MordecaiH4782 bowedH7812 notH3808 downH7812, norH3808 didH834 him reverence. 3Then the king’sH4428 servantsH5650, that were in the king’sH4428 gateH8179, saidH559 unto MordecaiH4782, WhyH4069 transgressest thou the king’sH4428 commandmentH4687? 4NowH1961 it cameH1961 to passH1961, when they spake dailyH3117 unto him, and he hearkened notH3808 unto them, that they toldH5046 HamanH2001, to seeH7200 whetherH7200 Mordecai’sH4782 mattersH1697 would standH5975: for he had toldH5046 them that he was a JewH3064. 5And when HamanH2001 sawH7200 that MordecaiH4782 bowedH7812 notH369 downH7812, norH369 didH7812 him reverence, then was HamanH2001 fullH4390 of wrathH2534. 6But he thoughtH5869 scorn to layH7971 handsH3027 on MordecaiH4782 aloneH905; for they had shewed him the peopleH5971 of MordecaiH4782: wherefore HamanH2001 soughtH1245 to destroyH8045 allH3605 the JewsH3064 that were throughoutH3605 the wholeH3605 kingdomH4438 of AhasuerusH325, evenH3588 the peopleH5971 of MordecaiH4782. 7In the firstH7223 monthH2320, whichH1931 is the monthH2320 NisanH5212, in the twelfth yearH8141 of kingH4428 AhasuerusH325, they castH5307 PurH6332, that is, the lotH1486, beforeH6440 HamanH2001 from dayH3117 to dayH3117, and from monthH2320 to monthH2320, to the twelfth monthH2320, whichH1931 is the monthH2320 AdarH143. 8And HamanH2001 saidH559 unto kingH4428 AhasuerusH325, There is a certainH259 peopleH5971 scatteredH6340 abroad and dispersedH6504 among the peoplesH5971 in allH3605 the provincesH4082 of thy kingdomH4438; and their lawsH1881 are diverse from thoseH3605 of everyH3605 peopleH5971; neitherH369 keepH6213 they the king’sH4428 lawsH1881: therefore it is notH369 for the king’sH4428 profit to suffer them. 9IfH518 it pleaseH2895 the kingH4428, let it be writtenH3789 that they be destroyedH6: and I will payH8254 tenH6235 thousandH505 talentsH3603 of silverH3701 intoH413 the handsH3027 of thoseH5921 that have the chargeH5921 of the king’sH4428 businessH4399, to bringH935 it intoH413 the king’sH4428 treasuriesH1595. 10And the kingH4428 tookH5493 his ringH2885 from his handH3027, and gaveH5414 it unto HamanH2001 the sonH1121 of Hammedatha the AgagiteH91, the Jews’H3064 enemyH6887. 11And the kingH4428 saidH559 unto HamanH2001, The silverH3701 is givenH5414 to thee, the peopleH5971 also, to doH6213 with them as it seemeth goodH2896 to thee. 12Then were the king’sH4428 scribesH5608 calledH7121 in the firstH7223 monthH2320, on the thirteenth dayH3117 thereof, and there was writtenH3789 accordingH5921 to allH3605 that HamanH2001 commandedH6680 unto the king’sH4428 satrapsH323, and to the governorsH6346 that were over everyH3605 provinceH4082, and to the princesH8269 of everyH3605 peopleH5971; to everyH3605 provinceH4082 accordingH5921 to the writingH3789 thereof, and to everyH3605 peopleH5971 afterH5921 their languageH3956; in the nameH8034 of kingH4428 AhasuerusH325 was it writtenH3789, and it was sealedH2856 with the king’sH4428 ringH2885. 13And lettersH5612 were sentH7971 by posts intoH413 allH3605 the king’sH4428 provincesH4082, to destroyH8045, to slayH2026, and to cause to perishH6, allH3605 JewsH3064, bothH8147 youngH5288 and oldH2205, littleH2945 childrenH2945 and womenH802, in one dayH3117, evenH5704 uponH413 the thirteenth dayH3117 of the twelfth monthH2320, whichH1931 is the monthH2320 AdarH143, and to takeH962 the spoilH7998 of them for a preyH962. 14A copyH6572 of the writingH3791, that the decreeH1881 should be givenH5414 outH3605 in everyH3605 provinceH4082, was publishedH1540 unto allH3605 the peoplesH5971, that they should be readyH6264 againstH3605 that dayH3117. 15The posts wentH3318 forthH3318 in haste by the king’sH4428 commandmentH1697, and the decreeH1881 was givenH5414 outH3318 in Shushan the palace: and the kingH4428 and HamanH2001 satH3427 downH3427 to drinkH8354; but the cityH5892 of Shushan was perplexed.