Chapter 3

1 After these events, King Achashverosh promoted Haman, son of Hamdata, the Agagite and advanced him; he placed his seat above all his fellow ministers. 2 All the king's servants at the king's gate kneeled and bowed before Haman, for so had the king commanded concerning him. But Mordechai would not kneel or bow. 3 The king's servants at the king's gate said to Mordechai, "Why do you transgress the King's command?" 4 Finally, when they had said this to him day after day and he did not listen to them, they informed Haman to see if Mordechai's words would endure, for he had told them that he [would never bow because he] was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordechai would not kneel or bow before him, Haman was filled with wrath. 6 But he thought it contemptible to kill only Mordechai, for they had informed him of Mordechai's nationality. Haman sought to annihilate all the Jews, Mordechai's people, throughout Achashveirosh's entire kingdom. 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nissan, in the twelfth year of King Achashverosh's reign, a pur, which is a lot, was cast before Haman, for every day and every month, [and it fell] on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

8 Haman said to King Achashverosh, "There is one nation scattered and dispersed among the nations throughout the provinces of your kingdom, whose laws are unlike those of any other nation and who do not obey the laws of the King. It is not in the King's interest to tolerate them. 9 If it please the King, let [an edict] be issued for their destruction, and I will pay ten thousand silver talents to the functionaries, to be deposited in the King's treasuries." 10 The king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, son of Hamdata, the Agagite, persecutor of the Jews. 11 The king said to Haman, "The money is yours to keep, and the nation is yours to do with as you please." 12 The king's scribes were then summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and all that Haman commanded to the king's satraps and the governors of each province and to the nobles of each nation was written to each province according to its script and each nation according to its language. It was written in King Achashveirosh's name and sealed with the king's signet ring. 13 Letters were sent with couriers to all the provinces of the king: to annihilate, murder and destroy all the Jews, young and old, children and women, on one dayùthe thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar and to plunder their possessions. 14 Copies of the edict were to be proclaimed as law in every province, clearly to all the nations, so that they should be ready for that day. 15 The couriers hurried out with the order of the king and the law was proclaimed in Shushan the capital. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Shushan was in turmoil.