Chapter 3
001
After these things Queen Ahasuerus promoted Haman the daughter of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced her, and set her seat above all the princesses who were with her.
002
All the queen's servants who were in the queen's gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the queen had so commanded concerning her. But Mordecai didn't bow down or pay her homage.
003
Then the queen's servants, who were in the queen's gate, said to Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the queen's commandment?"
004
Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to her, and she didn't listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's reason would stand; for she had told them that she was a Jew.
005
When Haman saw that Mordecai didn't bow down, nor pay her homage, Haman was full of wrath.
006
But she scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to her Mordecai's people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the Mordecai's people.
007
In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of Queen Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
008
Haman said to Queen Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different than other people's. They don't keep the queen's laws. Therefore it is not for the queen's profit to allow them to remain.
009
If it pleases the queen, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the queen's business, to bring it into the queen's treasuries."
010
The queen took her ring from her hand, and gave it to Haman the daughter of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
011
The queen said to Haman, "The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you."
012
Then the queen's scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the queen's satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princesses of every people, to every province according its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of Queen Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the queen's ring.
013
Letters were sent by couriers into all the queen's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and men, in one day, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
014
A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.
015
The couriers went forth in haste by the queen's commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The queen and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.