Esther 3 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

1 After ^H310 these ^H428 events ^H1697 King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 honored ^H1431 Haman ^H2001, the son ^H1121 of Hammedatha ^H4099 the Agagite ^H91, and promoted ^H5375 him and [fn]established ^H7760 his authority ^H3678 over ^H4480 H5921 all ^H3605 the officials ^H8269 who ^H834 were with him.

2 All ^H3605 the king’s ^H4428 servants ^H5650 who ^H834 were at the king’s ^H4428 gate ^H8179 bowed ^H3766 down ^H3766 and paid ^H2331 [fn]homage ^H2331 to Haman ^H2001; for so ^H3651 the king ^H4428 had commanded ^H6680 regarding him. But Mordecai ^H4782 neither ^H3808 bowed ^H3766 down ^H3766 nor ^H3808 paid ^H2331 [fn]homage ^H2331. 3 Then the king’s ^H4428 servants ^H5650 who ^H834 were at the king’s ^H4428 gate ^H8179 said ^H559 to Mordecai ^H4782, “Why ^H4069 are you violating ^H5674 the king’s ^H4428 command ^H4687?” 4 Now it was when they had spoken ^H559 daily ^H3117 to him and he would not listen ^H8085 to them, that they told ^H5046 Haman ^H2001 to see ^H7200 whether Mordecai’s ^H4782 reason ^H1697 would [fn]stand ^H5975; for he had told ^H5046 them that he was a Jew ^H3064. 5 When Haman ^H2001 saw ^H7200 that Mordecai ^H4782 neither ^H369 bowed ^H3766 down ^H3766 nor ^H369 paid ^H2331 [fn]homage ^H2331 to him, Haman ^H2001 was filled ^H4390 with rage ^H2534. 6 But he [fn]considered ^H959 H5869 it beneath ^H959 H5869 his dignity ^H959 H5869 to [fn]kill ^H7971 H3027 Mordecai ^H4782 alone ^H905, for they had told ^H5046 him who the people ^H5971 of Mordecai ^H4782 were; so Haman ^H2001 sought ^H1245 to annihilate ^H8045 all ^H3605 the Jews ^H3064, the people ^H5971 of Mordecai ^H4782, who ^H834 were found throughout ^H3605 the kingdom ^H4438 of Ahasuerus ^H325.

7 In the first ^H7223 month ^H2320, which ^H1931 is the month ^H2320 Nisan ^H5212, in the twelfth ^H8147 H6240 year ^H8141 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325, [fn]Pur ^H6332, that is the lot ^H1486, was cast ^H5307 before ^H6440 Haman ^H2001 from day ^H3117 to day ^H3117 and from month ^H2320 to month, [fn]until the twelfth ^H8147 H6240 month ^H2320, that is the month ^H2320 Adar ^H143. 8 Then Haman ^H2001 said ^H559 to King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325, “There ^H3426 is ^H3426 a certain ^H259 people ^H5971 scattered ^H6340 and dispersed ^H6504 among ^H996 the peoples ^H5971 in all ^H3605 the provinces ^H4082 of your kingdom ^H4438; their laws ^H1881 are different ^H8132 from those of all ^H3605 other people ^H5971 and they do not [fn]comply ^H6213 with ^H6213 the king’s ^H4428 laws ^H1881, so it is not in the king’s ^H4428 interest ^H7737 to let ^H5117 them remain ^H5117. 9 If ^H518 it is pleasing ^H2895 to the king ^H4428, let it be [fn]decreed ^H3789 that they be eliminated ^H6, and I will pay ^H8254 [fn]ten ^H6235 thousand ^H505 talents ^H3603 of silver ^H3701 into the hands ^H3027 of those who carry ^H6213 out ^H6213 the king’s business ^H4399, to put ^H935 into the king’s treasuries ^H1595.” 10 Then the king ^H4428 took ^H5493 his signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885 from his hand ^H3027 and gave ^H5414 it to Haman ^H2001, the son ^H1121 of Hammedatha ^H4099 the Agagite ^H91, the enemy ^H6887 of the Jews ^H3064. 11 And the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to Haman ^H2001, “The silver ^H3701 is [fn]yours ^H5414, and the people ^H5971 also, to do ^H6213 with them as you please ^H2896 H5869.”

12 Then the king’s ^H4428 scribes ^H5608 were summoned ^H7121 on the thirteenth ^H7969 H6240 day ^H3117 of the first ^H7223 month ^H2320, and it was written ^H3789 just ^H3605 H834 as Haman ^H2001 commanded ^H6680 to the king’s ^H4428 satraps ^H323, to the governors ^H6346 who ^H834 were over ^H5921 each ^H4082 province ^H4082 and to the officials ^H8269 of each ^H5971 people ^H5971, each ^H4082 province ^H4082 according to its script ^H3791, each ^H5971 people ^H5971 according to its language ^H3956, being written ^H3789 in the name ^H8034 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 and sealed ^H2856 with the king’s ^H4428 signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885. 13 Letters ^H5612 were sent ^H7971 by couriers ^H7323 to all ^H3605 the king’s ^H4428 provinces ^H4082 to annihilate ^H8045, kill ^H2026, and destroy ^H6 all ^H3605 the Jews ^H3064, both ^H4480 young ^H5288 and old ^H2205, women ^H802 and children ^H2945, in one ^H259 day ^H3117, the thirteenth ^H7969 H6240 day of the twelfth ^H8147 H6240 month ^H2320, which ^H1931 is the month ^H2320 Adar ^H143, and to seize ^H962 their possessions ^H7998 as plunder ^H962. 14 A copy ^H6572 of the edict ^H3791 to be [fn]issued ^H5414 as law ^H1881 in every ^H3605 province ^H4082 was published ^H1540 to all ^H3605 the peoples ^H5971 so that they would be ready ^H6264 for this ^H2088 day ^H3117. 15 The couriers ^H7323 went ^H3318 out ^H3318, speeded ^H1765 by the king’s ^H4428 [fn]order ^H1697 while the decree ^H1881 was [fn]issued ^H5414 at the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800; and while the king ^H4428 and Haman ^H2001 sat ^H3427 down ^H3427 to drink ^H8354, the city ^H5892 of Susa ^H7800 was agitated ^H943.