1
And after this King Artaxerxes highly honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Bougean, and exalted him, and set his seat above all his friends.
2
And all in the palace did him obeisance, for so the king had given orders to do: but Mordecai did not do him obeisance.
3
And they in the king’s palace said to Mordecai, Mordecai, why dost thou transgress the commands of the king?
4
Thus they spoke daily to him, but he hearkened not unto them; so they represented to Haman that Mordecai resisted the commands of the king: and Mordecai had shown to them that he was a Jew.
5
And when Haman understood that Mordecai did not obeisance to him, he was greatly enraged,
6
and took counsel to destroy utterly all the Jews who were under the rule of Artaxerxes.
7
And he made a decree in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and cast lots daily and monthly, to slay in one day the race of Mordecai: and the lot fell on the fourteenth day of the month which is Adar.
8
And he spoke to King Artaxerxes, saying, There is a nation scattered among the nations in all thy kingdom, and their laws differ from those of all the other nations; and they disobey the laws of the king; and it is not expedient for the king to let them alone.
9
If it seem good to the king, let him make a decree to destroy them: and I will remit into the king’s treasury ten thousand talents of silver.
10
And the king took off his ring, and gave it into the hands of Haman, to seal the decrees against the Jews.
11
And the king said to Haman, Keep the silver, and treat the nation as thou wilt.
12
So the king’s recorders were called in the first month, on the thirteenth day, and they wrote as Haman commanded to the captains and governors in every province, from India even to Ethiopia, to a hundred and twenty-seven provinces; and to the rulers of the nations according to their several languages, in the name of King Artaxerxes.
13
And the message was sent by posts throughout the kingdom of Artaxerxes, to destroy utterly the race of the Jews on the first day of the twelfth month, which is Adar, and to plunder their goods. him. myself with great moderation and with gentleness), to make the lives of my subjects continually tranquil, desiring both to maintain the kingdom quiet and orderly to its utmost limits, and to restore the peace desired by all men. other nation, and continually neglecting the commands of the kings, so that the united government blamelessly administered by us is not quietly established. of all others is continually set in opposition to every man, introducing as a change a foreign code of laws, and injuriously plotting to accomplish the worst of evils against our interests, and against the happy establishment of the monarchy; the public affairs and is our second governor, to destroy them all utterly with their wives and children by the swords of the enemies, without pitying or sparing any, on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month Adar, of the present year; to us having been violently consigned to death in one day, may hereafter secure to us continually a well constituted and quiet state of affairs.
15
that at Susa: and the king and Haman began to drink; but the city was troubled.