Esther 3 - 4 - Legacy Standard Bible

Esther 3 - 4

Haman Seeks to Destroy the Jews

After these things, King Ahasuerus magnified Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate were bowing down and prostrating themselves before Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow down or prostrate himself. 3 So the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you trespass against the king’s command?” 4 Now it happened when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 Then Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or prostrating himself before him. So Haman was filled with wrath. 6 But he despised in his eyes to send forth his hand against Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. 7 In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is the month Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not do the king’s laws, so it is not worth it for the king to let them remain. 9 If it seems good to the king, let it be written down that they should perish, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who do this work, to bring into the king’s treasuries.” 10 Then the king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them according to what is good in your eyes.” 12 Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its tongue, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 And letters were sent by the hand of couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill, and to cause all the Jews to perish, both young and old, little ones and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their spoil. 14 A copy of that which was written down to be given as law in every province was revealed to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. 15 The couriers went out, hastened by the word of the king. And the law was given at the citadel in Susa. Now the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.

Esther Writhes in Anguish

Now Mordecai came to know of all that had been done. And he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly. 2 And he went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 Now in each and every province where the word and law of the king reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many made their bed in sackcloth and ashes. 4 Then Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and to remove his sackcloth from upon him, but he did not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai to know what this was and why it was. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate. 7 And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of silver that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries to cause the Jews to perish. 8 He also gave him a copy of the written law which had been given in Susa for their destruction, in order to show Esther and to tell her and to command her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to seek him out for her people. 9 Then Hathach came back and told Mordecai’s words to Esther. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to reply to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” 12 So they told Esther’s words to Mordecai. 13 Then Mordecai said for them to respond to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s house can escape any more than all the Jews. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not reached royalty for such a time as this?”

Esther and the Jews Fast

15 Then Esther said for them to respond to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.