Esther 3 - 4
Haman Seeks to Destroy the Jews
3After these things, King Ahasuerus amagnified Haman, the son of Hammedatha bthe Agagite, and cadvanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2And 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 aMordecai would not bow down or prostrate himself. 3So the king’s servants who were at athe king’s gate said to Mordecai, “bWhy do you trespass against the king’s command?” 4Now 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. 5Then Haman saw that aMordecai was not bowing down or prostrating himself before him. So Haman was filled with wrath. 6But 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 asought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, 1Pur, that is the lot, was acast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, 2until the twelfth month, that is bthe month Adar. 8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; atheir 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 110,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who do this work, to bring into the king’s treasuries.” 10Then athe king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha bthe Agagite, cthe adversary of the Jews. 11And the king said to Haman, “The silver is 1yours, and the people also, to do with them according to what is good in your eyes.”
12aThen the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to bthe 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 cin the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13And letters were sent by the hand of acouriers to all the king’s provinces bto destroy, to kill, and to cause all the Jews to perish, both young and old, little ones and women, cin one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to dplunder their spoil. 14aA 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. 15The 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 athe city of Susa was in confusion.
Esther Writhes in Anguish
4Now Mordecai came to know of aall that had been done. And 1he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly. 2And he went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3Now in each and every province where the word and law of the king reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with afasting, weeping, and wailing; and many made their bed in sackcloth and ashes.
4Then 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. 5Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom 1the king had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai to know what this was and why it was. 6So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate. 7And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and athe exact amount of silver that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries to cause the Jews to perish. 8He also gave him aa 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.
9Then Hathach came back and told Mordecai’s words to Esther. 10Then 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 acomes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, bhe has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out cto him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” 12So they told Esther’s words to Mordecai.
13Then Mordecai said for them to respond to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s 1house can escape any more than all the Jews. 14“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and adeliverance 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
15Then Esther said for them to respond to Mordecai, 16“Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; ado not eat or drink for bthree 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.” 17So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.