Online Bible: New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

1 After these things King A·has·u·e´rus magnified Ha´man the son of Ham·me·da´tha the Ag´ag·ite and proceeded to exalt him and to put his throne above all the other princes that were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants that were in the king’s gate were bowing low and prostrating themselves to Ha´man, for so the king had commanded respecting him. But as for Mor´de·cai, he would neither bow low nor prostrate himself. 3 And the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate began to say to Mor´de·cai: “Why are you sidestepping the king’s commandment?” 4 And it came about that, as they talked to him day by day, and he did not listen to them, then they told Ha´man to see whether Mor´de·cai’s affairs would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 Now Ha´man kept seeing that Mor´de·cai was not bowing low and prostrating himself to him, and Ha´man became filled with rage. 6 But it was despicable in his eyes to lay hand upon Mor´de·cai alone, for they had told him about Mor´de·cai’s people; and Ha´man began seeking to annihilate all the Jews who were in all the realm of A·has·u·e´rus, Mor´de·cai’s people.

7 In the first month, that is, the month Ni´san, in the twelfth year of King A·has·u·e´rus, someone cast Pur, that is, the Lot, before Ha´man from day to day and from month to month, [to] the twelfth, that is, the month A´dar. 8 And Ha´man proceeded to say to King A·has·u·e´rus: “There is one certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the jurisdictional districts of your realm; and their laws are different from all other people’s, and the king’s own laws they are not performing, and for the king it is not appropriate to let them alone. 9 If to the king it does seem good, let there be a writing that they be destroyed; and ten thousand silver talents I shall pay into the hands of those doing the work by bringing [it] into the king’s treasury.”

10 At that the king removed his signet ring from his own hand and gave it to Ha´man the son of Ham·me·da´tha the Ag´ag·ite, the one showing hostility to the Jews. 11 And the king went on to say to Ha´man: “The silver is given to you, also the people, to do with them according to what is good in your own eyes.” 12 The king’s secretaries were then called in the first month on the thirteenth day of it, and writing went on according to all that Ha´man commanded the king’s satraps and the governors who were over the different jurisdictional districts, and the princes of the different peoples, of each jurisdictional district, in its own style of writing, and each people in its own tongue; in the name of King A·has·u·e´rus it was written and it was sealed with the king’s signet ring.

13 And there was a sending of the letters by means of couriers to all the king’s jurisdictional districts, to annihilate, to kill and to destroy all the Jews, young man as well as old man, little ones and women, on one day, on the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, that is, the month A´dar, and to plunder the spoil of them. 14 A copy of the writing to be given as law in all the different jurisdictional districts was being published to all the peoples, [for them] to become ready for this day. 15 The couriers themselves went out, being moved to speed because of the king’s word, and the law itself was given in Shu´shan the castle. As for the king and Ha´man, they sat down to drink; but as for the city of Shu´shan, it was in confusion.