3:1 And after this king Artaxerxes highly
honoured Aman [son] of Amadathes, the Bugaean, and exalted him, and set his
seat above all his friends.
3:2 And all in the palace did him obeisance, for so the king had given
orders to do: but Mardochaeus did not do him obeisance.
3:3 And they in the king's palace said to Mardochaeus, Mardochaeus, why dost
thou transgress the commands of the king?
3:4 [Thus] they spoke daily to him, but he hearkened not unto them; so they
represented to Aman that Mardochaeus resisted the commands of the king: and
Mardochaeus had shewn to them that he was a Jew.
3:5 And when Aman understood that Mardochaeus did not obeisance to him, he
was greatly enraged,
3:6 and took counsel to destroy utterly all the Jews who were under the rule
of Artaxerxes.
3:7 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 Mardochaeus: and
the lot fell on the fourteenth [day] of the month which is Adar.
3:8 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.
3:9 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.
3:10 And the king took off his ring, and gave it into the hands of Aman, to
seal the decrees against the Jews.
3:11 And the king said to Aman, Keep the silver, and treat the nation as
thou wilt.
3:12 So the king's recorders were called in the first month, on the
thirteenth [day], and they wrote as Aman 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.
3:13 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. And the following
is the copy of the letter; The great king Artaxerxes writes thus to the
rulers and inferior governors of a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from
India even to Ethiopia, who hold authority under [him]. Ruling over many
nations, and having obtained dominion over the whole world, I was minded,
(not elated by the confidence of power but ever conducting [myself] with
great moderation and with gentleness,) to make the lives of [my] subjects
continually tranquil, desiring both to maintain the kingdom quite and
orderly to [its] utmost limits, and to restore the peace desired by all men.
But when I had enquired of my counsellors how this should be brought to
pass, Aman, who excels in soundness of judgment among us, and has been
manifestly well inclined without wavering and with unshaken fidelity, and
has obtained the second post in the kingdom, informed us that a certain
ill-disposed people is mixed up with all the tribes throughout soundness of
judgment among us, and has been manifestly well inclined without wavering
and with unshaken fidelity, and has obtained the second post in the kingdom,
informed us that a certain ill-disposed people is mixed up with all the
tribes throughout the world, opposed in their laws to every [other] nation,
and continually neglecting the commands of the kings, so that the united
government blamelessly administered by us is not quietly established. Having
then conceived that this nation alone [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; we have accordingly
appointed those who are signified to you the letters written by Aman, who is
set over [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; that the people aforetime and now ill-disposed
[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.
3:14 And the copies of the letters were published in every province; and an
order was given to all the nations to be ready against that day.
3:15 And the business was hastened, and [that] at Susa: and the king and
Aman began to drink; but the city was troubled. |
3:1 After these things did king Ahasuerus
promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set
his seat above all the princes that were with him.
3:2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and
reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai
bowed not, nor did him reverence.
3:3 Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto
Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?
3:4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened
not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would
stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
3:5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then
was Haman full of wrath.
3:6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed
him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews
that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of
Mordecai.
3:7 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of
king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to
day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
3:8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered
abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom;
and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's
laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
3:9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and
I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have
the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
3:10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the
son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
3:11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people
also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
3:12 Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first
month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto
the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province,
and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing
thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king
Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.
3:13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to
destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old,
little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the
twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a
prey.
3:14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province
was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
3:15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the
decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to
drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed. |