Haman promoted
After this, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, raising him higher than all the other nobles and giving him a seat of honour above them. And all the royal officials at the king's gate knelt down and paid honour to Haman, because the king had ordered it. But Mordecai wouldn't kneel or pay him honour. And the royal officials at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king's command?” Day after day they spoke to him, but he wouldn't listen. So they told Haman about it, to see whether Mordecai would get away with it, because he'd told them he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai wouldn't kneel or pay him honour, he was filled with rage. But he thought it beneath him to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Since they'd told him who Mordecai's people were, Haman looked for a way to wipe out all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
After this, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, raising him higher than all the other nobles and giving him a seat of honour above them.
And all the royal officials at the king's gate knelt down and paid honour to Haman, because the king had ordered it. But Mordecai wouldn't kneel or pay him honour.
And the royal officials at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king's command?”
Day after day they spoke to him, but he wouldn't listen. So they told Haman about it, to see whether Mordecai would get away with it, because he'd told them he was a Jew.
When Haman saw that Mordecai wouldn't kneel or pay him honour, he was filled with rage.
But he thought it beneath him to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Since they'd told him who Mordecai's people were, Haman looked for a way to wipe out all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
The lot
In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Xerxes, they cast the pur — that is, the lot — in front of Haman to choose a day and a month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar. And Haman said to King Xerxes, “There's a certain people scattered and spread out among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, whose customs are different from everyone else's, and who don't obey the king's laws. It's not in the king's interest to tolerate them. If it please the king, let an order be issued to destroy them, and I'll put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out the business.” So the king took his signet ring off his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”
In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Xerxes, they cast the pur — that is, the lot — in front of Haman to choose a day and a month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
And Haman said to King Xerxes, “There's a certain people scattered and spread out among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, whose customs are different from everyone else's, and who don't obey the king's laws. It's not in the king's interest to tolerate them.
If it please the king, let an order be issued to destroy them, and I'll put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out the business.”
So the king took his signet ring off his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
“Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”
The edict
Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were called in. They wrote out in the script of each province and the language of each people all Haman's orders to the king's satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with the order to destroy, kill and wipe out all the Jews — young and old, women and children — on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality, so they'd be ready for that day. The couriers went out, hurried along by the king's command, and the edict was issued in the fortress of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.
Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were called in. They wrote out in the script of each province and the language of each people all Haman's orders to the king's satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring.
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with the order to destroy, kill and wipe out all the Jews — young and old, women and children — on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality, so they'd be ready for that day.
The couriers went out, hurried along by the king's command, and the edict was issued in the fortress of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.