1 After|strong="H0310" these|strong="H0428" things|strong="H1697" happened|strong="H1697", King|strong="H4428" Xerxes honored Haman|strong="H2001" son|strong="H1121" of|strong="H1121" Hammedatha the|strong="H3605" Agagite|strong="H0091". The|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" promoted|strong="H1431" Haman|strong="H2001" and|strong="H1121" gave|strong="H7760" him|strong="H5921" a|strong="H7760" place|strong="H7760" of|strong="H1121" honor more|strong="H5921" important than|strong="H5921" any|strong="H3605" of|strong="H1121" the|strong="H3605" other|strong="H0428" leaders|strong="H8269".
2 All|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" leaders at|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" gate|strong="H8179" would|strong="H0834" bow|strong="H7812" down|strong="H7812" and|strong="H4428" give|strong="H6680" honor to|strong="H5650" Haman|strong="H2001". This|strong="H3651" is|strong="H0834" what|strong="H0834" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" commanded|strong="H6680" them|strong="H6680" to|strong="H5650" do|strong="H6680". But|strong="H3588" Mordecai|strong="H4782" refused|strong="H3808" to|strong="H5650" bow|strong="H7812" down|strong="H7812" or|strong="H3808" give|strong="H6680" honor to|strong="H5650" Haman|strong="H2001".
3 Then|strong="H0853" the|strong="H0853" king’s|strong="H4428" leaders at|strong="H4428" the|strong="H0853" gate|strong="H8179" asked|strong="H0559" Mordecai|strong="H4782", “Why|strong="H4069" don’t you|strong="H0859" obey the|strong="H0853" king’s|strong="H4428" command|strong="H4687" to|strong="H0559" bow down to|strong="H0559" Haman?”
4 Day|strong="H3117" after|strong="H1961" day|strong="H3117", the|strong="H0559" king’s leaders spoke|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0413" Mordecai|strong="H4782", but|strong="H3588" he|strong="H0834" refused|strong="H3808" to|strong="H0413" obey|strong="H8085" the|strong="H0559" command|strong="H1697" to|strong="H0413" bow down|strong="H3588" to|strong="H0413" Haman|strong="H2001". So|strong="H1961" they|strong="H1992" told|strong="H5046" Haman|strong="H2001" about|strong="H1961" it|strong="H1931". They|strong="H1992" wanted to|strong="H0413" see|strong="H7200" what|strong="H0834" Haman|strong="H2001" would|strong="H0559" do|strong="H8085" about|strong="H1961" Mordecai|strong="H4782". Mordecai|strong="H4782" had|strong="H0834" told|strong="H5046" them|strong="H0413" that|strong="H0834" he|strong="H0834" was|strong="H1961" a|strong="H1961" Jew|strong="H3064".
5 When|strong="H3588" Haman|strong="H2001" saw|strong="H7200" that|strong="H3588" Mordecai|strong="H4782" refused to|strong="H0369" bow|strong="H7812" down|strong="H7812" to|strong="H0369" him|strong="H7200" or|strong="H0369" give|strong="H7200" him|strong="H7200" honor, he|strong="H3588" was|strong="H0369" very|strong="H3766" angry|strong="H2534".
6 Haman|strong="H2001" had|strong="H0834" learned that|strong="H0834" Mordecai|strong="H4782" was|strong="H0834" a|strong="H3588" Jew|strong="H3064". But|strong="H3588" he|strong="H0834" was|strong="H0834" not|strong="H3588" satisfied to|strong="H7971" kill only|strong="H0905" Mordecai|strong="H4782". He|strong="H0834" also|strong="H0853" wanted|strong="H1245" to|strong="H7971" find|strong="H1245" a|strong="H3588" way|strong="H3605" to|strong="H7971" destroy|strong="H8045" all|strong="H3605" of|strong="H3027" Mordecai’s|strong="H4782" people|strong="H5971", the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064", in|strong="H5869" all|strong="H3605" of|strong="H3027" Xerxes’ kingdom|strong="H4438".
7 In|strong="H8141" the|strong="H6440" twelfth year|strong="H8141" of|strong="H4428" King|strong="H4428" Xerxes’ rule|strong="H4428", in|strong="H8141" the|strong="H6440" first|strong="H7223" month|strong="H2320", the|strong="H6440" month|strong="H2320" of|strong="H4428" Nisan|strong="H5212", Haman|strong="H2001" threw|strong="H5307" lots|strong="H1486" to|strong="H3117" choose a|strong="H3117" special day|strong="H3117" and|strong="H4428" month|strong="H2320". And|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" twelfth month|strong="H2320", the|strong="H6440" month|strong="H2320" of|strong="H4428" Adar|strong="H0143" was|strong="H1931" chosen. (At|strong="H3117" that|strong="H3117" time|strong="H3117" the|strong="H6440" lot|strong="H1486" was|strong="H1931" called “pur|strong="H6332".”)
8 Then|strong="H0853" Haman|strong="H2001" came|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0559" King|strong="H4428" Xerxes and|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559", “King|strong="H4428" Xerxes, there|strong="H0369" is|strong="H0369" a|strong="H0259" certain|strong="H0259" group of|strong="H4428" people|strong="H5971" scattered|strong="H6340" among|strong="H0996" the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971" in|strong="H4428" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" provinces|strong="H4082" of|strong="H4428" your|strong="H3605" kingdom|strong="H4438". They|strong="H0559" keep|strong="H6213" themselves separate|strong="H6504" from|strong="H6504" other|strong="H0259" people|strong="H5971". Their|strong="H3605" customs are|strong="H3426" different from|strong="H6504" those|strong="H3605" of|strong="H4428" all|strong="H3605" other|strong="H0259" people|strong="H5971". And|strong="H4428" they|strong="H0559" don’t|strong="H0369" obey|strong="H6213" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" laws|strong="H1881". It|strong="H6213" is|strong="H0369" not|strong="H0369" right for|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" to|strong="H0559" allow|strong="H3240" them|strong="H0853" to|strong="H0559" continue to|strong="H0559" live in|strong="H4428" your|strong="H3605" kingdom|strong="H4438".
9 “If|strong="H0518" it|strong="H0518" pleases|strong="H2895" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428", I|strong="H0518" have|strong="H0518" a|strong="H0518" suggestion: Give|strong="H0006" a|strong="H0518" command|strong="H3027" to|strong="H0413" destroy|strong="H0006" these people|strong="H0518". And|strong="H0935" I|strong="H0518" will|strong="H4428" put|strong="H0935" 750,000 pounds of|strong="H4428" silver|strong="H3701" into|strong="H0413" the|strong="H5921" king’s|strong="H4428" treasury. This|strong="H0935" money|strong="H3701" could be|strong="H3027" used|strong="H6213" to|strong="H0413" pay|strong="H8254" the|strong="H5921" men|strong="H6213" who|strong="H4428" do|strong="H6213" these things.”
10 So|strong="H5414" the|strong="H0853" king|strong="H4428" took|strong="H5493" the|strong="H0853" official ring|strong="H2885" off|strong="H5921" his|strong="H5414" finger|strong="H2885" and|strong="H1121" gave|strong="H5414" it|strong="H5414" to|strong="H5921" Haman|strong="H2001" son|strong="H1121" of|strong="H1121" Hammedatha the|strong="H0853" Agagite|strong="H0091". Haman|strong="H2001" was|strong="H4428" the|strong="H0853" enemy|strong="H6887" of|strong="H1121" the|strong="H0853" Jews|strong="H3064".
11 Then|strong="H5414" the|strong="H0559" king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0559" Haman|strong="H2001", “Keep|strong="H6213" the|strong="H0559" money|strong="H3701". Do|strong="H6213" what|strong="H2896" you|strong="H5414" want with|strong="H4428" them|strong="H5414".”
12 Then|strong="H4428" on|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" 13th day|strong="H3117" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" first|strong="H7223" month|strong="H2320", the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" secretaries were|strong="H0834" called|strong="H7121". They|strong="H0834" wrote|strong="H3789" out|strong="H5921" all|strong="H3605" of|strong="H4428" Haman’s|strong="H2001" commands|strong="H6680" in|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" language|strong="H3956" of|strong="H4428" each|strong="H3605" province|strong="H4082". And|strong="H4428" they|strong="H0834" wrote|strong="H3789" them|strong="H0413" in|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" language|strong="H3956" of|strong="H4428" each|strong="H3605" group of|strong="H4428" people|strong="H5971". They|strong="H0834" wrote|strong="H3789" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" satraps|strong="H0323", the|strong="H3605" governors|strong="H6346" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" different provinces|strong="H4082", and|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" leaders|strong="H8269" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" different groups of|strong="H4428" people|strong="H5971". They|strong="H0834" wrote|strong="H3789" with|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" authority|strong="H5921" of|strong="H4428" King|strong="H4428" Xerxes himself|strong="H3117", and|strong="H4428" sealed|strong="H2856" the|strong="H3605" commands|strong="H6680" with|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" own ring|strong="H2885".
13 Messengers|strong="H7323" carried|strong="H7323" the|strong="H3605" letters|strong="H5612" to|strong="H0413" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" provinces|strong="H4082". The|strong="H3605" letters|strong="H5612" were|strong="H0802" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" command|strong="H3027" to|strong="H0413" ruin, kill|strong="H2026", and|strong="H3027" completely|strong="H3605" destroy|strong="H8045" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064". This|strong="H1931" meant young|strong="H5288" people|strong="H5288" and|strong="H3027" old|strong="H2205" people|strong="H5288", women|strong="H0802", and|strong="H3027" little|strong="H2945" children|strong="H2945" too. The|strong="H3605" command|strong="H3027" was|strong="H1931" to|strong="H0413" kill|strong="H2026" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064" on|strong="H3117" a|strong="H7971" single|strong="H0259" day|strong="H3117". The|strong="H3605" day|strong="H3117" was|strong="H1931" to|strong="H0413" be|strong="H3027" the|strong="H3605" 13th day|strong="H3117" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" twelfth month|strong="H2320", the|strong="H3605" month|strong="H2320" of|strong="H4428" Adar|strong="H0143". And|strong="H3027" the|strong="H3605" command|strong="H3027" was|strong="H1931" to|strong="H0413" take|strong="H0962" everything|strong="H3605" that|strong="H3605" belonged to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064".
14 A|strong="H1961" copy|strong="H6572" of|strong="H3117" the|strong="H3605" letters with|strong="H3117" the|strong="H3605" command was|strong="H1961" to|strong="H1961" be|strong="H1961" given|strong="H5414" as|strong="H1961" a|strong="H1961" law|strong="H1881". It|strong="H5414" was|strong="H1961" to|strong="H1961" be|strong="H1961" a|strong="H1961" law|strong="H1881" in|strong="H3117" every|strong="H3605" province|strong="H4082" and|strong="H3117" announced to|strong="H1961" the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971" of|strong="H3117" every|strong="H3605" nation|strong="H5971" living in|strong="H3117" the|strong="H3605" kingdom. Then|strong="H1961" everyone|strong="H3605" would|strong="H3605" be|strong="H1961" ready|strong="H6264" for|strong="H3117" that|strong="H3605" day|strong="H3117".
15 At|strong="H3427" the|strong="H5414" king’s|strong="H4428" command|strong="H1697" the|strong="H5414" messengers|strong="H7323" hurried|strong="H1765" off|strong="H5414". The|strong="H5414" command|strong="H1697" was|strong="H4428" given|strong="H5414" in|strong="H3427" the|strong="H5414" capital|strong="H3427" city|strong="H5892" of|strong="H4428" Susa|strong="H7800". The|strong="H5414" king|strong="H4428" and|strong="H4428" Haman|strong="H2001" sat|strong="H3427" down|strong="H3427" to|strong="H5414" drink|strong="H8354", but|strong="H4428" the|strong="H5414" city|strong="H5892" of|strong="H4428" Susa|strong="H7800" was|strong="H4428" in|strong="H3427" confusion|strong="H0943".