Esther 3–5

Haman’s Plan to Kill the Jews

3After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. ^wHe promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials. ^x2The entire royal staff at the King’s Gate ^ybowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this to be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage. ^z3The members of the royal staff at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” ⁴When they had warned him day after day ^aand he still would not listen to them, they told Haman to see if Mordecai’s actions would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

⁵When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or paying him homage, he was filled with rage. ^b6And when he learned of Mordecai’s ethnic identity, Haman decided not to do away with ^cMordecai alone. He planned to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, ^dthroughout Ahasuerus’s kingdom. ^e

⁷In the first month, the month of Nisan, ^fin King Ahasuerus’s twelfth year, ^ghPur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman for each day in each month, and it fell on the twelfth month, ⁱthe month Adar. ^jk8Then Haman informed King Ahasuerus, “There is one ethnic group, scattered throughout the peoples in every province of your kingdom, ^lyet living in isolation. Their laws are different from everyone else’s and they do not obey the king’s laws. ^mIt is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. ⁿ⁹If the king approves, let an order be drawn up authorizing their destruction, and I will pay 375 tons of silver to ^othe accountants for deposit in the royal treasury.” ^p

¹⁰The king removed his signet ring ^qfrom his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jewish people. ^r11Then the king told Haman, “The money and people are given to you to do with as you see fit.”

¹²The royal scribes were summoned ^son the thirteenth day of the first month, and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded. It was intended for the royal satraps, ^tthe governors of each of the provinces, and the officials of each ethnic group and written for each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language. ^uIt was written in the name of King Ahasuerus ^vand sealed with the royal signet ring. ^w13Letters were sent by couriers ^xto each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions on a single day, ^ythe thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month. ^z

¹⁴A copy of the text, issued as law throughout every province, was distributed to all the peoples so that they might get ready for that day. ¹⁵The couriers left, spurred on by royal command, and the law was issued in the fortress of Susa. ^aThe king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was in confusion. ^b

Mordecai Appeals to Esther

4When Mordecai learned all that had occurred, ^che tore his clothes, ^dput on sackcloth and ashes, ^ewent into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly. ^f2He only went as far as the King’s Gate, ^gsince the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering the King’s Gate. ³There was great mourning among the Jewish people in every province where the king’s command and edict ^hcame. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay on sackcloth and ashes. ⁱ

⁴Esther’s female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her, and the queen was overcome with fear. ^jShe sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so he could take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them. ⁵Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to her, and dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what he was doing and why. ^k6So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the King’s Gate. ⁷Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews. ^l

⁸Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa ordering their destruction, so that Hathach might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and command her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead with him personally for her people. ^m9Hathach came and repeated Mordecai’s response to Esther.

¹⁰Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, ¹¹“All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard ⁿand who has not been summoned—the death penalty. ^oOnly if the king extends the gold scepter will that person live. ^pI have not been summoned to appear before the king ^qfor the last ^r30 days.” ¹²Esther’s response was reported to Mordecai.

¹³Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace. ¹⁴If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, ^sbut you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” ^t

¹⁵Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, ^uday or night. I and my female servants will also fast ^vin the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. ^wIf I perish, I perish.” ^x17So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had ordered him.

Esther Approaches the King

5On the third day, ^yEsther dressed up in her royal clothing and stood in the inner courtyard ^zof the palace facing it. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom, facing its entrance. ²As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she won his approval. ^aThe king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter. ^b

³“What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be given to you.” ^c

⁴“If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet ^dI have prepared for them.”

⁵The king commanded, “Hurry, and get Haman so we can do as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.

⁶While drinking the ^ewine, ^fthe king asked Esther, “Whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”

⁷Esther answered, “This is my petition and my request: ⁸If the king approves of me ^gand if it pleases the king to grant my petition and perform my request, ^hmay the king and Haman come to the banquet I will prepare for them. ⁱTomorrow I will do what the king has asked.”

⁹That day Haman left full of joy and in good spirits. ^jkBut when Haman saw Mordecai at the King’s Gate, and Mordecai didn’t rise or tremble in fear at his presence, Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai. ^l10Yet Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh ^mto join him. ¹¹Then Haman described for them his glorious wealth and his many sons. He told them all how the king had honored him and promoted him in rank over the other officials and the royal staff. ⁿ¹²“What’s more,” Haman added, “Queen Esther invited no one but me to join the king at the banquet she had prepared. I am invited again tomorrow to join her with the king. ¹³Still, none of this satisfies me since I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s Gate all the time.”

¹⁴His wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Have them build a gallows 75 feet ^ohigh. ^pAsk the king in the morning to hang Mordecai on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself.” The advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows constructed. ^q