Esther 3:1–6

Haman Seeks to Destroy the Jews

¹After these things, King Ahasuerus ^amagnified Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^bthe Agagite, and ^cadvanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.

²And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate were bowing down and prostrating themselves before Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But ^aMordecai would not bow down or prostrate himself.

³So the king’s servants who were at ^athe king’s gate said to Mordecai, “^bWhy do you trespass against the king’s command?”

⁴Now it happened when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

⁵Then Haman saw that ^aMordecai was not bowing down or prostrating himself before him. So Haman was filled with wrath.

⁶But he despised in his eyes to send forth his hand against Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman ^asought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.