Haman’s Plot against the Jews 1 ULT After these things, the king Ahasuerus made Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, great. And he lifted him up and placed his seat of authority from over all the officials who were with him. BSB BSB: After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.
2 ULT And all the servants of the king who were at the gate of the king were bowing down and prostrating themselves to Haman, for thus the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would neither bow down nor would he prostrate himself. BSB BSB: All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.
3 ULT And the servants of the king who were at the gate of the king said to Mordecai,“Why are you trespassing the command of the king?” BSB BSB: Then the royal servants at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the command of the king?”
4 ULT And it happened that, when they spoke to him day after day, he did not listen to them. So they told Haman to see if the words of Mordecai would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. BSB BSB: Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.
5 ULT And Haman saw that Mordecai would neither bow down nor prostrate himself to him. And Haman was filled with rage. BSB BSB: When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage.
6 ULT And it was despised in his eyes to stretch out a hand against Mordecai alone, for they had told him the people of Mordecai. And Haman sought to annihilate all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus. BSB BSB: And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.
7 ULT In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in year 12 of the king Ahasuerus, a Pur(which is“the lot”) was cast before the face of Haman from day to day and from month to month: the twelfth, which is the month of Adar. BSB BSB: In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
8 ULT And Haman said to the king Ahasuerus,“He has one people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. And their laws are different from every people, and the laws of the king they do not obey. And there is no profit to the king to leave them untouched. BSB BSB: Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.
9 ULT If it is good to the king, let it be written to destroy them, and I will weigh out 10, 000 talents of silver into the hands of the doers of the work, to bring into the treasuries of the king.” BSB BSB: If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”
10 ULT And the king removed his signet ring from on his hand, and he gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of the Jews. BSB BSB: So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
11 ULT And the king said to Haman,“The silver is given to you, and the people, to do with them as is good in your eyes.” BSB BSB: “Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”
12 ULT And the scribes of the king were called in the first month, on day 13 of it, and it was written according to all that Haman commanded: to the satraps of the king, and to the governors who were over province by province, and to the officials of people by people, province by province according to its writing, and people by people according to its tongue. In the name of the king Ahasuerus it was written, and it was sealed with the signet ring of the king. BSB BSB: On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.
13 ULT And letters were sent by the hand of runners to all of the provinces of the king, to annihilate, to slaughter, and to destroy all the Jews from young even to old, children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth of month 12(which is the month of Adar), and to plunder their spoils. BSB BSB: And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
14 ULT A copy of the writing, to be given as a law in every province by province, was uncovered for all the peoples to be ready for this day. BSB BSB: A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day.
15 ULT The runners went out, hurrying by decree of the king, and the law was given in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion. BSB BSB: The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.