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¹ After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and raised him, and set his seat above all the rulers with him.² And all the king's servants who were in the king's gate were bowing and worshiping Haman, for the king had so commanded for him. But Mordecai did not bow nor worship.³ And the king's servants who were at the gate of the king said to Mordecai, Why do you disobey the king's command?⁴ And it happened, when they spoke daily to him, and he did not listen to them, they told Haman, to see if Mordecai's matters would stand. For he had told them that he was a Jew.⁵ And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow nor worship him, then Haman was filled with fury.⁶ And it was light in his eyes to reach forth a hand against Mordecai alone; for they had revealed to him Mordecai's people. And Haman sought to destroy all the Jews in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai.

⁷ In the first month, it is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they made fall Pur, that is , the lot, before Haman day by day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month , the month Adar.⁸ And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, There is a people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom. And their laws are different from every people, andthey are not doing the king's laws. And it isnot for the king's gain to let them alone.⁹ If it pleases the king, let it be written to destroy them; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king's treasuries.¹⁰ And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the one distressing the Jews.¹¹ And the king said to Haman, The silver is given to you, also the people, to do with them as seems good to you.¹² Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written according to all that Haman had commanded to the king's satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province, according to its writing, and to every people according to their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed with the king's ring.¹³ And the documents were sent by the runners into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is themonth Adar, and to take what they owned for a prize.¹⁴ A copy of the writing to be given as law in every province was published to all people to be ready for that day.¹⁵ The runners went out, being burned by the king's word. And the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink. But the city, Shushan, was perplexed.