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          DASV: Esther 3    

1 After these things, King Ahasuerus [or Xerxes] promoted Haman
the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his
seat above all the officials who were with him.
2 All the king's officials who were at the king's gate, would
bow down and pay homage to Haman, for the king had commanded
it concerning him. But Mordecai refused to bow down or pay homage.
3 Then the king's officials who were in the king's gate, said to
Mordecai, "Why are you violating the king's command?"
4 They spoke to him day after day about it, but he refused to
listen to them, so they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's
response would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.

5 When Haman saw that Mordecai refused to bow or pay him homage,
Haman was furious.
6 But he disdained the idea of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for
he was told who Mordecai's people were. So Haman plotted to destroy
all the Jews, Mordecai's people, throughout the whole kingdom of
Ahasuerus.
7 In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year
of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman
to determine the best day and month. The lot fell on the twelfth
month, which is the month Adar.

8 Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered
and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your
kingdom; and their laws are diverse from those of every other
people, furthermore they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore
it is not beneficial for the king to tolerate them.
9 If it please the king, let there be a decree to destroy them.
I myself will pay 375 tons of silver into the king's treasuries
for those officials who will carry out this, the king's business.
10 So the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman
the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
11 Then the king said to Haman, "Keep your silver, the people are
yours to do whatever pleases you."

12 Then the royal scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the
first month. Everything Haman commanded was written to the king's
satraps and governors who were over all the provinces, and to
the nobles of every people, to every province in their own script
and their own language. The decree was written in the name of
King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring.
13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces,
to destroy, kill, and exterminate all Jews, both young and old,
little children and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of
the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder
their possessions.
14 A copy of the decree was to be issued as a decree in every
province and proclaimed to all the peoples, so that they would
be ready for that day.
15 The couriers quickly went out by the order of the king, and
the decree was issued from the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman
sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

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