Esther (Greek) 3
3
Haman Plots to Destroy the Jews
1Some time later King Xerxes honored a man named Haman son of Hammedatha, a Bougaean, by promoting him to the position of prime minister. 2The king ordered all the officials in his service to show their respect for Haman by bowing to him. They all did so, except Mordecai, who refused to bow to Haman. 3The other officials in the royal service asked him why he was disobeying the king's command. 4Day after day they urged him to give in, but he would not listen to them. “I am a Jew,” he explained, “and I cannot bow to Haman.” So they told Haman how Mordecai was defying the king's orders. 5Haman was furious when he realized that Mordecai was not going to bow to him, 6and so he made plans to kill every Jew in the whole Persian Empire.
7In the twelfth year of King Xerxes' reign, Haman ordered the lots to be cast to find out the right day and month to destroy the Jews, all in a single day. The fourteenth day of the month of Adar was the date chosen.
8So Haman told the king, “There is a certain race of people scattered among the nations all over your empire. They observe customs that are not like those of any other people. Moreover, they do not obey the laws of the empire, so it is not in your best interests to tolerate them. 9If it please Your Majesty, issue a decree that they are to be put to death. If you do this, I promise to put 375 tons of silver into the royal treasury.”
10The king took off his ring, which was used to stamp official proclamations, and gave it to Haman to seal the decree that was to be written against the Jews. 11The king told him, “Keep the money, and do whatever you want with that race of people.”
12So on the thirteenth day of the first month, Haman called the king's secretaries and dictated a proclamation to be translated into every language in the empire and to be sent to all the rulers and governors. It was issued in the name of King Xerxes and sent to all the 127 provinces, which stretched from India to Ethiopia.#3.12: Greek Ethiopia: Ethiopia is the name given in Graeco-Roman times to the extensive territory south of the First Cataract of the Nile River. Cush was the ancient (Hebrew) name of this region which included within its borders most of modern Sudan and some of present-day Ethiopia (Abyssinia). 13Runners took this proclamation to every province of the empire. It contained the instructions that on a single day in the twelfth month, the month of Adar, all Jews were to be killed and their belongings confiscated.#3.13: Chapter 3 continues after chapter B.#
Currently Selected:
Esther (Greek) 3: GNTD
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)
© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Bible text from the Good News Translation (GNT) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org).
LICENSEE shall reproduce the following trademark and trademark notice on the copyright page of each copy of the Licensed Products: ®