Esther 3:3-12
English Standard Version
Chapter 3
3Then the king 's servants who were at the king 's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress the king 's command?" 4And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai 's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. 6But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king 's laws, so that it is not to the king 's profit to tolerate them.
9If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king 's business, that they may put it into the king 's treasuries."
10So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews.
11And the king said to Haman, "The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you."
