1 Hamán, after he was exalted, obteined of the King, that all the Iewes ſhulde be put to death, becauſe Mordecái had not done him worſhip as other had.

1.AFter theſe things did King Ahaſhueróſh promote Hamán the ſonne of Hammedátha the Agagite, & exalted hĩ, and ſet his ſeat aboue all the princes that were with him.

2.And all the Kings ſeruants that were at the Kings gate, bowed their knees, & reuerẽced Hamán: for the Kĩg had ſo cõmãded ded cõcerning him: but Mordecái ^abowed not the knee, nether did reuerence.

3.Then the Kings ſeruants which were at the Kings gate ſaid vnto Mordecái, Why tranſgreſſeſt thou the Kings commandement?

4.And albeit they ſpake daiely vnto hĩ, yet he wolde not heare them: therefore they ^btolde Hamán, that they might ſe how Mordecais matters wolde ſtãd: for he had tolde them, that he was a Iewe.

5.And when Haman ſawe that Mordecái bowed not the knee vnto him, nor did reuerence vnto him, then Haman was ful of wrath.

6.Now he ^"thoght it to litle to lay hands onely on Mordecái: & becauſe they had ſhewed him the people of Mordecái, Hamán ſoght to deſtroye all the Iewes, that were throughout the whole kingdome of Ahaſhueróſh, euen y^e people of Mordecái.

7.In the firſt moneth (that is the moneth ^cNiſán) in the twelft yere of King Ahaſhueróſh, they caſt Pur (that is a lot) ^dbefore Hamán, from day to day, and frõ moneth to moneth, vnto the twelft moneth, that is the moneth ^eAdár.

8.Then Hamán ſaid vnto King Ahaſhueróſh, There is a people ſcattered, and diſperſed among the people in all the prouinces of thy kingdome, and their lawes are diuers from all people, and they do not obſerue the ^fKings lawes: therefore it is not the Kings profite to ſuffre them.

9.If it pleaſe the King, let it be writen that they may be deſtroyed, & I wil paye ten thouſand talents of ſiluer by the hãds of them that haue the charge of this buſines to bring it into the Kings treaſurie.

10.Then the King toke his ring from his hand and gaue it vnto Hamán the ſonne of Hammedátha the Agagite the Iewes aduerſarie.

11.And the King ſaid vnto Hamán, Let y^e ſiluer be thine, and the people to do with them as it pleaſeth thee.

12.Then were the Kings ^"ſcribes called on the thirtent day of the firſt moneth, and there was writen (according to all that Hamán commanded) vnto the Kings officers, and to the captaines that were ouer euerie prouince, and to the rulers of euerie people & to euerie prouince, accordĩg to the writing thereof, & to euerie people according to their language: in the name of King Ahaſhueróſh was it writen, and ſealed with the Kings ring.

13.And the lettres were ſent by ^"poſtes into all the Kings prouinces, to rote out, to kill and to deſtroye all the Iewes, bothe yong and olde, children and women, in one day vpon the thirtent day of the twelft moneth, (which is the moneth Adar) and to ſpoile them as a pray.

14.The contents of the writing was, that there ſhoulde be giuen a cõmandemẽt in all prouinces, & publiſhed vnto all people, that thei ſhoulde be ready againſt the ſame day.

15.And the poſtes compelled by the Kings cõmandement went forthe, and the commandement was giuẽ in the palace at Shuſhan: and the King and Hamán ſate drinking, but the citie of ^gShuſhán was in perplexitie.

Esther 3

Notes