1 这事以后， 亚哈随鲁王使亚甲族哈米大他的儿子晋升； 王提拔他， 使他的地位高过所有与他在一起的大臣。 2 在朝门那里， 王的所有臣仆， 都向哈曼屈身下拜， 因为王曾经这样吩咐； 只有末底改不跪， 也不拜。 3 于是在朝门的臣仆问末底改： "你为什么违背王的命令呢？" 4 他们天天劝他， 他还是不听， 他们就告诉哈曼， 要看看末底改的话是不是坚持到底， 因为他已经告诉他们， 他自己是犹大人。 5 哈曼见末底改不向他屈身下拜， 就非常忿怒。 6 他以为只下手对付末底改一人还是小事， 因为有人把末底改的本族告诉了哈曼； 所以哈曼设法要把亚哈随鲁王全国所有的犹大人， 与末底改一起消灭。 7 亚哈随鲁王十二年正月， 就是尼散月， 有人在哈曼面前弄卜"普珥"， 就是抽签， 逐日逐月地抽， 结果抽出了十二月， 就是亚达月。 8 哈曼对亚哈随鲁王说： "有一个种族， 散居在王国各省各民族之中； 他们的法例与各族的法例不同， 他们也不遵守王的法规； 所以留下他们， 对王实在无益。 9 王若是赞成， 请王降旨消灭他们； 我愿捐出三万四千公斤银子， 交在管理国务的人手中， 纳入王库。" 10 于是王从自己的手中取下戒指， 交给犹大人的敌人， 亚甲族哈米大他的儿子哈曼。 11 王对哈曼说： "这银子仍赐给你， 这民也交给你， 你看怎样好， 就怎样待他们吧。" 12 正月十三日， 王的书记都召了来， 照着哈曼的一切吩咐， 用各省的文字， 各族的方言， 奉亚哈随鲁王的名下旨， 又用王的戒指盖上印， 颁给总督、各省的省长和各族的领袖。 13 王旨交给众驿使传到王的各省， 吩咐要在一日之内， 在十二月， 就是亚达月十三日， 把所有的犹大人， 无论老少妇孺， 都全部毁灭、杀绝、除尽， 并且抢夺他们的财产。 14 谕文抄本颁行各省， 通告各族， 使他们准备好这一天。 15 驿使奉王命急忙出发， 御旨从书珊城颁布出去。那时王与哈曼又同坐共饮， 书珊城的居民却非常慌乱。

1 After these things hath the king Ahasuerus exalted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and lifteth him up, and setteth his throne above all the heads who [are] with him,2 and all servants of the king, who [are] in the gate of the king, are bowing and doing obeisance to Haman, for so hath the king commanded for him; and Mordecai doth not bow nor do obeisance.3 And the servants of the king, who [are] in the gate of the king, say to Mordecai, `Wherefore [art] thou transgressing the command of the king?`4 And it cometh to pass, in their speaking unto him, day by day, and he hath not hearkened unto them, that they declare [it] to Haman, to see whether the words of Mordecai do stand, for he hath declared to them that he [is] a Jew.5 And Haman seeth that Mordecai is not bowing and doing obeisance to him, and Haman is full of fury,6 and it is contemptible in his eyes to put forth a hand on Mordecai by himself, for they have declared to him the people of Mordecai, and Haman seeketh to destroy all the Jews who [are] in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus -- the people of Mordecai.7 In the first month -- it [is] the month of Nisan -- in the twelfth year of the king Ahasuerus, hath one caused to fall Pur (that [is] the lot) before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, [to] the twelfth, it [is] the month of Adar.8 And Haman saith to the king Ahasuerus, `There is one people scattered and separated among the peoples, in all provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws [are] diverse from all people, and the laws of the king they are not doing, and for the king it is not profitable to suffer them;9 if to the king [it be] good, let it be written to destroy them, and ten thousand talents of silver I weigh into the hands of those doing the work, to bring [it] in unto the treasuries of the king.`10 And the king turneth aside his signet from off his hand, and giveth it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, adversary of the Jews;11 and the king saith to Haman, `The silver is given to thee, and the people, to do with it as [it is] good in thine eyes.`12 And scribes of the king are called, on the first month, on the thirteenth day of it, and it is written according to all that Haman hath commanded, unto lieutenants of the king, and unto the governors who [are] over province and province, and unto the heads of people and people, province and province, according to its writing, and people and people according to its tongue, in the name of the king Ahasuerus it hath been written and sealed with the signet of the king,13 and letters to be sent by the hand of the runners unto all provinces of the king, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy all the Jews, from young even unto old, infant and women, on one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month -- it [is] the month of Adar -- and their spoil to seize,14 a copy of the writing to be made law in every province and province is revealed to all the peoples, to be ready for this day.15 The runners have gone forth, hastened by the word of the king, and the law hath been given in Shushan the palace, and the king and Haman have sat down to drink, and the city Shushan is perplexed.