Bible Verses

The king removed the signet ring from his finger, handed it to Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, and said:

If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them. I will deposit ten thousand silver talents into the royal treasury for the men who carry out the king’s orders.”

Haman told King Ahasuerus: “Scattered across the provinces of your kingdom are certain people whose customs differ from others. Since they do not obey our laws, tolerating them is not in the king’s best interest.

In the first month of Nisan, during King Ahasuerus’s twelfth year, the pur, or lottery, was cast in Haman’s presence to decide the day and month for Mordecai’s people’s destruction. The lot landed on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar.

Having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he believed it wouldn’t be enough to target him alone, but aimed to destroy all the Jews throughout Ahasuerus’s kingdom.

Haman was furious when he saw Mordecai wouldn’t kneel or pay him honor.

They spoke to him day after day, but he refused to comply, saying he was a Jew. To determine if this explanation was acceptable, they reported the matter to Haman.

The royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai: “Why do you disobey the king’s order?”

On the king’s orders, all the royal officials at the king’s gate would kneel and bow down to Haman. Mordecai, however, refused to do so.

Haman and Mordecai After these events, King Ahasuerus elevated Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, to a higher rank than all the other officials.