Esther 3:5-9

New International Version

⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.^{(A) 6} Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way^(B) to destroy^(C) all Mordecai’s people, the Jews,^(D) throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

⁷ In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur^(E) (that is, the lot^(F)) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on^[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.^(G)

⁸ Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs^(H) are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey^(I) the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.^{(J) 9} If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents^[b] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”^(K)