^12 (A)Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to ^(B)the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the officials of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written ^(C)in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³ Letters were sent by ^(D)couriers to all the king’s provinces ^(E)to annihilate, kill, and destroy all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, ^(F)in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to ^(G)seize their possessions as plunder. ^14 (H)A copy of the edict to be ^[a]issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they would be ready for this day.

⁴ Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you ^[a]the command is given, you ^(A)peoples, nations, and populations of all ^[b]languages, ⁵ that at the moment you ^(B)hear the sound of the horn, flute, ^[c]lyre, ^[d]trigon, ^[e]psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. ⁶ But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be ^(C)thrown into the middle of a ^(D)furnace of blazing fire.”

¹² Then they approached and ^(A)spoke before the king about the king’s injunction: “Did you not sign an injunction that any person who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the ^(B)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[a]may not be revoked.”