¹² let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding ^(A)the rebellious and evil city and ^(B)are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. ¹³ Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, ^(C)they will not pay tribute, custom tax, or toll, and it will ^[a]be detrimental to the revenue of the kings. ¹⁴ Now because we ^[b]are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s shame, for this reason we have sent word and informed the king, ¹⁵ so that a search may be conducted in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that that city is a rebellious city and detrimental to kings and provinces, and that they have revolted within it in past days; for this reason that city was laid waste. ¹⁶ We are informing the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, then as a result of this you will have no possession in the province beyond the Euphrates River.”

⁸ Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; ^(A)their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not ^[a]comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. ⁹ If it is pleasing to the king, let it be ^[b]decreed that they be eliminated, and I will pay ^[c]ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.”

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.” ¹³ Then they responded and spoke before the king, “^(C)Daniel, who is one of the ^[b]exiles from Judah, pays ^(D)no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps offering his prayer three times a day.”