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Esther 3:9-15
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Esther 3:9-15
Holman Christian Standard Bible
9 If the king approves, let an order be drawn up authorizing their destruction, and I will pay 375 tons of silver to[a] the accountants for deposit in the royal treasury.”(A)
10 The king removed his signet ring(B) from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jewish people.(C) 11 Then the king told Haman, “The money and people are given to you to do with as you see fit.”
12 The royal scribes were summoned(D) on the thirteenth day of the first month, and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded. It was intended for the royal satraps,(E) the governors of each of the provinces, and the officials of each ethnic group and written for each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language.(F) It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus(G) and sealed with the royal signet ring.(H) 13 Letters were sent by couriers(I) to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions on a single day,(J) the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.[b]
14 A copy of the text, issued as law throughout every province, was distributed to all the peoples so that they might get ready for that day. 15 The couriers left, spurred on by royal command, and the law was issued in the fortress of Susa.(K) The king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was in confusion.(L)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Esther 3:9 Lit will weigh 10,000 silver talents on the hands of
- Esther 3:13 LXX adds the text of Ahasuerus’s letter here.
Esther 3:9-15
New International Version
Esther 3:9-15
New International Version
9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents[a] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”(A)
10 So the king took his signet ring(B) from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”
12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language(C) of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed(D) with his own ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews(E)—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,(F) and to plunder(G) their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.(H)
15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.(I) The king and Haman sat down to drink,(J) but the city of Susa was bewildered.(K)
Footnotes
- Esther 3:9 That is, about 375 tons or about 340 metric tons
Esther 3:9-15
King James Version
Esther 3:9-15
King James Version
9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
12 Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.
13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
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Esther 3:9-15
New King James Version
Esther 3:9-15
New King James Version
9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
10 So the king (A)took (B)his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the (C)enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”
12 (D)Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province (E)according to its script, and to every people in their language. (F)In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 And the letters were (G)sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, (H)in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and (I)to plunder their [a]possessions. 14 (J)A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in [b]Shushan the [c]citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but (K)the city of Shushan was [d]perplexed.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Esther 3:13 LXX adds the text of the letter here
- Esther 3:15 Or Susa
- Esther 3:15 palace
- Esther 3:15 in confusion
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.