Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews
1After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. 2All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.
3Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” 4Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.
5When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. 6Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
7In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on3:7 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have And the lot fell on. the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
8Then 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 are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents3:9 That is, about 375 tons or about 340 metric tons of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”
10So the king took his signet ring 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.”
12Then 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 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 with his own ring. 13Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14A 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.
15The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.
Hila Ya Hamani Kuwaangamiza Wayahudi
13:1 Hes 24:7; 1Sam 14:48; Hes 24:7; 1Sam 14:48Baada ya matukio haya, Mfalme Ahasuero alimheshimu Hamani mwana wa Hamedatha, Mwagagi, akampandisha na kumpa kiti chake cha heshima cha juu sana kuliko wakuu wengine wote. 23:2 Dan 3:12Maafisa wote wa mfalme waliokaa langoni mwa mfalme walipiga magoti na kumpa Hamani heshima, kwa kuwa mfalme alikuwa ameamuru hili kuhusu Hamani. Lakini Mordekai hakumpigia magoti wala kumheshimu.
3Kisha maafisa wa mfalme waliokuwa langoni mwa mfalme walimuuliza Mordekai, “Kwa nini hutii agizo la mfalme?” 43:4 Mwa 39:10Siku baada ya siku walizungumza naye lakini hakukubali. Kwa hiyo walimweleza Hamani kuona kama tabia ya Mordekai itaweza kuvumiliwa, kwa maana alikuwa amewaambia kuwa yeye ni Myahudi.
5Wakati Hamani alipoona kuwa Mordekai hampigii magoti wala kumpa heshima alighadhibika. 63:6 Mit 16:25; Za 74:8Hata hivyo baada ya kujulishwa watu wa Mordekai ni akina nani, alibadili wazo la kumuua Mordekai peke yake. Badala yake Hamani alitafuta njia ya kuwaangamiza watu wote wa Mordekai, yaani, Wayahudi, walio katika ufalme wote wa Ahasuero.
73:7 Es 9:24, 26; 1Sam 10:21Katika mwaka wa kumi na mbili wa utawala wa Mfalme Ahasuero, katika mwezi wa kwanza uitwao Nisani, walipiga puri (yaani kura) mbele ya Hamani ili kuchagua siku na mwezi. Kura ikaangukia kwenye mwezi wa kumi na mbili, yaani Adari.
83:8 Mdo 16:20-21; Ezr 4:15Kisha Hamani akamwambia Mfalme Ahasuero, “Wako watu fulani wameenea na kutawanyika miongoni mwa watu katika majimbo yote ya ufalme wako, ambao desturi zao ni tofauti na zile za watu wengine wote, nao hawatii sheria za mfalme. Haifai mfalme kuwavumilia watu hawa. 9Kama inampendeza mfalme, itolewe amri kuwaangamiza, nami nitaweka talanta 10,0003:9 Talanta 10,000 za fedha ni sawa na tani 340. za fedha katika hazina ya mfalme kwa ajili ya watu watakaoshughulikia jambo hili.”
10Basi mfalme alichukua pete yake ya muhuri kutoka kwenye kidole chake na kumpa Hamani mwana wa Hamedatha, Mwagagi, adui wa Wayahudi. 11Mfalme akamwambia Hamani, “Baki na fedha yako na uwatendee hao watu utakavyo.”
123:12 Neh 13:24; Mwa 38:18Kisha siku ya kumi na tatu ya mwezi wa kwanza waandishi wa mfalme waliitwa. Wakaandika barua kwa kila jimbo na katika kila lugha ya watu kama agizo la Hamani lilivyotoka kwa mfalme, kwa watawala wa majimbo mbalimbali, na wakuu wa watu mbalimbali. Hizi ziliandikwa kwa jina la Mfalme Ahasuero mwenyewe na kutiwa muhuri wa pete yake mwenyewe. 133:13 Es 8:11Barua zilipelekwa na tarishi katika majimbo yote ya mfalme zikiwa na amri ya kuharibu, kuua na kuangamiza Wayahudi wote, wadogo kwa wakubwa, wanawake na watoto wadogo, siku moja, yaani siku ya kumi na tatu ya mwezi wa kumi na mbili, ndio mwezi wa Adari, na pia kuteka nyara vitu vyao. 14Nakala ya andiko la amri ilipaswa kutolewa kama sheria katika kila jimbo, na kufahamishwa kwa watu wa kila taifa ili waweze kuwa tayari kwa siku ile.
153:15 Es 8:15Kwa kuharakishwa na amri ya mfalme, matarishi walikwenda na andiko lilitolewa katika mji wa ngome ya Shushani. Mfalme na Hamani waliketi na kunywa, lakini mji wa Shushani ulifadhaika.
