1末底改不向哈曼跪拜這事以後，亞哈隨魯王使亞甲族哈米大他的兒子晉陞；王提拔他，使他的地位高過所有與他在一起的大臣。
1After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
2在朝門那裡，王的所有臣僕，都向哈曼屈身下拜，因為王曾經這樣吩咐；只有末底改不跪，也不拜。
2All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage.
3於是在朝門的臣僕問末底改：“你為甚麼違背王的命令呢？”
3Then the king’s servants, who were in the king’s gate, said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s commandment?”
4他們天天勸他，他還是不聽，他們就告訴哈曼，要看看末底改的話是不是堅持到底，因為他已經告訴他們，他自己是猶大人。
4Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn’t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5哈曼見末底改不向他屈身下拜，就非常忿怒。
5When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow down, nor pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath.
6他以為只下手對付末底改一人還是小事，因為有人把末底改的本族告訴了哈曼；所以哈曼設法要把亞哈隨魯王全國所有的猶大人，與末底改一起消滅。
6But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people.
7哈曼圖謀滅絕猶大人亞哈隨魯王十二年正月，就是尼散月，有人在哈曼面前弄卜“普珥”，就是抽籤，逐日逐月地抽，結果抽出了十二月，就是亞達月。
7In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
8哈曼對亞哈隨魯王說：“有一個種族，散居在王國各省各民族之中；他們的法例與各族的法例不同，他們也不遵守王的法規；所以留下他們，對王實在無益。
8Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different than other people’s. They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain.
9王若是贊成，請王降旨消滅他們；我願捐出三萬四千公斤銀子，交在管理國務的人手中，納入王庫。”
9If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
10於是王從自己的手中取下戒指，交給猶大人的敵人，亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼。
10The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
11王對哈曼說：“這銀子仍賜給你，這民也交給你，你看怎樣好，就怎樣待他們吧。”
11The king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
12王准哈曼滅絕猶大人正月十三日，王的書記都召了來，照著哈曼的一切吩咐，用各省的文字，各族的方言，奉亞哈隨魯王的名下旨，又用王的戒指蓋上印，頒給總督、各省的省長和各族的領袖。
12Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.
13王旨交給眾驛使傳到王的各省，吩咐要在一日之內，在十二月，就是亞達月十三日，把所有的猶大人，無論老少婦孺，都全部毀滅、殺絕、除盡，並且搶奪他們的財產。
13Letters were sent by couriers 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 on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
14諭文抄本頒行各省，通告各族，使他們準備好這一天。
14A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.
15驛使奉王命急忙出發，御旨從書珊城頒布出去。那時王與哈曼又同坐共飲，書珊城的居民卻非常慌亂。
15The couriers went forth in haste by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.