Esther 2:19-3:6

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Mordecai Discovers a Plot

¹⁹ When the virgins were being gathered together,^[a] Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. ²⁰ Now Esther had not revealed her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him.^{(A) 21} In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the threshold, became angry and conspired to kill^[b] King Ahasuerus.^{(B) 22} But the matter came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.^{(C) 23} When the affair was investigated and found to be so, both men were hung on the pole. It was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.^(D)

Haman Undertakes to Destroy the Jews

3 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite and advanced him and set his seat above all the officials who were with him. ² And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and did obeisance to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance.^{(E) 3} Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”^{(F) 4} When they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance to him, Haman was infuriated.^{(G) 6} But he thought it beneath him to kill^[c] only Mordecai. So, having been told who Mordecai’s people were, Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.^(H)