Esther 3:1-3

International Standard Version

Haman is Promoted by Ahasuerus

3 Sometime later King Ahasuerus promoted Hammedatha the Agagite’s son Haman, elevating him to a position above^[a] all the other officials who were with him. ² All the king’s ministers^[b] who were in the king’s gate would kneel and bow down to Haman, because the king had commanded that Haman^[c] be honored in this way. Mordecai, however, would not kneel and would not bow down.

³ The king’s ministers^[d] who were in the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?”