^12 (A)Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to ^(B)the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written ^(C)in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³ Letters were sent by ^(D)couriers to all the king’s provinces ^(E)to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, ^(F)in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to ^(G)seize their possessions as plunder. ^14 (H)A copy of the edict to be ^[a]issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day.

⁴ Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you ^[a]the command is given, ^(A)O peoples, nations and men of every ^[b]language, ⁵ that at the moment you ^(B)hear the sound of the horn, flute, ^[c]lyre, ^[d]trigon, ^[e]psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. ⁶ But whoever does not fall down and worship shall ^[f]immediately be ^(C)cast into the midst of a ^(D)furnace of blazing fire.”

¹² Then they approached and ^(A)spoke before the king about the king’s injunction, “Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the ^(B)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[a]may not be revoked.”