⁷ In the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ rule, in the first month, the month of Nisan, Haman threw lots to choose a special day and month. And the twelfth month, the month of Adar was chosen. (At that time the lot was called “pur.”) ⁸ Then Haman came to King Xerxes and said, “King Xerxes, there is a certain group of people scattered among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom. They keep themselves separate from other people. Their customs are different from those of all other people. And they don’t obey the king’s laws. It is not right for the king to allow them to continue to live in your kingdom.

⁹ “If it pleases the king, I have a suggestion: Give a command to destroy these people. And I will put 750,000 pounds^[a] of silver into the king’s treasury. This money could be used to pay the men who do these things.”