And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, 'There is a certain group of people scattered and spread out among all the people in every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else's, and they don't obey the king's laws. Therefore, it's not good for the king to let them continue living here.'
Haman is making a false accusation against the Jewish people to the king, claiming they are disloyal and dangerous to his kingdom in order to get permission to destroy them.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place in the Persian Empire around 480 BC during the reign of King Ahasuerus (likely Xerxes I). Haman, the king's chief official, had become enraged at Mordecai the Jew for refusing to bow down to him. Rather than just targeting Mordecai, Haman decided to plot the destruction of all Jewish people throughout the empire by deceiving the king about their loyalty.
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