Esther 3:12-Esther 4:3 - Haman Prepares To Kill The Jews
12 Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants and to the governors that were over each province and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof and to every people after their language; in the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with the king's ring. 13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
14 The copy of the writing was to be given as law in every province that it be published unto all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day. 15 The posts went out in haste by the king's commandment, and the law was given in Shushan, the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
1 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud and a bitter cry 2 and came before the king's gate; for no one was allowed to enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 And in each province, wherever the king's commandment and his law came, there was great mourning among the Jews and fasting and weeping and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.