“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.”

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

“Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai.

Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.

Then the king said to Haman, “Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fall short in anything of all that you have said.”

Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.”

for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for the trouble would not be commensurate with the annoyance to the king.”

Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be revoked.”

the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually.

So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.

And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?

Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky.

“Let the day perish on which I was to be born,
And the night which said, ‘A boy is conceived.’

“May that day be darkness;
Let not God above care for it,
Nor light shine on it.

“As for that night, let darkness seize it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not come into the number of the months.

“Behold, let that night be barren;
Let no joyful shout enter it.

“Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;
Let it wait for light but have none,
And let it not see the breaking dawn;

Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.

“Why did I not die at birth,
Come forth from the womb and expire?

“Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be,
As infants that never saw light.

“The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.

“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”

“Is not your fear of God your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

“Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,

“It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:

‘Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them?
They die, yet without wisdom.’

“For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

“By day they meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.

“Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

“From six troubles He will deliver you,
Even in seven evil will not touch you.

“You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.

“You will laugh at violence and famine,
And you will not be afraid of wild beasts.

“But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

“Is it that my help is not within me,
And that deliverance is driven from me?

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

“Is not man forced to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

“When I lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the night continues,
And I am continually tossing until dawn.

“Remember that my life is but breath;
My eye will not again see good.

“The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.

“When a cloud vanishes, it is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up.

“He will not return again to his house,
Nor will his place know him anymore.

“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

“I waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be.”

“Will they not teach you and tell you,
And bring forth words from their minds?

“While it is still green and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant.

“He trusts in his house, but it does not stand;
He holds fast to it, but it does not endure.

“Lo, God will not reject a man of integrity,
Nor will He support the evildoers.

“If one wished to dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

“It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;

Who commands the sun not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;

“Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

“God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.

“For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

“If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

“He will not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bitterness.

“I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I despise my life.

“The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?

I am afraid of all my pains,
I know that You will not acquit me.

“For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.

“Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.

“Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.

“I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.

‘According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand.

‘Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese;

Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?

If I sin, then You would take note of me,
And would not acquit me of my guilt.

‘If I am wicked, woe to me!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery.

‘I should have been as though I had not been,
Carried from womb to tomb.’

“Would He not let my few days alone?
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer

Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and deep shadow,

If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;

“Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and not fear.

“But I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And who does not know such things as these?

“Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,

“Does not the ear test words,
As the palate tastes its food?

“What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.

“Will not His majesty terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?

“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before His presence.

“Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:

Remove Your hand from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.

“Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

“For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not fail.

So man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens are no longer,
He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.

“For now You number my steps,
You do not observe my sin.

“His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.

“Should he argue with useless talk,
Or with words which are not profitable?

“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify against you.

“What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that we do not?

“Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones,
And the heavens are not pure in His sight;