But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease till the matter came to Darius; and then they returned answer by letter concerning it.

But after that our fathers had provoked the God of the heavens to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people away unto Babylon.

But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave orders to build this house of God.

For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way; for we had spoken to the king saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his anger is against all them that forsake him.

For we are bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us before the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

But the people are many, and it is a time of pouring rain, and it is not possible to stand without: neither is this a work for one day or two; for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

but if ye return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

And the king said to me, Why is thy face sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sadness of heart. And I was very sore afraid.

And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me but I told no man what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem and there was no beast with me, except the beast that I rode upon.

And I answered them, and said to them, The God of the heavens, he will prosper us, and we his servants will arise and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.

And next to them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.

But we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to the half thereof; for the people had a mind to work.

But the former governors that were before me had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not so, because of the fear of God.

that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

And I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

Now the city was large and great; but the people in it were few, and no houses were built.

And these are they that went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub-Addon and Immer; but they could not shew their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.

These sought their genealogical register, but it was not found; therefore were they, as polluted, removed from the priesthood.

But they, our fathers, dealt proudly, and hardened their neck, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

and refused to obey, neither were they mindful of thy wonders which thou hadst done among them; but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion made a captain to return to their bondage. But thou art a +God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great loving-kindness, and thou forsookest them not.

But they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets who testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

But when they had rest, they did evil again before thee; and thou didst leave them in the hand of their enemies, and they had dominion over them; and again they cried unto thee, and thou heardest them from the heavens, and many times didst thou deliver them, according to thy mercies.

And thou testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law; but they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thine ordinances (which if a man do, he shall live in them); and they withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

And many years didst thou forbear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets; but they would not give ear: and thou gavest them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

But thou art just in all that is come upon us; for thou hast acted according to truth, and we have done wickedly.

And these are the chiefs of the province that dwelt in Jerusalem; but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities, Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants.

because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and with water, and had hired Balaam against them, to curse them; but our God turned the curse into blessing.

And their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among the many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; but even him did foreign wives cause to sin.

But the queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king which was sent by the chamberlains; and the king was very wroth, and his fury burned in him.

Then said Memucan before the king and the princes, The queen Vashti has not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the peoples that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.

And when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained grace in the sight of all them that saw her.

And all the king's servants that were in the king's gate bowed and did Haman reverence, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

But he scorned to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus the people of Mordecai.

The couriers went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the fortress. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was in consternation.

And Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him; but he received it not.

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there arise relief and deliverance to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall perish. And who knows whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

And Haman went forth that day joyful and glad of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up nor moved for him, he was full of fury against Mordecai.

But Haman controlled himself, and came home; and he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.

And Haman said, Yea, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to-morrow also I am invited to her with the king.

And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered.

And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and to all his friends all that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife to him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but wilt certainly fall before him.

for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the adversary could not compensate the king's damage.

And the king in his wrath rose up from the banquet of wine, and went into the palace garden; but Haman stayed to make request for his life to Esther the queen, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.

And in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day thereof, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them (but it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had power over them that hated them),

the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the oppressor of the Jews, they slew; but they laid not their hands on the prey.

And the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but they laid not their hand on the prey.

And the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their life, and had rest from their enemies; and they slew of them that hated them seventy-five thousand (but they laid not their hand on the prey),

But the Jews that were at Shushan gathered themselves together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and joy.

But put forth thy hand now and touch all that he hath, and see if he will not curse thee to thy face!

but put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and see if he will not curse thee to thy face!

But he said to her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. We have also received good from God, and should we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

If a word were essayed to thee, wouldest thou be grieved? But who can refrain from speaking?

But now it is come upon thee, and thou grievest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

I myself saw the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

But as for me I will seek unto God, and unto God commit my cause;

How forcible are right words! but what doth your upbraiding reprove?

For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, for our days upon earth are a shadow.

He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand; he shall lay hold on it, but it shall not endure.

Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just with God?

Then I will speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

But oh that +God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and all refuge shall vanish from them, and their hope shall be the breathing out of life.

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowl of the heavens, and they shall tell thee;

But I will speak to the Almighty, and will find pleasure in reasoning with God;

Behold, if he slay me, yet would I trust in him; but I will defend mine own ways before him.

But a man dieth, and is prostrate; yea, man expireth, and where is he?

But his flesh hath pain for himself alone, and his soul mourneth for himself.

But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips should assuage your pain.

But now he hath made me weary; ... thou hast made desolate all my family;

I was at rest, but he hath shattered me; he hath taken me by the neck and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

But the righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall increase in strength.

But as for you all, pray come on again; and I shall not find one wise man among you.

Behold, I cry out of wrong, and I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

The exultation of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly man but for a moment?

His bones were full of his youthful strength; but it shall lie down with him in the dust.

Though he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it within his mouth,

He hath swallowed down riches, but he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.

Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

Would he plead against me with his great power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me.

Lo, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I do not perceive him;

On the left hand, where he doth work, but I behold him not; he hideth himself on the right hand, and I see him not.

But he knoweth the way that I take; he trieth me, I shall come forth as gold.

But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth, that will he do.

God setteth him in safety, and he resteth thereon; but his eyes are upon their ways.

Lo, these are the borders of his ways; but what a whisper of a word do we hear of him! And the thunder of his power, who can understand?

He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on; and the innocent shall divide the silver.

He lieth down rich, but will do so no more; he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?

But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.

For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.

I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation.

But Elihu had waited till Job had finished speaking, because they were older than he.

But there is a spirit which is in man; and the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

And I waited, for they spoke not, but stood still, and answered no more; --

But none saith, Where is +God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night,

But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, doth not Job know his great arrogancy?

Lo, God is mighty, but despiseth not any; mighty in strength of understanding:

He saveth not the wicked alive; but he doeth justice to the afflicted.