All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

And Esther said, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.

if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to-morrow as the king hath said.

Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:

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 peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king's damage.

And she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that are in all the king's provinces:

Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.

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

And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

and the Sabeans fell upon them , and took them away: yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark: Let it look for light, but have none; Neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning:

For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest,

I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh.

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast made firm the feeble knees.

According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow trouble, reap the same.

I have seen the foolish taking root: But suddenly I cursed his habitation.

Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; Hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas: Therefore have my words been rash.

Oh that I might have my request; And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

And be it still my consolation, Yea, let me exult in pain that spareth not, That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

Is it not that I have no help in me, And that wisdom is driven quite from me?

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, As the channel of brooks that pass away;

Teach me, and I will hold my peace; And cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

If I have sinned, what do I unto thee, O thou watcher of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, So that I am a burden to myself?

If thy children have sinned against him, And he hath delivered them into the hand of their transgression;

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:

If he be destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him,'saying , I have not seen thee.

Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall have no way to flee; And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him.

Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I am righteous.

Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands.

I will show thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare:

(Which wise men have told From their fathers, and have not hid it;

I have heard many such things: Miserable comforters are ye all.

Shall vain words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?

They have gaped upon me with their mouth; They have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully: They gather themselves together against me.

I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And have laid my horn in the dust.

O earth, cover not thou my blood, And let my cry have no resting -place.

If I look for Sheol as my house; If I have spread my couch in the darkness;

If I have said to corruption, Thou art my father; To the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister;

His remembrance shall perish from the earth, And he shall have no name in the street.

He shall have neither son nor son's son among his people, Nor any remaining where he sojourned.

These ten times have ye reproached me: Ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.

And be it indeed that I have erred, Mine error remaineth with myself.

My kinsfolk have failed, And my familiar friends have forgotten me.

Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; For the hand of God hath touched me.

I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame; And the spirit of my understanding answereth me.

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?

Suffer me, and I also will speak; And after that I have spoken, mock on.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

Have ye not asked wayfaring men? And do ye not know their evidences,

Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden?

My foot hath held fast to his steps; His way have I kept, and turned not aside.

I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

They lie all night naked without clothing, And have no covering in the cold.

Drought and heat consume the snow waters:'so doth'sheol those that have sinned.

Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; Why then are ye become altogether vain?

The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.

Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.

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

For he hath loosed his cord, and afflicted me; And they have cast off the bridle before me.

They mar my path, They set forward my calamity, Even men that have no helper.

And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot hath hasted to deceit;

If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor's door;

If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;

If I have withheld the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother's womb);

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering;

If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate:

If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much;

If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness,

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above.

If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him;

(Yea, I have not suffered by mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);

If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?

(The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller);

If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

Beware lest ye say, We have found wisdom; God may vanquish him, not man:

They are amazed, they answer no more: They have not a word to say.

Behold now, I have opened my mouth; My tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the voice of thy words,'saying ,

Then God is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.

He singeth before men, and saith, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, And it profited me not:

Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

Because they turned aside from following him, And would not have regard in any of his ways:

For hath any said unto God, I have borne chastisement , I will not offend any more :

That which I see not teach thou me: If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more?

That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee? And , What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?

Suffer me a little, and I will show thee; For I have yet somewhat to say on God's behalf.