For of old, in the days of David and Asaph, there were the chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgivings to God.

On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and there was found written in it that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;

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.

And the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's act, will say it this day to all the king's princes, and there will be contempt and anger enough.

Then said the king's servants that attended upon him, Let there be maidens, virgins of beautiful countenance, sought for the king;

There was in Shushan the fortress a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite,

And Haman said to king Ahasuerus, There is a people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from those of every people, and they keep not the king's laws; and it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

Then were the king's scribes called, in the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month, and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king's satraps, and to the governors over every province, and to the princes of every people; to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language: in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

And in every province, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing: many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

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

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 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.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and this man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and abstained from evil.

And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.

And there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah; and Satan came also among them.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil?

And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn.

And there came a messenger to Job and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them;

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

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

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn;

and behold, there came a great wind from over the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they died; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

And there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan also came among them to present himself before Jehovah.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil? and still he remaineth firm in his integrity, though thou movedst me against him, to swallow him up without cause.

Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived.

There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the wearied are at rest.

The small and great are there, and the bondman freed from his master.

Call, I pray thee! Is there any that answereth thee? and to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is no deliverer:

He will deliver thee in six troubles, and in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

Shall that which is insipid be eaten without salt? Is there any taste in the white of an egg?

Is it not that there is no help in me, and soundness is driven away from me?

Return, I pray you, let there be no wrong; yea, return again, my righteousness shall be in it.

Is there wrong in my tongue? cannot my taste discern mischievous things?

There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.

Since thou knowest that I am not wicked, and that there is none that delivereth out of thy hand?

And thou shalt have confidence, because there shall be hope; and having searched about thee, thou shalt take rest in safety.

Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.

For there is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease;

Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

O earth, cover not my blood, and let there be no place for my cry!

Oh that there were arbitration for a man with +God, as a son of man for his friend!

Are there not mockers around me? and doth not mine eye abide in their provocation?

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

Be ye yourselves afraid of the sword! for the sword is fury against misdeeds, that ye may know there is a judgment.

The clods of the valley are sweet unto him; and every man followeth suit after him, as there were innumerable before him.

There would an upright man reason with him; and I should be delivered for ever from my judge.

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

There are those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

Is there any number of his troops? and upon whom doth not his light arise?

Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;

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

And Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, and his anger was kindled.

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

Yea, I gave you mine attention, and behold, there was none of you that confuted Job, that answered his words;

I am clean without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me;

If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his duty;

There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

There they cry, and he answereth not, because of the pride of evil men.

Even so would he have allured thee out of the jaws of distress into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and the supply of thy table would be full of fatness.

Because there is wrath, beware lest it take thee away through chastisement: then a great ransom could not avail thee.

To cause it to rain on the earth, where no one is; on the wilderness wherein there is not a man;

And his young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is he.

Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

Many say of my soul, There is no salvation for him in God. Selah.

For there is no certainty in their mouth; their inward part is perversion, their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in Sheol who shall give thanks unto thee?

Lest he tear my soul like a lion, crushing it while there is no deliverer.

Jehovah my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands;

The wicked saith, in the haughtiness of his countenance, He doth not search out: all his thoughts are, There is no God!

{To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.} The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They have corrupted themselves, they have done abominable works: there is none that doeth good.

Jehovah looked down from the heavens upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

They have all gone aside, they are together become corrupt: there is none that doeth good, not even one.

There were they in great fear; for God is in the generation of the righteous.

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it.

They cried, and there was none to save; unto Jehovah, and he answered them not.

There is no speech and there are no words, yet their voice is heard.

His going forth is from the end of the heavens, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

Moreover, by them is thy servant enlightened; in keeping them there is great reward.

My God, I cry by day, and thou answerest not; and by night, and there is no rest for me:

Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

For a moment is passed in his anger, a life in his favour; at even weeping cometh for the night, and at morn there is rejoicing.

What profit is there in my blood, in my going down to the pit? shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

Blessed is the man unto whom Jehovah reckoneth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile!

Fear Jehovah, ye his saints; for there is no want to them that fear him.

{To the chief Musician. A Psalm of the servant of Jehovah; of David.} The transgression of the wicked uttereth within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes.

There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and are not able to rise.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation; no peace in my bones, because of my sin.

For my loins are full of burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.

There is a river the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the sanctuary of the habitations of the Most High.

Trembling took hold upon them there; anguish, as of a woman in travail.

Like sheep are they laid in Sheol: Death feedeth on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their comeliness shall be for Sheol to consume, that there be no habitation for them.

Now consider this, ye that forget +God, lest I tear in pieces, and there be no deliverer.

{To the chief Musician. On Mahalath: an instruction. Of David.} The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God! They have corrupted themselves, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

God looked down from the heavens upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

Every one of them is gone back, they are together become corrupt: there is none that doeth good, not even one.

There were they in great fear, where no fear was; for God scattereth the bones of him that encampeth against thee. Thou hast put them to shame, for God hath despised them.

He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me: for there were many about me.

God will hear, and afflict them: he that is seated of old, (Selah) ... because there is no change in them, and they fear not God.

And men shall say, Verily there is fruit for the righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.