For the {Israelites} and the {Levites} will bring to the storerooms the offering of grain, new wine, and olive oil. These are the objects of the sanctuary and the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and singers. We will not neglect the house of our God."

These are the heads of the province who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah each one lived on his property in their cities: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants.

These are the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah.

These [are] the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These [are] the heads of the priests and their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

So I quarreled with the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the day of the Sabbath?

Did not your ancestors do this also, and our God brought on us all of this disaster and on this city [too]? Now you are adding fierce wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath!"

But I warned them and said to them, "Why are you spending the night opposite the wall? If you do [it again], I will lay hands against you." From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.

And Memucan said before the king and the officials, "Not only has Queen Vashti done wrong to the king, but to all the officials and all of the people who [are] in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

And the king's servants who [were] at the gate of the king said to Mordecai, "Why [are] you transgressing the command of the king?"

And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all of the provinces of your kingdom; their laws [are] different from every [other] people, and they do not {observe} the laws of the king; it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them.

"Go, gather all the Jews that are found in Susa and fast for me; do not eat or drink [for] three days, both night and day. I and my young girls will fast likewise, and then I will go to the king, which [is] not according to the law; if I perish, I perish.

and she said, "If it is good to the king, and if I have found favor before him, and if the king is pleased with this matter, and {I have his approval}, let [an edict] be written to revoke the letters of the plans of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that [are] in all the provinces of the king.

Esther replied, "If it is good to the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who [are] in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let them hang Haman's ten sons on the gallows."

These days [are] to be remembered and [are] to be kept in every generation, and in family, province, and city; and these days of Purim are not [to be] neglected among the Jews, and their memory shall not come to an end among their offspring.

All the work of his authority and his {powerful deeds}, and the full accounting of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written on the scroll of the {chronicles} of the kings of Media and Persia?

Then his wife said to him, "Are you still persisting in your blamelessness? {Curse} God and die."

Let those who curse the day curse it, those who are skilled at rousing Leviathan.

There [the] wicked cease from troubling, and there [the] {weary} are at rest;

[the] prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear [the] oppressor's voice.

[The] small and [the] great [are] there, and [the] slave [is] free from his masters.

who rejoice {exceedingly}, [and] they are glad when they find [the] grave?

But now it has come to you, and you are worn out; it touches you, and you are horrified.

"{Think} now, who has perished [who is] innocent? Or where [are] the upright destroyed?

[The] roar of [the] lion and [the] voice of a lion in its prime, and [the] teeth of [the] young lions are broken.

[The] lion is perishing without prey, and [the] lion's whelps are scattered.

How much more dwellers in clay houses, whose foundation [is] in the dust? They are crushed like a moth.

{Between morning and evening} they are destroyed; without [anyone] regarding [it] they perish forever.

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

to set [the] lowly on high, and [those] mourning are lifted to safety.

[He] is capturing [the] wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are rushed.

And you shall know that your offspring [are] many, and your descendants like the vegetation of the earth.

for the arrows of Shaddai [are] in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

{I refused} to touch [them]; they [are] like {food that will make me ill}.

My companions are treacherous like a torrent-bed; like a streambed of wadis they flow away,

which are growing dark because of ice upon them, it will pile up snow.

They are disappointed, because they trusted; they came {here} and they are confounded.

How painful are {upright words}! But what does {your reproof} reprove?

"Does not {a human being have hard service} on earth? And [are not] his days like the days of a laborer?

So {I had to inherit} months of worthlessness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me.

"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end {without hope}.

The eye of [the one] seeing me will not see me; your eyes [are] upon me, but {I will be gone}.

I loathe [my life]; I would not live forever; depart from me, for my days [are] a breath.

If you [are] pure and upright, indeed, now he will rouse himself for you, and he will restore your righteous abode.

for we [are of] yesterday, and we do not know, for our days on earth [are] a shadow.

So [are] the paths of all who forget God; and [the] hope of [the] godless will perish,

{If} he would snatch away, who could turn him? Who could say to him, 'What are you doing?'

"And my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they do not see good.

[Are] your days as the days of human beings, or your years as the days of man,

You renew your witnesses against me, and you increase your vexation against me; {relief forces} [are] against me.

[Are] not my days few? Let him leave [me] alone; let him turn from me, and let me rejoice a little.

For he knows {those who are worthless}; {when he sees} iniquity, {he will not consider it}.

"Truly indeed you [are the] people, and wisdom will die with you.

[The] tents of [the] destroyers are at peace, and [there is] security for those who provoke God, [for those] whom God brings into his hand.

"With him [are] wisdom and powerful deeds, and to him [belong] counsel and understanding.

"Strength and sound wisdom [are] with him; [the] deceived and [the] deceiver [are] his.

"But you {whitewash with lies}; all of you [are] {worthless healers}.

Your maxims [are] proverbs of ashes; your defenses [are] defenses of clay.

"{How many} [are] my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my transgression and my sin.

If his days [are] determined, the number of his months [is] with you; you have appointed his boundaries, and he cannot cross [them].

{so} a man lies down, and he does not arise. {Until the heavens are no more}, they will not awaken, and they will not be roused out of their sleep.

"{What is worse}, you yourself are doing away with fear, and you are lessening meditation {before} God.

Both [the] gray-haired and [the] old [are] among us-- {those older than your father}.

"Are the consolations of God too small for you, a word [spoken] gently with you?

Look, he does not trust his holy ones, and [the] heavens are not clean in his eyes.

"All of the wicked [one's] days he is writhing, even [through] the number of years that are laid up for the tyrant.

Sounds of terror [are] in his ears; in prosperity [the] destroyer will come [against] him.

{he will dwell} [in] desolate cities, in houses that they should not inhabit, which are destined for rubble.

"I have heard many [things] like these; all of you [are] {miserable comforters}.

My face is red because of weeping, and deep shadows [are] on my eyelids,

"My spirit is pulled down; my days are extinguished; [the] graveyard [is] for me.

And my eye has grown dim from grief, and the limbs of my body [are] all like a shadow.

[The] upright are appalled at this, and [the] innocent excites himself over [the] godless.

"My days are past; my plans are broken down-- [even] the desires of my heart.

[if] I call to the pit, 'You [are] my father,' to the maggot, '[You are] my mother or my sister,'

Why are we considered as animals? [Why] are we taken as stupid in your eyes?

"[You who] are tearing {yourself} in your anger, will [the] earth be forsaken because of you? Or will [the] rock be removed from its place?

"{His strong steps} are shortened, and his [own] schemes throw him down,

[Those of the] west are appalled over {his fate}, and [those of the] east {are seized with horror}.

Surely these [are] the dwellings of [the] godless, and this [is] the dwelling place of him [who] knows not God."

These ten times you have disgraced me; you are not ashamed [that] you have attacked me.

Why do you pursue me like God? And are not satisfied with my flesh?

With them their offspring [are] established {before them}, and their descendants before their eyes.

Their houses [are] safe without fear, and the rod of God [is] not upon them.

Look, their prosperity [is] not in their hands; the schemes of [the] wicked are repugnant to me.

[How often] are they like straw {before} the wind, and like chaff that [the] storm carries away?

His vats are full [with] milk and the marrow of his bones is moist.

For you say, 'Where is the nobleman's house, and where [are] {the tents in which the wicked dwell}?'

[The] clods of [the] valley are sweet to him; everyone will follow after him, and {before} him {they are innumerable}.

[Is] it a pleasure to Shaddai if you are righteous, or a gain if you make your ways blameless?

Therefore trapping nets [are] all around you, and panic suddenly terrifies you,

"[Is] not God [in the] height of [the] heavens? But see how lofty are {the highest stars}.

Thick clouds [are] a covering for him, so that he does not see; and he walks about on [the] dome of heaven.'

Yet he himself filled up their houses [with] good [things], but [the] schemes of [the] wicked are repugnant to me.

When they are humiliated, {you say}, '[It is] pride,' for he saves {the humble}.

For he will carry out {what he appoints for me}, and many [things] like these [are] with him

"Why are not times kept by Shaddai, and [why] do not [those who] know him see his days?

They are wet from the rainstorm of the mountains, and they cling to the rock {without} refuge.

Between their terraces they press out oil; they tread [the] presses, but they are thirsty.

"Those are among [the ones] rebelling [against the] light; they do not recognize his ways, and they do not stay in his paths.