And I said to them, Ye are holy to the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a free-will-offering to the LORD God of your fathers.

Arise; for this matter belongeth to thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

But if ye turn to me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you driven to the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

And the king said to me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

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

And he spoke before his brethren, and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

And it came to pass, that when the Jews who dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return to us they will be upon you.

In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither to us: our God will fight for us.

And I said to them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold to us? Then they held their peace, and found nothing to answer.

Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.

Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, to the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.

Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came no more on the sabbath.

For this deed of the queen will come abroad to all women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.

Likewise will the ladies of Persia and Media say this day to all the king's princes, who have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus will there arise too much contempt and wrath.

And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.

If it shall please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

For if thou shalt altogether hold thy peace at this time, then will there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house will be destroyed: and who knoweth, whether thou hast come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Go, assemble all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.

Then said the king to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it shall 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.

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

Then the king returned out of the palace-garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman had fallen upon the bed on which Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, even, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

If we essay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can refrain from speaking?

Call now, if there is any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

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

In famine he will redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle will be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

Thou shalt know also that thy seed will be great, and thy offspring as the grass of the earth.

Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?

Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand in what I have erred.

O remember that my life is wind: my eye will no more see good.

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.

How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow my spittle?

How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

Will they not teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say to him, What doest thou?

If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

If I justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, that also will prove me perverse.

If the scourge shall slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall abhor me.

My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

I will say to God, Do not condemn me; show me why thou contendest with me.

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from my iniquity.

If I be wicked, woe to me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou my affliction;

For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?

For vain man would be wise, though man is born like a wild ass's colt.

Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

Though he shall slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain my own ways before him.

Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall expire.

Only do not two things to me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

For there is hope of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender branch will not cease.

Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

If a man dieth, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change shall come.

Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thy hands.

I will show thee, hear me; and that which I have seen, I will declare;

Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who will see it?

How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he will stand at the latter day upon the earth:

He shall fly away as a dream, and will not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they will be brought forth to the day of wrath.

The clods of the valley will be sweet to him, and every man will draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

Behold, as wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.

And if it is not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech of no worth?

Far be it from me that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove my integrity from me.

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

Yet he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.

Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will show my opinion.

Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.

I said, I will answer also my part, I also will show my opinion.

I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.

Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.

His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he will return to the days of his youth:

He shall pray to God, and he will be favorable to him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render to man his righteousness.