If it pleases 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 who have charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

And the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his, execution, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter so that he may live. But I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.

For if you are completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house shall be destroyed. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for a time like this?

And Esther answered, If it is good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet which I have prepared for him.

if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king has said.

And the king said to Haman, Make haste! Take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Do not fail to do any of all the things you have spoken.

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

And Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.

For we are sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to perish. But if we had been sold for men-slaves and women-slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could not make up for the king's damage.

and said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing is right before the king, and if I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to bring back the documents (a sly plan by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite) which he wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces.

And King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and have hanged him on the wooden gallows, because he laid his hand on the Jews.

And in the twelfth month, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and his order came to be done, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them; though it was turned around, so that the Jews had rule over the ones who hated them.

And the king said to Esther the queen, The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? And what is your petition, that it may be granted you? Or what further request do you have? And it shall be done.

And when they had gone around the day of feasting, 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 cursed God in their hearts. So Job did always.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you set your heart against My servant Job, because there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil?

Have You not made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock have increased in the land.

And the Sabeans fell on and took them away. Yea, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.

While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, The fire of God has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and destroyed them. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.

While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands and swooped down upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and have killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.

And, behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.

And Jehovah said unto Satan, Have you set your heart on My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil? And still he is keeping hold of his integrity, although you moved Me against him to destroy him without cause.

Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it look for light, but have none. Let it not see the eyelids of the dawn.

For now I should have lain still and been quiet; I should have slept. Then I would have been at rest

or as a hidden untimely birth I would not have been, like infants who did not see light.

I was not in safety, nor did I have rest, nor was I quiet; yet trouble comes.

Behold, you have instructed many, and you have made the weak hands strong.

Your words have upheld him who was falling, and you have made strong the feeble knees.

As I have seen, the ones who plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same.

I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.

Behold this: we have searched it; it is so. Hear it and know for yourself.

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash.

Oh that I might have my desire, and that God would grant the thing that I long for!

And it is yet my comfort; yea, I would rejoice in pain, though He did not spare me; for I have not hidden the words of the Holy One.

My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a torrent; they pass away as the streams of torrents,

Teach me, and I will be silent; and cause me to understand where I have gone astray.

I have sinned. What shall I do to You, O Watcher of men? Why have You set me as a target for You, so that I am a burden to myself?

If your sons have sinned against Him, and if He has cast them away for their transgression,

If he is destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him: I have not seen you.

They have passed away like the swift ships; like the eagle who swoops on the prey.

I have been condemned; why then should I labor in vain?

Have You eyes of flesh? Or do You see as a man sees?

Your hands have made me and shaped me, together all around; yet You destroy me.

Remember, I beseech You, that You have formed me as the clay; and will You bring me into the dust again?

Have You not poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?

You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and have fenced me with bones and sinews.

You have granted me life and favor, and Your providence has preserved my spirit.

And these have You hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You.

Why then have You brought me from the womb? Oh that I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me!

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

For you have said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in Your eyes.

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall have no escape, and their hope shall be like the giving up of the spirit.

But I have understanding as well as you; I do not fall short of you; yes, who does not know such things as these?

Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I shall be justified.

For his days are fixed, the number of his months is with You, and You have set his bounds so that he cannot pass;

You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall have a desire to the work of Your hands.

Should he reason with talk that is not useful, or with speeches which have no profit?

Have you heard the secret counsel of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?

I will show you; hear me; and what I have seen I will declare,

that which wise men have told, and have not hidden from their fathers;

I have heard many such things. You are all miserable comforters.

Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you should answer?

But now He has made me weary; You have made all my company desolate.

And You have plucked me, for it is a witness, and my failure rises up against me, and it answers to my face.

They have gaped on me with their mouth; and have scornfully beaten me on the cheek; they gather themselves against me.

I have sewed sackcloth on my skin and thrust my horn in the dust.

Oh earth, do not cover my blood, and let not my cry have a place.

For You have hidden their heart from understanding; therefore You shall not lift them up.

If I wait for the grave as my home, I have made my bed in the darkness;

I have said to corruption, You are my father; to the worm, My mother and my sister!

He shall have neither son nor kinsman among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

And this, ten times you have blamed me; you are not ashamed that you have wronged me.

And if indeed I have erred, my error remains with me.

He has put my brothers far from me, and my friends have truly turned away from me.

My people have fallen away, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped with the skin of my teeth.

Have pity on me! Have pity on me, my friends! For the hand of God has touched me.

I have heard the rebuke meant to shame me, and the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

Rise with me and I shall speak; and after I have spoken, mock on.

what is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have if we pray to Him?

For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have held back bread from the hungry.

You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

Do you keep to the old way which wicked men have walked?

For then you shall have your delight in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face to God.

For they have humiliated you, and you shall say, Pride! And He shall save the lowly of eyes.

My foot has held fast in His steps; I have kept His way, and have not fallen away;

nor have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; I treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion.

Drought and heat eat up the snow waters; so does the grave those who have sinned.

How have you helped the powerless, or saved the arm that has no strength?

How have you advised those not wise, or fully declared wise plans?

To whom have you spoken words? And whose spirit came from you?

Behold, all you have seen it yourselves; why then do you become completely vain?

the sons of pride have not walked on it, the lion has not passed by.

The place of ruin and death say, We have heard the fame of it with our ears.

But now those younger laugh at me, whose fathers I would have refused to set with the dogs of my flock.

sons of fools, yea, sons without a name; they have been whipped out of the land.

Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me, they have also thrown off the bridle before me.

They have broken down my path, they gain by my trouble; they have no helper.

Terrors have turned on me; they pursue my soul like the wind; and my good passes away like a cloud.

And now my soul is poured out within me; the days of affliction have taken hold on me.