According to the king's decree the drinking was not compulsory because the king instructed every steward in his house to serve each individual what he desired.

The king inquired, "According to law, what should be done to Queen Vashti because she did not obey the order of King Ahasuerus that was delivered by the eunuchs?"

Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and his officials, "It is not the king alone whom Vashti has wronged, but rather all of the officials and all of the people who are in the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

Esther did not make known her people or heritage because Mordecai had instructed her not to make it known.

In the evening she would go into the palace and in the morning she would return to the second harem, into the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the mistresses. She would not go again to the king unless the king wanted her and she was called for by name.

Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, who had been Mordecai's uncle. Mordecai had taken Esther in as his own daughter. When her turn came to go in to the king, she did not want anything except what Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the harem, advised. Esther found favor with everyone who saw her.

Now Esther had not declared her heritage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed her, for Esther did what Mordecai told her just as she had done when she was raised by him.

All the king's ministers who were in the king's gate would kneel and bow down to Haman, because the king had commanded that Haman be honored in this way. Mordecai, however, would not kneel and would not bow down.

They asked him this day after day, and he would not listen to them, so they told Haman to see whether or not Mordecai would get away with his disobedience, since he also had told them that he was Jewish.

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel and bow down to him, he flew into a rage.

Then Haman told King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and divided among the people throughout the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different than all the other people, they don't obey the king's laws, and it's not in the king's best interest to leave them alone.

When Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was greatly distressed. She sent clothes for Mordecai to put on so he could take off the sackcloth that he had on, but he would not take them.

"Every servant of the king and every person in the king's provinces knows that for any man or woman who goes to the king in the inner court without being summoned there is only one law that he be put to death unless the king holds out the golden scepter to him. Only then he will live. For these last 30 days I've not been summoned to come to the king."

"Go and gather all the Jewish people who are in Susa and fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, night or day. Both I and my young women will also fast in the same way, and then I'll go in to the king, even though it's against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

Haman went out that day pleased and happy, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, and that he did not stand up and tremble in his presence, Haman was furious with Mordecai.

But all this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate."

That night the king could not sleep, so he gave instructions to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read to the king.

the ten sons of Hammedatha's son Haman, the enemy of the Jewish people, but they did not lay their hands on the spoils.

The Jewish people in Susa assembled again on that day, the fourteenth of Adar, and they killed 300 people in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the spoils.

The rest of the Jewish people in the king's provinces assembled to defend themselves, and they gained relief from their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them. But they did not lay their hands on the spoils.

the Jewish people established this celebration, making it a tradition for themselves, for their descendants, and for all who joined with them that they should not fail to observe these two days each year, based on the written instructions, and at the prescribed time.

These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by each family in every province and town. These days of Purim should not be neglected by the Jewish people, and that they should not be forgotten by their descendants.

Now as to all the powerful and great deeds of Ahasuerus, along with an exact statement about the high position of Mordecai to which the king promoted him, these things are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia, are they not?

Then the LORD told Satan, "Very well then, everything he owns is under your control, only you may not extend your hand against him." So Satan left the LORD's presence.

But he replied to her, "You're talking like foolish women do. Are we to accept what is good from God but not tragedy?" Throughout all of this, Job did not sin by what he said.

"Let the day when I was born be annihilated, along with the night when it was announced, "It's a boy!'

Let that day be dark; let God above not care about it; let no light shine over it.

Let darkness carry that night away; let it not take its place joyfully among the days of the year; let it not be entered into the calendar.

"Yes, let that night be barren; let it not appear with its joyful shout.

Let the stars of its evening twilight be dark; let it hope for light but let there be none; let it not see the breaking rays of the dawn.

"Because that night refused to shut the doors of my mother's womb; it failed to keep me from seeing this trouble.

"Or why was I not buried like a stillborn child, like babies who never saw the light?

To those who are longing for death even though it does not come? To those who search for it more than for hidden treasure?

I will not be at ease; I will not be quiet; I will not rest; because trouble has arrived."

Disquieting thoughts from dreams at night; when deep sleep falls on everyone.

They meet with darkness in broad daylight; at noonday they grope around as if it were night.

You'll be protected from the accusing tongue; you need not fear destruction when it heads your way.

You'll laugh at destruction and famine; and you need not fear the beasts of the earth.

"Men have harsh servitude on earth, do they not? His days are like those of a hired laborer, are they not?

"When I lie down I ask, "When will I wake up?' But the night continues and I keep tossing and turning until dawn.

While they are still green and not yet ready to be harvested, they wither before any plant.

A land is given into the hands of a wicked person; he covers the faces of its judges. If it is not God, then who is it?"

He's not a man like me, so that I can answer him, or that we can enter into litigation with one another.

There is not yet a mediator between us, who would set his hand on the two of us,

removing his rod from me, and not letting terror of him overwhelm me.

Otherwise, I would speak without being terrified of him, because I'm not like that inside myself."

Although you know that I'm not guilty, there's no one to deliver me from you!

Like you, I also have understanding. I'm not inferior to you; who doesn't know things like this?"

What you know, I know, too; I'm not inferior to you.

so also a person lies down and does not get up; they won't awaken until the heavens are no more, nor will they arise from their sleep."

Your own mouth is condemning you, not I; your own lips will testify against you."

He does not believe he will escape darkness; he is destined for the sword.

Let him not trust in a worthless speech. He leads only himself astray, for emptiness will be his reward.

even though violence is not my intention, and my prayer is pure."

Mockers surround me; I cannot stop staring at their hostility all through the night.

They have transformed night into day "The light,' they say, "is about to become dark.'

"For he has stumbled into a net with his own feet; he walked right into the network!

Ten times you've tried to humiliate me! You're not ashamed to wrong me!

then at least you must know that God has accused me of wrong, and trapped me with his net."

He'll vanish like a dream, and no one will find him; he will be chased away like a night vision."

"Total darkness has been reserved for his treasures; a fire that has no need to be kindled will devour him and consume whatever remains in his possession.

They spend the night naked, without clothing, with no covering against the cold.

"Then there are those who rebel against the light; they are not acquainted with its ways; and they don't stay on its course.

The murderer rises at dawn to kill the poor and needy; at night, he is like a thief.

Is there any limit to his armies? On whom does his light not shine?

I'll retain my righteousness and not compromise it; my conscience won't rebuke me at any time.

Terror will overtake him like a flood, at night, a tornado will sweep him away.

The deepest ocean says, "It's not within me.' and the sea says, "You'll never find it with me.'

My roots have spread out and have found water, and dew settles at night on my branches.

They tear up my pathways; they profit from my destruction, and they need no help to do this!

The night racks my bones; and the pain that gnaws on me will not rest.

if not calamity that is due the unjust, and misfortune that is due those who practice iniquity?

He watches my life, observing every one of my actions, does he not?"

if he hadn't thanked me from the bottom of his heart, if he had not been warmed by wool from my sheep,

People in my household have said, "We cannot find anyone who has not been satisfied with his meat,' haven't they?

No stranger ever spent the night in the street, because I opened my doors to travelers."

Furthermore, he was furious with his three friends because they had not answered Job, but instead had condemned him.

"So that you cannot claim, "We have found wisdom!' let God do the rebuking, not man;

let him not direct a rebuke toward me. I won't be responding to him with your arguments.

"Let me speak! I need relief! Let me open my lips and respond.

in a dream or night vision, when a deep sleep falls on mankind while they sleep on their beds.

"He'll sing to mankind with these words: "I've sinned. I have twisted what is right. Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve.

"They die suddenly, in the middle of the night; people suffer seizures and pass away; even valiant men can be taken away and not by human hands.

There's no such thing as darkness to him not even deep darkness that can conceal those who practice evil.

He shatters valiant men without a need to investigate, and he raises others in their place.

Thus he acknowledges their behavior, and overcomes them; when night time comes, they are crushed.

"Should you not be paid back, since you have rejected him? You do the choosing! I won't! Tell us what you know!

He never asks, "Where is God, my Creator, who gives me songs in the night,

Don't long for night, when people vanish in their place.

"So then, the sun is too bright to gaze at, is it not? The sky is swept clean by the wind that blows, is it not?

Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he sleep at night near your feeding trough?

She mistreats her young as though they're not hers, and she has no fear that her labor may be in vain,

Each one is so close to the other that not even air comes in between them.

So take seven bulls and seven rams and bring them to my servant Job. And bring a whole burnt offering for yourselves and my servant Job will pray for you. I'll encourage him by not responding as your disgraceful folly deserves, since you didn't speak about me correctly as did my servant Job."

How blessed is the person, who does not take the advice of the wicked, who does not stand on the path with sinners, and who does not sit in the seat of mockers.

But he delights in the LORD's instruction, and meditates in his instruction day and night.

He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither. He will prosper in everything he does.

But this is not the case with the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not escape judgment, nor will sinners have a place in the assembly of the righteous.

I will not fear multitudes of people, who set themselves against me on every side.