Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, just as it is written.”

The whole community that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. And there was tremendous joy.

On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, wearing sackcloth, and had put dust on their heads.

You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
all his officials, and all the people of his land,
for You knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors.
You made a name for Yourself
that endures to this day.

Even after they had cast an image of a calf
for themselves and said,
“This is your God who brought you out of Egypt,”
and they had committed terrible blasphemies,

In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.

A priest of Aaronic descent must accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites must take a tenth of this offering to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God.

This included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.

Now before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was a relative of Tobiah

While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence

Remember me for this, my God, and don’t erase the deeds of faithful love I have done for the house of my God and for its services.

I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them: “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?

Didn’t your ancestors do the same, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His anger against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember me for this also, my God, and look on me with compassion in keeping with Your abundant, faithful love.

Didn’t King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations. He was loved by his God and God made him king over all Israel, yet foreign women drew him into sin.

Why then should we hear about you doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

At the end of this time, the king held a week-long banquet in the garden courtyard of the royal palace for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were present in the fortress of Susa.

Before this day is over, the noble women of Persia and Media who hear about the queen’s act will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in more contempt and fury.

Then the young woman who pleases the king will become queen instead of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

When the report was investigated and verified, both men were hanged on the gallows. This event was recorded in the Historical Record in the king’s presence.

After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials.

The entire royal staff at the King’s Gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this to be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.

If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”

Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:

Esther answered, “This is my petition and my request:

Still, none of this satisfies me since I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s Gate all the time.”

The king inquired, “What honor and special recognition have been given to Mordecai for this act?”

The king’s personal attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”

Put the garment and the horse under the charge of one of the king’s most noble officials. Have them clothe the man the king wants to honor, parade him on the horse through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.’”

So Haman took the garment and the horse. He clothed Mordecai and paraded him through the city square, crying out before him, “This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.”

Queen Esther answered, “If I have obtained your approval, my king, and if the king is pleased, spare my life—this is my request; and spare my people—this is my desire.

King Ahasuerus spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?”

Esther answered, “The adversary and enemy is this evil Haman.”

Haman stood terrified before the king and queen.

Angered by this, the king arose from where they were drinking wine and went to the palace garden. Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life because he realized the king was planning something terrible for him.

This would take place on a single day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar.

The king gave the orders for this to be done, so a law was announced in Susa, and they hung the bodies of Haman’s 10 sons.

This explains why the rural Jews who live in villages observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a time of rejoicing and feasting. It is a holiday when they send gifts to one another.

For this reason these days are called Purim, from the word Pur.

Because of all the instructions in this letter as well as what they had witnessed and what had happened to them,

Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote this second letter with full authority to confirm the letter about Purim.

Whenever a round of banqueting was over, Job would send for his children and purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought: Perhaps my children have sinned, having cursed God in their hearts. This was Job’s regular practice.

saying:

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will leave this life.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.
Praise the name of Yahweh.

Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.

“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.

Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

After this, Job began to speak and cursed the day he was born.

But now that this has happened to you,
you have become exhausted.
It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

We have investigated this, and it is true!
Hear it and understand it for yourself.

So this is what you have now become to me.
When you see something dreadful, you are afraid.

so that I prefer strangling—
death rather than life in this body.

Surely this is the joy of his way of life;
yet others will sprout from the dust.

“Yet You concealed these thoughts in Your heart;
I know that this was Your hidden plan:

Should this stream of words go unanswered
and such a talker be acquitted?

The tents of robbers are safe,
and those who provoke God are secure;
God’s power provides this.

Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?

Look, my eyes have seen all this;
my ears have heard and understood it.

Yes, this will result in my deliverance,
for no godless person can appear before Him.

Do You really take notice of one like this?
Will You bring me into judgment against You?

The upright are appalled at this,
and the innocent are roused against the godless.

Indeed, such is the dwelling of the unjust man,
and this is the place of the one who does not know God.

This is why my unsettling thoughts compel me to answer,
because I am upset!

This is the wicked man’s lot from God,
the inheritance God ordained for him.

Pay close attention to my words;
let this be the consolation you offer.

The righteous see this and rejoice;
the innocent mock them, saying,

Come to terms with God and be at peace;
in this way good will come to you.

Therefore I am terrified in His presence;
when I consider this, I am afraid of Him.

From the city, men groan;
the mortally wounded cry for help,
yet God pays no attention to this crime.

If this is not true, then who can prove me a liar
and show that my speech is worthless?

All of you have seen this for yourselves,
why do you keep up this empty talk?

This is a wicked man’s lot from God,
the inheritance the ruthless receive from the Almighty.

this would also be a crime deserving punishment,
for I would have denied God above.

But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man.

If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I have to say.

My heart pounds at this
and leaps from my chest.

He causes this to happen for punishment,
for His land, or for His faithful love.

Listen to this, Job.
Stop and consider God’s wonders.

Who is this who obscures My counsel
with ignorant words?

when I declared: “You may come this far, but no farther;
your proud waves stop here”?

Have you comprehended the extent of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

You asked, “Who is this who conceals My counsel with ignorance?”
Surely I spoke about things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

Job lived 140 years after this and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

The wicked are not like this;
instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Yahweh my God, if I have done this,
if there is injustice on my hands,

You, Lord, will guard us;
You will protect us from this generation forever.

With Your hand, Lord, save me from men,
from men of the world
whose portion is in this life:
You fill their bellies with what You have in store;
their sons are satisfied,
and they leave their surplus to their children.

Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.

Who is He, this King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of glory.Selah

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.

By this I know that You delight in me:
my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.

I remember this as I pour out my heart:
how I walked with many,
leading the festive procession to the house of God,
with joyful and thankful shouts.

Why am I so depressed?
Why this turmoil within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him,
my Savior and my God.

Why am I so depressed?
Why this turmoil within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him,
my Savior and my God.

Why am I so depressed?
Why this turmoil within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him,
my Savior and my God.

All this has happened to us,
but we have not forgotten You
or betrayed Your covenant.

wouldn’t God have found this out,
since He knows the secrets of the heart?

“This God, our God forever and ever—
He will always lead us.”

For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who inhabit the world,

This is the way of those who are arrogant,
and of their followers,
who approve of their words.Selah

“Understand this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart,
and there will be no one to rescue you.

Against You—You alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in Your sight.
So You are right when You pass sentence;
You are blameless when You judge.

This is why God will bring you down forever.
He will take you, ripping you out of your tent;
He will uproot you from the land of the living.Selah