And I went to the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us have a meeting in the house of God, inside the Temple, and let the doors be shut: for they will come to put you to death; truly, in the night they will come to put you to death.

And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

So the Levites made all the people quiet, saying, Be quiet, for the day is holy; and do not give way to grief.

And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:

And in a pillar of cloud thou didst guide them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night, to enlighten the way to them that they shall go in it

Lo, we -- to-day -- are servants, and the land that Thou hast given to our fathers, to eat its fruit and its good -- lo, we are servants on it,

And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

Now these are the chief of the province that dwelt in Jerusalem: but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities, to wit, Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants.

And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward.

And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.

Then came I to know, that, the portions of the Levites, had not been given them , - so that the Levites and the singers, who had been doing the work, had fled every one to his field.

And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.

Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?

Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.

This very day the wives of the officials of Persia and Media who hear the report about the queen will speak in the same way to all the officials of the king, and there will be more than enough contempt and anger.

Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)

In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

Then the king told Haman, “The money and people are given to you to do with as you see fit.”

Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

and Mordecai declareth to him all that hath met him, and the explanation of the money that Haman said to weigh to the treasuries of the king for the Jews, to destroy them,

All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

Then said the king unto her, What do you wish, queen Esther? and what is your request? it shall be even given you to the half of the kingdom.

Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:

Then Mordecai again sat at the king's gate, while Haman hurried away to his home, mournful and with a veil over his head.

And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

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.

Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

the Jews have established and received upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all those joined unto them, and it doth not pass away, to be keeping these two days according to their writing, and according to their season, in every year and year;

And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that 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. Thus did Job continually.

But put forth Your hand now and touch (destroy) all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

the Sabeans came in violently, and took them all away: yea, they have slain thy servants with the sword, and I only ran my way, to tell thee."

And while he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The fire of God is fallen from heaven, it hath consumed, and burnt up all thy sheep and servants: and I only ran my way, to tell thee."

In the mean season while he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The Chaldeans made three armies, and fell upon thy camels, which they have carried away: yea, and slain thy servants with the sword, and I only am gotten away, to tell thee."

and suddenly there came a mighty great wind out of the South, and smote the four corners of the house: which fell upon thy children, so that they are dead, and I alone am gotten away, to tell thee."

But put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh [and severely afflict him]; and he will curse You to Your face.”

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.

And lifting up their eyes when they were still far off, it did not seem that the man they saw was Job because of the change in him. And they gave way to bitter weeping, with signs of grief, and put dust on their heads.

Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

"Call now; is there any who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

“Behold, how happy and fortunate is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise or reject the discipline of the Almighty [subjecting you to trial and suffering].

What power have I to endure? Or, what is mine end, that my soul might be patient?

"Did I desire you to come hither? Or to give me any of your substance?

I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself -- and what?

How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

"Were I to be summoned, and he were to answer me, I wouldn't even believe that he was listening to what I have to say.

If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

Is it good for You to oppress,
to reject the work of Your hands,
and favor the plans of the wicked?

If I have done wickedly -- woe to me, And righteously -- I lift not up my head, Full of shame -- then see my affliction,

Why then did you make me come out of my mother's body? It would have been better for me to have taken my last breath, and for no eye to have seen me,

Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

Should your loose talk put people to silence? {And when you mock, shall no one put you to shame}?

They are higher than heaven; what is there for you to do? deeper than the underworld, and outside your knowledge;

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall have no way to flee; And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.

He makes nations great, and then destroys them; he enlarges nations, but then sends them away to captivity.

Will it be good for you to be searched out by him, or have you the thought that he may be guided into error like a man?

Then at the sound of your voice I will give answer; or let me put forward my cause for you to give me an answer.

“Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you,
[Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?

May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?

His confidence shall be rooted out of his tent, and it shall lead him away to the king of terrors:

And fear ye to yourselves, from the face of the sword? for wrath the iniquities of the sword, so that ye shall know there is judgment

I -- to man is my complaint? and if so, wherefore May not my temper become short?

For the evil one will be spared for the day of destruction; they shalt be led away to the day of wraths

Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?

when he is carried away to the cemetery and guardians are placed to watch his tomb?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

Does He correct you and take you to court
because of your piety?

Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;

Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.

For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

Man has not seen the way to it, and it is not in the land of the living.

“God understands the way [to wisdom]
And He knows its place [for wisdom is with God alone].

And he said to man, Truly the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to keep from evil is the way to knowledge.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I to sing for joy;

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;

I chose out their way, and sat chief, - and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.

And now I was their song, and I to them for a by word.

Upon my right hand they rose together against me; they have hurt my feet, made a way to destroy me,

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

A brother, became I to the brutes that howl, and a companion to the birds that screech:

My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.

Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

(For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;)

Look, I waited for you to speak; I listened closely to your wise thoughts,while you were searching for words.

And am I to go on waiting while they have nothing to say? while they keep quiet and give no more answers?

“However, Job, please listen to my words,
And pay attention to everything I say.

His flesh wastes away to nothing,
and his unseen bones stick out.

And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.

Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,

If you are righteous, what give you to him? or what receives he of your hand?

By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

Don't let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.