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.

When the edict of the king that he issues is heard throughout his kingdom for it's vast then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the greatest to the least important."

If the king approves, let it be decreed that they're to be destroyed, and I'll measure out 10,000 silver talents and bring it to the king's treasury for those who will do the work."

"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."

Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Don't suppose that because you are in the palace, you will escape any more than the other Jewish people.

Indeed, if you are silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows but that you were brought to the kingdom for a time like this?"

"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."

The king asked her, "What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even if it's half of the kingdom, it will be given to you."

While they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther, "What's your petition? It will be given to you. What's your request? Up to half of the kingdom, and it will be done."

Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His wise friends and his wife Zeresh told him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is one of the Jewish people, you won't prevail against him. Instead, you will surely fall before him."

On the second day the king again told Esther as they drank wine, "What's your petition, Queen Esther? It will be given to you. What's your request? Up to half of the kingdom, and it will be done."

When the king returned to the banquet hall from the palace garden, Haman was prostrate on the couch where Esther was. The king asked, "Will this man even assault the queen with me in the house?" The king had no sooner spoken than they covered Haman's face.

The king told Queen Esther, "In Susa the capital the Jewish people have killed and destroyed 500 people, including Haman's ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what's your petition? It will be given to you. What's your further request? It will be done."

However, stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face."

and exclaimed: "I left my mother's womb naked, and I will return to God naked. The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken. May the name of the LORD be blessed."

Satan answered the LORD, "Skin for skin! The man will give up everything that he owns in exchange for his health.

In that place, those who once were prisoners will be at ease together; they won't hear the voice of oppressors.

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

"Will you get offended if somebody tries to talk to you? Who can keep from speaking at a time like this?

It's been my experience that those who plow the soil of iniquity and those who sow the seed of trouble will reap their harvest!

"Cry out, won't you! Is there anyone who will answer you? To whom will you turn among the holy ones?

For wrath will slay a fool; zealous anger will kill the naive.

Then the hungry will devour his harvest, snatching it even from the midst of thorns, while the thirsty covet their wealth.

"He will deliver you through six calamities; and calamity won't touch you throughout the seventh.

He will deliver you from death by famine; in war from the power of the sword.

For you'll have a pact with the stones in the field; and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

You'll know that your home is secure; when you search your possessions, and nothing will be missing.

You'll know that you'll have many children; and that your offspring will be like the grass of the earth.

"Will the wild donkey bray from hunger if fresh grass is beside him? Will the ox low from distress if it is near its feed?

"Who will grant my wish? I wish God would grant what I'm hoping for:

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

The eyes of the one who sees me won't see me anymore; your eyes will look for me but I won't be around!

For I've said, "My bed will comfort me; my couch will ease my burdens while I complain.'

Why haven't you pardoned my transgression and taken away my iniquity? Now I'm about to lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I won't be around!"

"How long will you keep talking like this? How long will you keep talking like a wind storm?

Your beginning may be small, but later years will be very great.

Such are the paths of everyone who forgets God the hope of the godless will be destroyed:

If he is uprooted from his place, then it will deny him: "I never saw you.'

"Indeed, this is the benefit of God's way: from the soil other plants will sprout.

He will soon fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips will shout with joy.

Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will no longer exist.

He is wise in heart and strong in will who can be stubborn against him and succeed?

Though I'm in the right, my own mouth will condemn me; though I'm blameless, he'll pronounce me as guilty.

I will be condemned, so why should I wear myself out with this futility?

you'll still drop me into the Pit, and my own clothes will despise me.

But if I do lift up my head, you will hunt me like a lion! You will perform miracles in order to fight against me.

Will your irrational babble silence people, and when you mock them, will you escape without being shamed?

and disclose his wise secrets? After all, there's so much more to understanding. So be aware that God will exact from you less than your sin deserves."

An empty-headed person will gain understanding when a wild donkey is born a human being!"

"Now for you, if you will prepare your heart, spread out your hands to him.

Then your confidence will be flawless, and your security will keep you from terror.

Your life will be brighter than noonday. Even its darkness will be like dawn.

When you sleep, there'll be nothing to fear; and many will court your favor.

But what the wicked look for will fail; their way of escape will be taken away from them; their only hope is to take their final breath."

"Truly, you are the people and wisdom will die with you!

"Ask the wild animals, and they'll teach you; the birds of the sky will tell you.

Will you show partiality to him? Will you plead God's case?

Will things go well for you under his cross-examination? Can you lie to him, as you would to a human being?

"He will be sure to rebuke you, if you show partiality in secret.

His splendor will petrify you with terror, paralyzing you with fear, won't it?

"There is hope for the tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots won't stop growing.

the presence of water will make it to bud so that it sprouts new branches like a young plant.

"But when a person dies and wastes away, when a person breathes his last, where will he be?

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."

If a human being dies, will he live again? I will endure the entire time of my assigned service, until I am changed.

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

Terrifying sounds ring in his ears; when times are prosperous, the Destroyer will attack him.

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

He will live in devastated towns, in abandoned houses that are about to become heaps of rubble.

He won't escape darkness; a flame will wither his shoots; and he'll depart by the breath of God's mouth.

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

This will be accomplished before his time; his branches won't grow luxuriant.

Will windy words like yours never end? What is upsetting you that you keep on arguing?

Offer, then, some collateral on my behalf. Is there anyone who will be my guarantor?

Now as for the one who testifies against his friends to take their property, even the eyes of his children will fail.

But the righteous person will hold to his way, and those with clean hands will grow stronger and stronger."

Will it go down to the bars that lock the doors of the afterlife? Will we descend together into the dust?"

You're tearing yourself to pieces in your anger. Will the land be abandoned because of you, or the rock be moved from its place?"

"As for me, I know that my Vindicator is alive; And he, the Last One, will take his stand on the soil.

Even after my skin has been destroyed, clothed in my flesh I will see God,

whom I will see for myself. My own eyes will look at him there won't be anyone else for me! He is the culmination of my innermost desire."

"When you're thinking about asking yourselves, "How will we pursue him, since the root of the problem is with him?'

he'll perish forever, like his own excrement; those who saw him will ask, "Where is he?'

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

His sons will make amends to the poor; their hands will return his wealth.

Though his bones were full of youthful vigor; yet they will lie down with him in the dust.

his food will turn rancid in his stomach it will become a cobra's poison inside him.

"Though he swallows wealth, he will vomit it; God will dislodge it from his stomach.

He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will slay him.

"He will restore what he has attained from his work and won't consume it; he won't enjoy the profits from his business transactions,

Even though he is satiated and self-sufficient, he suffers everyone in any sort of trouble will attack him.

"It will come about that, when he has filled himself to the full, God will vent his burning anger on him; he will pour it out on him and on his body.

Though he dodges an iron weapon, a bronze arrow will pierce him.

It will impale him and come out through his back; the point will glisten as it protrudes through his gall bladder, and he will be terrified.

"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.

Heaven will reveal his iniquity, while the earth will rise up against him.

A flood will wash away his house; dragging it away when God becomes angry.

Behold! Their prosperity isn't in their control! The counsel of the wicked will remain far from me."

"How often do the wicked have their lights put out? Does calamity ever fall on them? Will God in his anger ever apportion their destruction?

Their own eyes will see their destruction; and they'll drink the wrath of the Almighty.