Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all good things, wells digged, vineyards and olive-gardens, and fruit trees in abundance. And they did eat and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

But they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets who testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

And thou gavest them into the hand of their oppressors, and they oppressed them; and in the time of their distress, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from the heavens, and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their oppressors.

But when they had rest, they did evil again before thee; and thou didst leave them in the hand of their enemies, and they had dominion over them; and again they cried unto thee, and thou heardest them from the heavens, and many times didst thou deliver them, according to thy mercies.

And thou testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law; but they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thine ordinances (which if a man do, he shall live in them); and they withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

And many years didst thou forbear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets; but they would not give ear: and thou gavest them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

Nevertheless for thy manifold mercies' sake, thou didst not make a full end of them nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

And now, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and loving-kindness, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the days of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

And our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers, have not performed thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

And they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land that thou didst set before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to hallow the sabbath day. Remember this also for me, my God, and spare me according to thy great loving-kindness!

And Haman said to king Ahasuerus, There is a people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from those of every people, and they keep not the king's laws; and it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

And Mordecai bade to answer Esther: Imagine not in thy heart that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there arise relief and deliverance to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall perish. And who knows whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

And the king said to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom.

And the king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee; and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be done.

And the king said again to 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? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be done.

And Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found grace in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request;

And the king said to Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the fortress, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? And what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee; and what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

But put forth thy hand now and touch all that he hath, and see if he will not curse thee to thy face!

And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn;

but put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and see if he will not curse thee to thy face!

And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.

Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees:

Hath not thy piety been thy confidence, and the perfection of thy ways thy hope?

And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; and thou wilt survey thy fold, and miss nothing.

And thou shalt know that thy seed is numerous, and thine offspring as the herb of the earth.

What is man, that thou makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him?

How long wilt thou speak these things? and the words of thy mouth be a strong wind?

If thy children have sinned against him, he hath also given them over into the hand of their transgression.

If thou seek earnestly unto God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty,

If thou be pure and upright, surely now he will awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous;

And though thy beginning was small, yet thine end shall be very great.

Whilst he would fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with shouting,

Doth it please thee to oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Are thy days as the days of a mortal? are thy years as a man's days,

Since thou knowest that I am not wicked, and that there is none that delivereth out of thy hand?

Thy hands have bound me together and made me as one, round about; yet dost thou swallow me up!

Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy care hath preserved my spirit;

And these things didst thou hide in thy heart; I know that this was with thee.

And it increaseth: thou huntest me as a fierce lion; and ever again thou shewest thy marvellous power upon me.

Thou renewest thy witnesses before me and increasest thy displeasure against me; successions of evil and a time of toil are with me.

Should thy fictions make men hold their peace? and shouldest thou mock, and no one make thee ashamed?

If thou prepare thy heart and stretch out thy hands toward him,

If thou put far away the iniquity which is in thy hand, and let not wrong dwell in thy tents;

Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot, and thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear:

Yea, thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; and many shall seek thy favour.

Withdraw thy hand far from me; and let not thy terror make me afraid:

Wherefore dost thou hide thy face, and countest me for thine enemy?

Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee; thou wouldest have a desire after the work of thy hands.

For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.

Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; and thy lips testify against thee.

Both the greyheaded and the aged are with us, older than thy father.

Why doth thy heart carry thee away? and why do thine eyes wink?

That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest words go out of thy mouth?

And they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways!

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

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?

For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.

Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,

Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;

Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto +God:

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;

And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.

Even him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.

Thou art changed to a cruel one to me; with the strength of thy hand thou pursuest me.

If thou canst, answer me; array thy words before me: take thy stand.

Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words: --

Shall he recompense according to thy mind? for thou hast refused his judgment; for thou so choosest, and not I; speak then what thou knowest.

I will reply to thee in words, and to thy companions with thee.

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? If thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

If thou be righteous, what givest thou to him? or what doth he receive of thy hand?

Thy wickedness may affect a man as thou art, and thy righteousness a son of man.

Even so would he have allured thee out of the jaws of distress into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and the supply of thy table would be full of fatness.

Will he esteem thy riches? Not gold, nor all the resources of strength!

How thy garments become warm when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?

Gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.

And said, Hitherto shalt thou come and no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

Hast thou since thy days commanded the morning? hast thou caused the dawn to know its place,

Thou knowest, for thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great!

Dost thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that floods of waters may cover thee?

Will the buffalo be willing to serve thee, or will he lodge by thy crib?

Wilt thou put confidence in him, because his strength is great? and wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

Wilt thou trust him to bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy threshing-floor?

Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make his nest on high?

Gird up now thy loins like a man: I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.

Then will I also praise thee, because thy right hand saveth thee.

Wilt thou play with him as with a bird, and wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

Lay thy hand upon him; remember the battle, do no more!

And it came to pass after Jehovah had spoken these words to Job, that Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, Mine anger is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken rightly of me, like my servant Job.

Ask of me, and I will give thee nations for an inheritance, and for thy possession the ends of the earth:

Salvation is of Jehovah; thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

Many say, Who shall cause us to see good? Lift up upon us the light of thy countenance, O Jehovah.

But as for me, in the greatness of thy loving-kindness will I enter thy house; I will bow down toward the temple of thy holiness in thy fear.

Lead me, Jehovah, in thy righteousness, because of my foes; make thy way plain before me.

And all that trust in thee shall rejoice: for ever shall they shout joyously, and thou wilt protect them; and they that love thy name shall exult in thee.

{To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments, upon Sheminith. A Psalm of David.} Jehovah, rebuke me not in thine anger, and chasten me not in thy hot displeasure.