And Mordecai gave him an account of what had taken place, and of the amount of money which Haman had said he would put into the king's store for the destruction of the Jews.

And Mordecai will tell to turn back to Esther, Thou wilt not imagine in thy soul to escape in the house of the king more than all the Jews.

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

So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?

Haman told himself, "Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?" Haman answered the king, "For a man whom the king desires to honor,

And let this raiment and horse be delivered under the hand of one of the king's princes, that he may array the man withal, whom the king would fain honour: and carry him upon the horse through the streets of the city, and cause it to be proclaimed before him, 'Thus shall it be done to every man, whom the king would fain honour.'"

And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and to all his friends all that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife to him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but wilt certainly fall before him.

for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed and wiped out of existence. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for our hardship would not be sufficient to burden the king [by even mentioning it].”

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

Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the house of wine drinking, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually violate the queen while I am in the palace?” As soon as the statement left the king’s mouth, Haman’s face was covered.

Then Esther again came before the king, falling down at his feet, and made request to him with weeping, that he would put a stop to the evil purposes of Haman the Agagite and the designs which he had made against the Jews.

For how could I bear to see the disaster that would come on my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my relatives?”

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,

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.

A copy of the {edict} [was] to be given [as] law in each province to inform all the people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves from their enemies.

In the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), on its thirteenth day, the edict of the king and his law were to be executed. It was on this day that the enemies of the Jews had supposed that they would gain power over them. But contrary to expectations, the Jews gained power over their enemies.

Then gathered the Jews together in their cities within all the lands of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as would do them evil, and no man could withstand them: for the fear of them was come over all people.

Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.

The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;

And that those days were to be kept in memory through every generation and every family, in every division of the kingdom and every town, that there might never be a time when these days of Purim would not be kept among the Jews, or when the memory of them would go from the minds of their seed.

And his sons used to go and hold a feast {at each other's house} on his day, and they would send, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

{Then when} the days of the feast had run their course, {Job would send}, and he would sanctify them. Thus he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings [according to] the number of all of them, because Job thought, "Perhaps my children have sinned and {cursed} God in their heart." This is what Job used to do {all the time}.

And Jehovah will say to the adversary, From whence wilt thou come? And the adversary will answer Jehovah, and say, From running to and fro in the earth, and from walking about in it.

And Jehovah will say to the adversary, From whence wilt thou come? And the adversary will answer to Jehovah and say, From running to and fro in the earth, and from walking about in it

And Jehovah will say to the adversary, Didst thou set thy heart to my servant Job, that none like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and departing from evil? And yet he holding fast upon his integrity, and thou wilt stimulate me to destroy him without cause.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.

When they looked from a distance, they could barely recognize him. They wept aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust into the air and on his head.

“For now I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then, I would have been at rest [in death],

“Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be,
As infants that never saw light.

and search for it more than for treasure. Which also would be exceedingly glad, and rejoice if they found their grave.

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

Behold, thou didst instruct many, and thou wilt strengthen the weak hands.

Thy words will raise up the weak and thou wilt strengthen the bent knees.

But now it shall come to thee and thou wilt be wearied; it will touch even to thee, and thou wilt tremble.

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and you shall not fear the wild animals of the earth.

For your covenant [will be] with the stones of the field, and the wild animals of the field will be at peace with you.

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

“You will come to your grave in old age,
Like the stacking of grain [on the threshing floor] in its season.

O that my provocation were thoroughly weighed, And my calamity in balances They would lift up together!

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.

Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?

Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless, And make merchandise of your friend.

“Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not].

For like as a bond servant desireth the shadow, and as a hireling would fain have an end of his work:

Am I the sea, or a dragon, that thou wilt set a watch over me?

And thou didst terrify me with dreams, and thou wilt make me afraid with visions:

So that I would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my pain.

I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.

What is man that thou wilt magnify him? and that thou wilt set thy heart to him?

And thou wilt review him for the mornings, and thou wilt try him for the moments.

How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; And thou wilt seek me diligently, but I shall not be.

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

If you yourself would seek God, then you would plead to Shaddai for grace.

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

And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end would greatly increase.

While still uncut shoots,
they would dry up quicker than any other plant.

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

If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.

"{If} he passes by me, {I would not see him}; and [if] he should move on, {I would not recognize him}.

{If} he would snatch away, who could turn him? Who could say to him, 'What are you doing?'

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.

He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.

If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse.

Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me.

“There is no arbitrator between us,
Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].

who would take his rod away from me so that his terror would not make me afraid.

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

Saying to God, Thou wilt not condemn me; make known to me for what thou wilt contend with me.

Is it good to thee that thou wilt oppress, that thou wilt despise the labor of thy hinds, and thou didst shine upon the counsels of the unjust?

Were eyes of flesh to thee? or wilt thou see as man saw?

That thou wilt seek for mine iniquity, and wilt search out for my sins?

Though it is, within thine own knowledge, that I would not be lawless, and, none, out of thy hand, can deliver?

‘Your hands have formed and made me altogether.
Would You [turn around and] destroy me?

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

Wilt thou not weigh me out as milk, and coagulate me as cheese?

Thou wilt clothe me with skin and flesh, and thou wilt hedge me with bones and sinews.

If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

That, if I was an evil-doer, the curse would come on me; and if I was upright, my head would not be lifted up, being full of shame and overcome with trouble.

And [if my head] grows bold, you would hunt me as the lion in its prime; {and you repeat your exploits against me}.

That you would send new witnesses against me, increasing your wrath against me, and letting loose new armies on me.

‘Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

I would have been as though I had not been; I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

“Would He not let my few days alone?
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer

Should men give ear unto thee only? Thou wilt laugh other men to scorn; and shall nobody mock thee again?

Wilt thou say unto God, 'The thing that I take in hand is perfect, and I am clean in thy sight'?

But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

"Wilt thou find out God with thy seeking? Wilt thou attain to the perfectness of the Almighty?

It is as the heights of heaven; what wilt thou do? deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?