And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers: from the house of Seraiah was Meraiah; from Jeremiah, Hananiah;

from Ezra, Meshullam; from Amariah, Jehohanan;

from Melicu, Jonathan; from Shebaniah, Joseph;

from Harim, Adna; from Meraioth, Helkai;

from Iddo, Zechariah; from Ginnethon, Meshullam;

from Abijah, Zichri; from Miniamin of Moadiah, Piltai;

from Bilgah, Shammua; from Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

and from Joiarib, Mattenai; from Jedaiah, Uzzi;

from Sallai, Kallai; from Amok, Eber;

from Hilkiah, Hashabiah; from Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

And the sons of the singers gathered themselves, both out of the plain country around Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathi;

and from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth (for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem.)

And at the Fountain Gate, across from them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even to the Water Gate eastward.

And the other choirs of praise went across from them, and I after them, and half of the people on the wall, from beyond the Tower of the Furnaces even to the Broad Wall,

and from above the Gate of Ephraim, and above the Old Gate, and above the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananeel, and the Tower of Meah, even to the Sheep Gate. And they stood still in the Prison Gate.

And it happened when they had heard the Law, they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

And I testified against them, and said to them, Why do you stay around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.

In those days I also saw Jews who lived with women from Ashdod, Ammon, and from Moab.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. But women from other lands caused even him to sin.

And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; and I chased him from me.

So I cleansed them from all strangers, and appointed charges to the priests and the Levites, every one in his business,

And it happened in the days of Ahasuerus (this is the Ahasuerus who reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces).

And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, the vessels being different from one another, and royal wine in abundance, according to the hand of the king.

If it please the king, let there be a royal command from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it may not be changed, that Vashti come no more before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal state to another who is better than she is.

who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away.

And the young woman pleased him, and she received kindness from him. And he quickly gave to her purifiers and her portion. And seven young women who were fit to be given her, out of the king's house. And he moved her and her servant women to the best place in the house of the women.

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

And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people, in all the provinces of your kingdom. And their laws are different from all people, neither do they keep the king's laws. And it is not for the king's gain to allow them to live.

And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.

And Esther's servant women and her eunuchs came and told her. And the queen was exceedingly grieved, and she sent clothing to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him. But he did not receive it.

For if you are completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house shall be destroyed. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for a time like this?

And it happened on the third day, Esther put on royal clothing, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, across from the king's house. And the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, across from the gate of the house.

And the king, arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath, went into the palace garden. And Haman stood up to beg for his life from Esther the queen, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king.

And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Then the king's scribes were called at that time in the third month, the month Sivan, on the twenty-third of it. And it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the lieutenants and the governors and rulers of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing of it, and to every people in their writing, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language.

And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple. And the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

But the rest of the Jews in the king's provinces gathered themselves and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their foes. But they did not lay their hands on the spoil.

as the days in which the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions to one another, and gifts to the poor.

and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, and these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and turned aside from evil.

And Jehovah said to Satan, From where do you come? Then Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you set your heart against My servant Job, because there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil?

And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only do not lay your hand upon him. And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.

While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, The fire of God has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and destroyed them. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.

And, behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.

And Jehovah said to Satan, From where do you come? And Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

And Jehovah said unto Satan, Have you set your heart on My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil? And still he is keeping hold of his integrity, although you moved Me against him to destroy him without cause.

And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah and struck Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head.

And Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, and they each one came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had met together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

Let that day be darkness. Let not God look upon it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

For it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hide sorrow from my eyes.

Why did I not die from the womb, come from the womb and expire?

There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest;

The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master.

In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men,

They are destroyed from morning till evening; they perish forever without anyone caring.

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, nor is there any to deliver them.

For affliction does not come forth from the dust, nor does trouble spring up out of the ground;

But He saves the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

In famine He shall redeem you from death; and in war from the power of the sword.

You shall be hidden from the whip of the tongue; neither shall you be afraid of robbery when it comes.

Is not my help in me? And is wisdom fully driven away from me?

To him who is afflicted, pity is due from his friend, but he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

torrents black from ice, in which the snow hides itself.

Did I say, Give to me? or, Offer a bribe for me from your wealth;

or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand; or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?

When I lie down, I say, When shall I rise? But the night is long, and I am full of tossing to and fro until the dawning of the day.

Until when will You look away from me, nor let me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

If he is destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him: I have not seen you.

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will depart from my heaviness and be of good cheer,

Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His fear make me afraid;

If I sin, then You mark me, and You will not acquit me from my iniquity.

Why then have You brought me from the womb? Oh that I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me!

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

Only do not do two things to me; then I will not hide myself from You.

Withdraw Your hand far from me, and let not Your fear make me afraid.

Will You terrify a leaf driven to and fro? Will You pursue the dry stubble?

look away from him, so that he may rest until he shall finish his day, as a hireling.

As the waters fail from the sea, and a river falls away and dries up,

that which wise men have told, and have not hidden from their fathers;

He does not believe in a return from darkness, but he is awaited by the sword.

He shall not escape from darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and at the breath of his mouth he shall turn away.

My face is reddened from weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

For the years that are few will come, and I shall go the way from where I shall not return.

For You have hidden their heart from understanding; therefore You shall not lift them up.

My eye also is dim from grief; and all my members are like a shadow.

His memory shall perish from the earth, and there is no name to him on the face of the street.

They drive him from light to darkness, and they make him flee from the world.

He has stripped me of my glory, and has taken the crown from my head.

He has put my brothers far from me, and my friends have truly turned away from me.

Do you know this from days of old, from the setting of man on earth,

He shall flee from the iron weapon, a bow of bronze shall pierce him.

One draws it, and treads it from behind, even lightning from his gall; terror is on him.

This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the inheritance of his word from God.

And they say to God, Depart from us; for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways;

Behold, their good is not in their hand; the wisdom of the wicked is far from me.

For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have held back bread from the hungry.

who said to God, Depart from us; and, What can the Almighty do to them?

Yet He filled their houses with substance; and the wisdom of the wicked is far from me.