So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

{The young woman pleased him} and she won favor in his presence, and he quickly provided for her beauty treatment and her portion of food, with seven chosen maids to give to her from the {king's palace}, and he advanced her and her maids to the best part of the {harem}.

Now when it was each young woman’s turn to go before King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with [sweet] spices and perfumes and the beauty preparations for women—

In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to a separate part of the harem, to the authority of Shaashgaz the king's eunuch who was overseeing the concubines. She would not go back to the king unless the king was pleased with her and she was requested by name.

Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.

And after they had spoken to him day after day without his paying any attention to them, they informed Haman to see whether this attitude on Mordecai's part would be permitted. Furthermore, he had disclosed to them that he was a Jew.

If it pleases the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.”

A copy of the writing, to be made public in every part of the kingdom, was sent out to all the peoples, so that they might be ready when that day came.

And in every part of the kingdom, wherever the king's word and his order came, there was great sorrow among the Jews, and weeping and crying and going without food; and numbers of them were stretched on the earth covered with dust and haircloth.

So Hathach went forth to Mordecai unto the broad place of the city, which was before the king's gate.

It is common knowledge among all the king's servants and the people of every part of the kingdom, that if anyone, man or woman, comes to the king in his inner room without being sent for, there is only one law for him, that he is to be put to death; only those to whom the king's rod of gold is stretched out may keep their lives: but I have not been sent for to come before the king these thirty days.

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?"

But Haman controlled himself and went to his house, and he sent [for] and brought his friends and Zeresh his wife.

And Haman saith, 'Yea, Esther the queen brought none in with the king, unto the feast that she made, except myself, and also for to-morrow I am called to her, with the king,

On that night the king could not sleep; so he ordered that the book of records and memorable deeds, the chronicles, be brought, and they were read before the king.

And Haman said unto the king, "Let the man unto whom the king would be glad to do worship, be brought hither,

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:

and to give the clothing and the horse into the hand of a man of the heads of the king, the chiefs, and they have clothed the man in whose honour the king hath delighted, and caused him to ride on the horse in a broad place of the city, and called before him: Thus it is done to the man in whose honour the king hath delighted.'

Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.

While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs (attendants) arrived and hurriedly brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

And he wrote the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by post on horseback, riding on swift steeds that were used in the king's service, bred of the stud:

In these letters the king gave authority to the Jews in every town to come together and make a fight for their lives, and to send death and destruction on the power of any people in any part of the kingdom attacking them or their children or their women, and to take their goods from them by force,

And, Mordecai, went forth from the presence of the king, in royal apparel, of blue and white, with a large diadem of gold, and a mantle of fine linen and purple, - and, the city Shusan, was bright and joyful.

And in every part of the kingdom and in every town, wherever the king's letter and his order came, the Jews were glad with great joy, and had a feast and a good day. And a great number of the people of the land became Jews: for the fear of the Jews had come on them.

For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and word of him went out through every part of the kingdom: for the man Mordecai became greater and greater.

On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.

But when it came before the king, he commanded in writing that Haman’s wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews was to return on his own head, and that he and his sons should [endure what he planned for the Jews and] be hanged on the gallows.

His sons regularly went to one another's houses, and every one on his day gave a feast: and at these times they sent for their three sisters to take part in their feasts with them.

And it will be that the days of drinking went round, and Job will send and consecrate them, and he rose early in the morning and brought up burnt-offerings for the number of them all: for Job said, Perhaps my sons sinned, and blessed God in their hearts. Thus did Job all the days.

For my sighing cometh before my bread, and my groanings are poured out like the waters.

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

Behold, he hath found unfaithfulness among his own servants, and proud disobedience among his angels.

“He catches the [so-called] wise in their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the devious is quickly thwarted.

They meet with darkness in broad daylight; at noonday they grope around as if it were night.

Thou shalt come to the grave in a ripe age, as a shock of corn is brought in in its season.

My soul refused to touch these as the loathsomeness of my bread.

Confounded are they that put any confidence in them: For when they came to obtain the things that they looked for, they were brought to confusion.

"Teach me and I, for my part, will be silent; explain to me how I have been mistaken.

"How long wilt thou talk of such things? How long shall thy mouth speak so proud words?

“Will they (the fathers) not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their hearts [the deepest part of their nature]?

Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?

He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength. Who ever prospered that took part against him?

If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;

If I am proud, You hunt me like a lion
and again display Your miraculous power against me.

""You have brought new witnesses against me, you're even more angry with me you've brought fresh troops to attack me!

Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

As I had not been, I am, From the belly to the grave I am brought,

Are your words of pride to make men keep quiet? and are you to make sport, with no one to put you to shame?

And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.

His length exceedeth the length of the earth, and his breadth the breadth of the sea.

“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise
[Only] when the colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.

At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.

But, in very deed, ask, I pray thee, the beasts, and they will teach thee, and the bird of the heavens, and it will tell thee;

“He pours contempt on princes and nobles
And loosens the belt of the strong [disabling them].

Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;

Your remembrance shall be like unto the dust, and your pride shall be turned to clay.

His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?

Why doth thine heart make thee so proud? Why standest thou so greatly in thine own conceit? Where unto look thine eyes,

For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:

He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

I was some time in wealth, but suddenly hath he brought me to naught. He hath taken me by the neck, he hath rent me, and set me, as it were a mark for him to shoot at.

"I have sewed sackcloth on my skin, and I have inserted {my pride} in the dust.

He promiseth his friends part of his good, but his own children spend it.

He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.

Virtuous men therefore shall well consider this, and the innocent shall take part against the hypocrite.

He shall be rooted out of his tent where he trusteth; And he shall be brought to the king of terrors.

Be ye afraid - on your part - of the face of the sword, because, wrath, bringeth the punishments of the sword, to the end ye may know the Almighty.

That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?

“Though his pride reaches the heavens
And his head touches the clouds,

The bread that he did eat is turned to the poison of serpents, within his body.

The heaven shall declare his wickedness, and the earth shall take part against him.

Their bulls breed without fail;
their cows calve and do not miscarry.

"How oft shall the candle of the wicked be put out? How oft cometh their destruction upon them? Oh what sorrow shall God give them for their part in his wrath!

That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

When they are humiliated, {you say}, '[It is] pride,' for he saves {the humble}.

Behold, as wild asses in the desert They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; The wilderness yieldeth them bread for their children.

They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

Lo, even the moon is not bright; and the stars are not pure in his sight:

He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.

By his wind the heavens become bright: by his hand the quickly moving snake was cut through.

“Yet these are just the fringes of His ways [mere samples of His power],
The faintest whisper of His voice!
Who can contemplate the thunder of His [full] mighty power?”

I will keep it safe, and will not let it go: my heart has nothing to say against any part of my life.

"Therefore mine enemy shall be found as the ungodly; and he that taketh part against me, as the unrighteous.

If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

That path no bird of prey knoweth, Neither hath the falcon's eye seen it:

The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.

He has searched the sources of the rivers and what was hidden he has brought into the light.

Seeing it hath been hid from the eyes of every living thing, and, from the bird of the heavens, hath it been concealed?

When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,

Plucking off sea purslain upon the shrub, the root of broom their bread.

{A senseless crowd}, yes, {a disreputable brood}, they were cast out from the land.

And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.

At my right hand rise the young brood; they push away my feet, and raise up against me their pernicious ways;

Thou art become mine enemy, and with thy violent hand thou takest part against me.

The fires of Abaddon will burn, disrupting every part of my eternal reward."