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

So the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language.

Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.

because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him.

Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.

“Why did I not die at birth,
Come forth from the womb and expire?

“There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the weary are at rest.

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

“If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But who can refrain from speaking?

“Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,

“His sons are far from safety,
They are even oppressed in the gate,
And there is no deliverer.

“For affliction does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

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

“From six troubles He will deliver you,
Even in seven evil will not touch you.

“In famine He will redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.

“You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.

“Is it that my help is not within me,
And that deliverance is driven from me?

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

“When they become waterless, they are silent,
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.

“Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’

Or, ‘Deliver me from the hand of the adversary,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?

“Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?

“Will they not teach you and tell you,
And bring forth words from their minds?

“If he is removed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’

“Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.

‘According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand.

‘I should have been as though I had not been,
Carried from womb to tomb.’

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

“He reveals mysteries from the darkness
And brings the deep darkness into light.

“Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:

Remove Your hand from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.

“Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day like a hired man.

“As water evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,

“But the falling mountain crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;

What wise men have told,
And have not concealed from their fathers,

“He does not believe that he will return from darkness,
And he is destined for the sword.

“He will not escape from darkness;
The flame will wither his shoots,
And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

“My face is flushed from weeping,
And deep darkness is on my eyelids,

“For You have kept their heart from understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them.

“O you who tear yourself in your anger—
For your sake is the earth to be abandoned,
Or the rock to be moved from its place?

“He is torn from the security of his tent,
And they march him before the king of terrors.

“Memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name abroad.

“He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased from the inhabited world.

“He has stripped my honor from me
And removed the crown from my head.

“He has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

“Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;

“Do you know this from of old,
From the establishment of man on earth,

“He swallows riches,
But will vomit them up;
God will expel them from his belly.

“He may flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.

“It is drawn forth and comes out of his back,
Even the glittering point from his gall.
Terrors come upon him,

“This is the wicked man’s portion from God,
Even the heritage decreed to him by God.”

Their houses are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.

“They say to God, ‘Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.

“Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

“To the weary you have given no water to drink,
And from the hungry you have withheld bread.

“They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’
And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’

“Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

“Please receive instruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart.

“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,

“There the upright would reason with Him;
And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

“I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

“They push the needy aside from the road;
The poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.

“Others snatch the orphan from the breast,
And against the poor they take a pledge.

“They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing,
And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

“From the city men groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry out;
Yet God does not pay attention to folly.

“Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

“This is the portion of a wicked man from God,
And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty.

“The east wind carries him away, and he is gone,
For it whirls him away from his place.

“For it will hurl at him without sparing;
He will surely try to flee from its power.

“Men will clap their hands at him
And will hiss him from his place.

“Iron is taken from the dust,
And copper is smelted from rock.

“He sinks a shaft far from habitation,
Forgotten by the foot;
They hang and swing to and fro far from men.

“The earth, from it comes food,
And underneath it is turned up as fire.

“He dams up the streams from flowing,
And what is hidden he brings out to the light.

“Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?

“Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living
And concealed from the birds of the sky.

“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

“I broke the jaws of the wicked
And snatched the prey from his teeth.

“Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me?
Vigor had perished from them.

“From want and famine they are gaunt
Who gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation,

“They are driven from the community;
They shout against them as against a thief,

“Fools, even those without a name,
They were scourged from the land.

“They abhor me and stand aloof from me,
And they do not refrain from spitting at my face.

“They break up my path,
They profit from my destruction;
No one restrains them.

“And what is the portion of God from above
Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

“If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,

“If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,