Did not your fathers do the same, and did not our God send all this evil on us and on this town? but you are causing more wrath to come on Israel by not keeping the Sabbath holy.

And I gave the Levites orders to make themselves clean and come and keep the doors and make the Sabbath holy. Keep this in mind to my credit, O my God, and have mercy on me, for great is your mercy.

And I took up the cause against them, cursing them and giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair; and I made them take an oath by God, saying, You are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? among a number of nations there was no king like him, and he was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel: but even he was made to do evil by strange women.

Are we then without protest to let you do all this great evil, sinning against our God by taking strange women for your wives?

Keep them in mind, O my God, because they have put shame on the priests' name and on the agreement of the priests and the Levites.

And for the wood offering, at fixed times, and for the first fruits. Keep me in mind, O my God, for good.

And this suggestion seemed good to the king and the captains; and the king did as Memucan said;

Let the king give authority to certain men in all the divisions of his kingdom, to get together all the fair young virgins and send them to Shushan, the king's town, to the women's house, under the care of Hegai, the king's servant, the keeper of the women: and let the things needed for making them clean be given to them;

Go, get together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and go without food for me, taking no food or drink night or day for three days: and I and my women will do the same; and so I will go in to the king, which is against the law: and if death is to be my fate, then let it come.

And Esther in answer said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the feast which I have made ready for him.

Then on that day Haman went out full of joy and glad in heart; but when he saw Mordecai in the king's doorway, and he did not get to his feet or give any sign of fear before him, Haman was full of wrath against Mordecai.

Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, Let a pillar, fifty cubits high, be made ready for hanging him, and in the morning get the king to give orders for the hanging of Mordecai: then you will be able to go to the feast with the king with a glad heart. And Haman was pleased with the suggestion, and he had the pillar made.

That night the king was unable to get any sleep; and he sent for the books of the records; and while some one was reading them to the king,

Then the king said, Who is in the outer room? Now Haman had come into the outer room to get the king's authority for the hanging of Mordecai on the pillar which he had made ready for him.

And Haman gave his wife Zeresh and all his friends an account of what had taken place. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, If Mordecai, who is starting to get the better of you, is of the seed of the Jews, you will not be able to do anything against him, but you will certainly go down before him.

For we are given up, I and my people, to destruction and death and to be cut off. If we had been taken as men-servants and women-servants for a price, I would have said nothing, for our trouble is little in comparison with the king's loss.

And the king in his wrath got up from the feast and went into the garden: and Haman got to his feet to make a prayer for his life to Esther the queen: for he saw that the king's purpose was evil against him.

Then Harbonah, one of the unsexed servants waiting before the king, said, See, the pillar fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who said a good word for the king, is still in its place in Haman's house. Then the king said, Put him to death by hanging him on it.

Then the king put out the rod of gold to Esther, and she got up before the king.

So now send a letter about the Jews, writing whatever seems good to you, in the king's name, and stamping it with the king's ring: for a writing signed in the king's name and stamped with the king's ring may not be changed.

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.

And the other Jews in every division of the kingdom came together, fighting for their lives, and got salvation from their haters and put seventy-five thousand of them to death; but they did not put a hand on their goods.

So the Jews of the country places living in unwalled towns make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of feasting and joy and a good day, a day for sending offerings one to another.

As days on which the Jews had rest from their haters, and the month which for them was turned from sorrow to joy, and from weeping to a good day: and that they were to keep them as days of feasting and joy, of sending offerings to one another and good things to the poor.

Because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the hater of all the Jews, had made designs for their destruction, attempting to get a decision by Pur (that is, chance) with a view to putting an end to them and cutting them off;

For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and respected by the body of his countrymen; working for the good of his people, and saying words of peace to all his seed.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.

And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all. For, Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?

And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that Job is a god-fearing man?

And the men of Sheba came against them and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

Then Job got up, and after parting his clothing and cutting off his hair, he went down on his face to the earth, and gave worship, and said,

In all this Job did no sin, and did not say that God's acts were foolish.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil? and he still keeps his righteousness, though you have been moving me to send destruction on him without cause.

And his wife said to him, Are you still keeping your righteousness? Say a curse against God, and put an end to yourself.

And he said to her, You are talking like one of the foolish women. If we take the good God sends us, are we not to take the evil when it comes? In all this Job kept his lips from sin.

That day--let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;

For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,

To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?

I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest; nothing but pain comes on me.

Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?

Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off?

What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.

By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.

Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying:

May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker?

But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:

He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.

Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.

If only I might have an answer to my prayer, and God would give me my desire!

If only he would be pleased to put an end to me; and would let loose his hand, so that I might be cut off!

Under the burning sun they are cut off, and come to nothing because of the heat.

Or, Get me out of the power of my hater? or, Give money so that I may be free from the power of the cruel ones?

Give me teaching and I will be quiet; and make me see my error.

When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.

O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.

When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?

If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;

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

When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant.

So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.

Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.

Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?

He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?

God's wrath may not be turned back; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.

Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.

My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.

I will say to God, Do not put me down as a sinner; make clear to me what you have against me.

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

But if only God would take up the word, opening his lips in argument with you;

Are you able to take God's measure, to make discovery of the limits of the Ruler of all?

And so a hollow-minded man will get wisdom, when a young ass of the field gets teaching.

And you will be safe because there is hope; after looking round, you will take your rest in quiet;

It seems that I am to be as one who is a cause of laughing to his neighbour, one who makes his prayer to God and is answered! the upright man who has done no wrong is to be made sport of!

There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.

But put now a question to the beasts, and get teaching from them; or to the birds of the heaven, and they will make it clear to you;

He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;

But I would have talk with the Ruler of all, and my desire is to have an argument with God.

If only you would keep quiet, it would be a sign of wisdom!

Will you say in God's name what is not right, and put false words into his mouth?

Will you have respect for God's person in this cause, and put yourselves forward as his supporters?

Will it be good for you to be searched out by him, or have you the thought that he may be guided into error like a man?

Keep quiet, and let me say what is in my mind, whatever may come to me.

Is any one able to take up the argument against me? If so, I would keep quiet and give up my breath.

He comes out like a flower, and is cut down: he goes in flight like a shade, and is never seen again.

For there is hope of a tree; if it is cut down, it will come to life again, and its branches will not come to an end.

Though its root may be old in the earth, and its cut-off end may be dead in the dust;

Truly, you make the fear of God without effect, so that the time of quiet worship before God is made less by your outcry.

Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?

Are the comforts of God not enough for you, and the gentle word which was said to you?

So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth?

(The things which wise men have got from their fathers, and have not kept secret from us;

Because his hand is stretched out against God, and his heart is lifted up against the Ruler of all,

He does not get wealth for himself, and is unable to keep what he has got; the heads of his grain are not bent down to the earth.