And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.

Then let this clothing and this horse be given to one of the king's noble officials. Let him then clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let him lead him about through the plaza of the city on the horse, calling before him, 'So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!'"

Then the king said to Haman, "Hurry and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken."

So Haman took the garment and the horse. He clothed Mordecai and paraded him through the city square, crying out before him, “This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.”

Haman then related to his wife Zeresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. These wise men, along with his wife Zeresh, said to him, "If indeed this Mordecai before whom you have begun to fall is Jewish, you will not prevail against him. No, you will surely fall before him!"

Queen Esther answered, “If I have obtained your approval, my king, and if the king is pleased, spare my life—this is my request; and spare my people—this is my desire.

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].”

Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen, Who is he and where is he who has had this evil thought in his heart?

Esther said, “A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!” Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.

Angered by this, the king arose from where they were drinking wine and went to the palace garden. Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life because he realized the king was planning something terrible for him.

When the king returned to the banquet hall from the palace garden, Haman was prostrate on the couch where Esther was. The king asked, "Will this man even assault the queen with me in the house?" The king had no sooner spoken than they covered Haman's face.

And she said, If it is the king's pleasure and if I have his approval and this thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing to him, then let letters be sent giving orders against those which Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, sent out for the destruction of the Jews in all divisions of the kingdom:

Indeed, how can I bear to see this disaster happen to my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my kinsmen?"

And the king's scribes will be called in that time in the third month, (this the month Sivan) in the three and twentieth in it; and it will be written according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the prefects, and the chiefs of the provinces which are from India and even to Cush, seven and twenty and a hundred provinces, province and province according to its writing, and people and people according to their tongue, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their tongue.

This was to take place on a certain day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus -- namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar).

A copy of the edict to be issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on 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.

For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.

And Esther said, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews that are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according to this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

And the king said that this was to be done, and the order was given out in Shushan, and the hanging of Haman's ten sons was effected.

This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

For this cause, the country Jews, who dwelt in the country towns, were making the fourteenth day of the month Adar one of rejoicing and banqueting, and a day of happiness, - and of sending portions every one to his neighbour.

to establish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

For Haman son of Hammedatha the Amite, oppressing all the Jews, purposed against the Jews to destroy them, and he cast Pur (this the lot) to discomfit them and to destroy them;

but when this became known to the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them,

Therefore, because of the account found in this letter and what they had faced in this regard and what had happened to them, the Jews established as binding on themselves, their descendants, and all who joined their company that they should observe these two days without fail, just as written and at the appropriate time on an annual basis.

Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.

And Esther commanded to establish these acts of this Purim, and to write them in a book.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and this man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and abstained from evil.

This man had seven sons, and three daughters.

And his substance was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and very many servants; and this man was greater than all the children of the east.

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, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

Yet was this one speaking, when, another, came in and said, - A fire of God, fell out of the heavens, and burned up the sheep and the young men, and consumed them; and escaped am, only I alone, to tell thee.

Yet was this one speaking, when, another, came in and said, The Chaldeans, appointed three chiefs, and spread out against the camels, and took them, and, the young men, smote they with the edge of the sword; and escaped am, only I alone, to tell thee.

Yet was this one speaking, when, another, came in and said, - Thy sons and thy daughters, were eating, and drinking wine, in the house of their eldest brother;

He said,

“Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother’s womb,
And naked I will return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.

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.

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.

This is what Job said:

"Because that night refused to shut the doors of my mother's womb; it failed to keep me from seeing this trouble.

"Will you get offended if somebody tries to talk to you? Who can keep from speaking at a time like this?

But now that this has happened to you,
you have become exhausted.
It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

It remained standing, but I couldn't recognize its appearance. A form appeared before my eyes; At first there was silence, and then this voice:

“Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”

For, now, beyond the sand of the seas, would it be heavy, On this account, my words, have wandered.

I cannot bring myself to touch them; food like this makes me sick."

For all their expectations, they are doomed to disappointment; even though they have come and searched this far.

So this is what you have now become to me.
When you see something dreadful, you are afraid.

Turn back, please let there be no sin; yea, return again, my righteousness is in this matter.

so that I prefer strangling—
death rather than life in this body.

"How long will you keep talking like this? How long will you keep talking like a wind storm?

“Behold, this is the joy of His way;
And out of the dust others will spring.

This was Job's response:

“In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?

"Is this a contest of strength? He is obviously stronger! Is this a matter of justice? Who can sue him?

This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

“The earth is given into the hands of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice].
If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?

Shall I do evil, wherefore this shall I labor in vain?

And these Thou hast laid up in Thy heart, I have known that this is with Thee.

Zophar from Naamath had this to say:

"Should not this abundance of words be answered, or should this talkative man be vindicated?

Like you, I also have understanding. I'm not inferior to you; who doesn't know things like this?"

"I'm a laughingstock to my friends, someone who called on God. But then he answered this upright and blameless man, and I have become a laughingstock.

The tents of robbers are safe,
and those who provoke God are secure;
God’s power provides this.

Or speak to the earth [with its many forms of life], and it will teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare [this truth] to you.

'Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this?

“Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.

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

“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before His presence.

Withdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.

Also -- on this Thou hast opened Thine eyes, And dost bring me into judgment with Thee.

May a dead man live again? All the days of this my pilgrimage am I looking, till my changing shall come.

that you turn your anger against God and speak words like this?

I shew thee -- hearken to me -- And this I have seen and declare:

This will be accomplished before his time; his branches won't grow luxuriant.

"I've heard many things like this. What miserable comforters you all are!

“Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind?
Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?

You have shriveled me up. This is a witness against me. My leanness rises up against me. It testifies to my face.

crying for him to arbitrate between this man and God; as a human being does with his fellow neighbor.

For, their heart, hast thou kept back from understanding, On this account, thou wilt not exalt them.

My eyes have grown weak from grief; and my whole body is as thin as a shadow.

Astonished are the upright at this, And the innocent against the profane Stirreth himself up.

At this day westerns have been astonished And easterns have taken fright.

Only these are tabernacles of the perverse, And this the place God hath not known.

And this, ten times you have blamed me; you are not ashamed that you have wronged me.

know this then: that it is God which hath handled me so violently, and hath compassed me about with his net.

All the men of my counsel detest me, even this one I loved has turned against me.

And after my skin hath compassed this body, Then from my flesh I see God:

Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and for this is my haste within me.

This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

Nothing escaped his devouring greed, - For this cause, shall his prosperity not continue:

This is the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.

Hear ye diligently my word, And this is your consolation.

Is it with a man, that I make this disputation? Which if it were so, should not my spirit be then in sore trouble?