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.

Put the garment and the horse under the charge of one of the king’s most noble officials. Have them clothe the man the king wants to honor, parade him on the horse through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king wants 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.

I and my people have been sold to be destroyed and killed, to be annihilated. If we had been sold as male and female slaves I would have kept quiet, because this is not a need sufficient to trouble the king."

And King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, "Who [is] he, and where [is] he, who {gave himself the right to do this}?"

And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the 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 good to the king, and if I have found favor before him, and if the king is pleased with this matter, and {I have his approval}, let [an edict] be written to revoke the letters of the plans of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that [are] in all the provinces of the king.

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 would take place on a single day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month 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 grew greater and greater.

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

The king commanded this to be done. A decree was given out in Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.

[This was] on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. [They] rested on the fourteenth [day] and made it a day of feasting and joy.

This explains why the rural Jews who live in villages observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a time of rejoicing and feasting. It is a holiday when they send gifts to one another.

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. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto 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 Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all 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.

His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

{Then when} the days of the feast had run their course, {Job would send}, and he would sanctify them. Thus he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings [according to] the number of all of them, because Job thought, "Perhaps my children have sinned and {cursed} God in their heart." This is what Job used to do {all the time}.

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.

While this one was still speaking, {another} came and said, "The fire of God fell from the heavens, and it blazed up against the sheep and goats and against the servants, and it consumed them. But I escaped, [even] I alone, to tell you."

While this one was still speaking, {another} came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three divisions, and they made a raid on the camels, and they carried them away, and they struck your servants {by the edge of the sword}, but I escaped, [even] I alone, to tell you."

At the time this one was speaking, {another} came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their firstborn brother's house.

saying:

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will leave this life.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.
Praise the name of Yahweh.

In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God with wrong.

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 unto her, You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

After this opened Job 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 your fear, your confidence, your hope, and the uprightness of your 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:

Lo this, we have searched it out, so it is; hear it, and know you it for your good.

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 earth shall others grow.

This was Job's response:

"Truly, I know that this is so. But how can a human be just 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 destroys the blameless 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]?

I will be condemned, so why should I wear myself out with this futility?

And these things have you hid in your heart: I know that this is with you.

Zophar from Naamath had this to say:

Should this stream of words go unanswered
and such a talker be acquitted?

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 knows not among all these that the hand of the LORD has done this?

Lo, 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?

Moreover, this [is] salvation to me, that [the] godless would not come {before him}.

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

Do You really take notice of one like this?
Will You bring me into judgment against You?

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 will tell thee - hear me, Since this I have seen, I must needs declare it.

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.

Upright men shall be astonished at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

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

Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knows not God.

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 if after my skin this shall be destroyed, yet from out of my flesh shall I see +God;

Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

Know you not this of old, since man was placed upon the 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 the heritage appointed unto him by God.

Hear diligently my speech, and let this be 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?