to bring Queen Vashti into the king's presence wearing her royal high turban. He wanted to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was very attractive.

The king then inquired of the wise men who were discerners of the times -- for it was the royal custom to confer with all those who were proficient in laws and legalities.

For the matter concerning the queen will spread to all the women, leading them to treat their husbands with contempt, saying, 'When King Ahasuerus gave orders to bring Queen Vashti into his presence, she would not come.'

The king's servants who attended him said, "Let a search be conducted in the king's behalf for attractive young women.

Now he was acting as the guardian of Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, for neither her father nor her mother was alive. This young woman was very attractive and had a beautiful figure. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had raised her as if she were his own daughter.

Now Esther had not disclosed her people or her lineage, for Mordecai had instructed her not to do so.

At the end of the twelve months that were required for the women, when the turn of each young woman arrived to go to King Ahasuerus -- for in this way they had to fulfill their time of cosmetic treatment: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfume and various ointments used by women --

the woman would go to the king in the following way: Whatever she asked for would be provided for her to take with her from the harem to the royal palace.

Then the king prepared a large banquet for all his officials and his servants -- it was actually Esther's banquet. He also set aside a holiday for the provinces, and he provided for offerings at the king's expense.

As a result, all the king's servants who were at the king's gate were bowing and paying homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded. However, Mordecai did not bow, nor did he pay him homage.

But the thought of striking out against Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed of the identity of Mordecai's people. So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai) who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a particular people that is dispersed and spread among the inhabitants throughout all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of all other peoples. Furthermore, they do not observe the king's laws. It is not appropriate for the king to provide a haven for them.

If the king is so inclined, let an edict be issued to destroy them. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to be conveyed to the king's treasuries for the officials who carry out this business."

A copy of this edict was to be presented as law throughout every province; it was to be made known to all the inhabitants, so that they would be prepared for this day.

But he went no further than the king's gate, for no one was permitted to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth.

When Esther's female attendants and her eunuchs came and informed her about Mordecai's behavior, the queen was overcome with anguish. Although she sent garments for Mordecai to put on so that he could remove his sackcloth, he would not accept them.

So Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs who had been placed at her service, and instructed him to find out the cause and reason for Mordecai's behavior.

Then Mordecai related to him everything that had happened to him, even the specific amount of money that Haman had offered to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews to be destroyed.

He also gave him a written copy of the law that had been disseminated in Susa for their destruction so that he could show it to Esther and talk to her about it. He also gave instructions that she should go to the king to implore him and petition him on behalf of her people.

Then Esther replied to Hathach with instructions for Mordecai:

"All the servants of the king and the people of the king's provinces know that there is only one law applicable to any man or woman who comes uninvited to the king in the inner court -- that person will be put to death, unless the king extends to him the gold scepter, permitting him to be spared. Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some thirty days!"

"Don't imagine that because you are part of the king's household you will be the one Jew who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear from another source, while you and your father's household perish. It may very well be that you have achieved royal status for such a time as this!"

"Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast in my behalf. Don't eat and don't drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish!"

Esther replied, "If the king is so inclined, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

While at the banquet of wine, the king said to Esther, "What is your request? It shall be given to you. What is your petition? Ask for as much as half the kingdom, and it shall be done!"

If I have found favor in the king's sight and if the king is inclined to grant my request and perform my petition, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet that I will prepare for them. At that time I will do as the king wishes.

But Haman restrained himself and went on to his home. He then sent for his friends to join him, along with his wife Zeresh.

Throughout that night the king was unable to sleep, so he asked for the book containing the historical records to be brought. As the records were being read in the king's presence,

The king asked, "What great honor was bestowed on Mordecai because of this?" The king's attendants who served him responded, "Not a thing was done for him."

Then the king said, "Who is that in the courtyard?" Now Haman had come to the outer courtyard of the palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had constructed for him.

So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "Who is it that the king would want to honor more than me?"

So Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king wishes to honor,

For we have been sold -- both I and my people -- to destruction and to slaughter and to annihilation! If we had simply been sold as male and female slaves, I would have remained silent, for such distress would not have been sufficient for troubling the king."

In rage the king arose from the banquet of wine and withdrew to the palace garden. Meanwhile, Haman stood to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king had now determined a catastrophic end for him.

Harbona, one of the king's eunuchs, said, "Indeed, there is the gallows that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke out in the king's behalf. It stands near Haman's home and is seventy-five feet high." The king said, "Hang him on it!"

So they hanged Haman on the very gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The king's rage then abated.

On that same day King Ahasuerus gave the estate of Haman, that adversary of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Now Mordecai had come before the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her.

Then Esther again spoke with the king, falling at his feet. She wept and begged him for mercy, that he might nullify the evil of Haman the Agagite which he had intended against the Jews.

For how can I watch the calamity that will befall my people, and how can I watch the destruction of my relatives?"

The king thereby allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and to stand up for themselves -- to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any army of whatever people or province that should become their adversaries, including their women and children, and to confiscate their property.

For the Jews there was radiant happiness and joyous honor.

Throughout every province and throughout every city where the king's edict and his law arrived, the Jews experienced happiness and joy, banquets and holidays. Many of the resident peoples pretended to be Jews, because the fear of the Jews had overcome them.

The Jews assembled themselves in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to strike out against those who were seeking their harm. No one was able to stand before them, for dread of them fell on all the peoples.

All the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and those who performed the king's business were assisting the Jews, for the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them.

So the king issued orders for this to be done. A law was passed in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.

The rest of the Jews who were throughout the provinces of the king assembled in order to stand up for themselves and to have rest from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of their adversaries, but they did not confiscate their property.

All of this happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. They then rested on the fourteenth day and made it a day for banqueting and happiness.

But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, and rested on the fifteenth, making it a day for banqueting and happiness.

This is why the Jews who are in the rural country -- those who live in rural cities -- set aside the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a holiday for happiness, banqueting, holiday, and sending gifts to one another.

Mordecai wrote these matters down and sent letters to all the Jews who were throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far,

as the time when the Jews gave themselves rest from their enemies -- the month when their trouble was turned to happiness and their mourning to a holiday. These were to be days of banqueting, happiness, sending gifts to one another, and providing for the poor.

For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised plans against the Jews to destroy them. He had cast pur (that is, the lot) in order to afflict and destroy them.

For this reason these days are known as Purim, after the name of pur.

to establish these days of Purim in their proper times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established, and just as they had established both for themselves and their descendants, matters pertaining to fasting and lamentation.

Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus. He was the highest-ranking Jew, and he was admired by his numerous relatives. He worked enthusiastically for the good of his people and was an advocate for the welfare of all his descendants.

When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's customary practice.

Then Satan answered the Lord, "Is it for nothing that Job fears God?

While this one was still speaking, another messenger arrived and said, "The fire of God has fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the servants -- it has consumed them! And I -- only I alone -- escaped to tell you!"

and suddenly a great wind swept across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died! And I -- only I alone -- escaped to tell you!"

Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly to his integrity, so that you stirred me up to destroy him without reason."

But Satan answered the Lord, "Skin for skin! Indeed, a man will give up all that he has to save his life!

When Job's three friends heard about all this calamity that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country -- Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to come to show sympathy for him and to console him.

Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Let its morning stars be darkened; let it wait for daylight but find none, nor let it see the first rays of dawn,

For now I would be lying down and would be quiet, I would be asleep and then at peace

with kings and counselors of the earth who built for themselves places now desolate,

Small and great are there, and the slave is free from his master.

to those who wait for death that does not come, and search for it more than for hidden treasures,

For my sighing comes in place of my food, and my groanings flow forth like water.

For the very thing I dreaded has happened to me, and what I feared has come upon me.

The mighty lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

For wrath kills the foolish person, and anger slays the silly one.

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed at the place where judgment is rendered, nor is there anyone to deliver them.

For evil does not come up from the dust, nor does trouble spring up from the ground,

"But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would set forth my case.

For he wounds, but he also bandages; he strikes, but his hands also heal.

For you will have a pact with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

Look, we have investigated this, so it is true. Hear it, and apply it for your own good."

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; my spirit drinks their poison; God's sudden terrors are arrayed against me.

"Oh that my request would be realized, and that God would grant me what I long for!

Then I would yet have my comfort, then I would rejoice, in spite of pitiless pain, for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

"To the one in despair, kindness should come from his friend even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

The caravans of Tema looked intently for these streams; the traveling merchants of Sheba hoped for them.

For now you have become like these streams that are no help; you see a terror, and are afraid.

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

Yes, you would gamble for the fatherless, and auction off your friend.

Relent, let there be no falsehood; reconsider, for my righteousness is intact!

Like a servant longing for the evening shadow, and like a hired man looking for his wages,

The eye of him who sees me now will see me no more; your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone.

I loathe it; I do not want to live forever; leave me alone, for my days are a vapor!

And why do you not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust, and you will seek me diligently, but I will be gone."

if you become pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself for you, and will restore your righteous abode.

"For inquire now of the former generation, and pay attention to the findings of their ancestors;

For we were born yesterday and do not have knowledge, since our days on earth are but a shadow.

While they are still beginning to flower and not ripe for cutting, they can wither away faster than any grass!

It wraps its roots around a heap of stones and it looks for a place among stones.

Although I am innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my judge for mercy.

he who crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds for no reason.

He does not allow me to recover my breath, for he fills me with bitterness.

I dread all my sufferings, for I know that you do not hold me blameless.