Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Don't be grieved; for the joy of Yahweh is your strength."

They found written in the law, how that Yahweh had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;

Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

and testified against them, that you might bring them again to your law. Yet they dealt proudly, and didn't listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, (which if a man does, he shall live in them), turned their backs, stiffened their neck, and would not hear.

Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, [and] Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brothers.

Didn't Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless foreign women caused even him to sin.

One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him.

He displayed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even one hundred eighty days.

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcass, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

When the king's decree which he shall make is published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give their husbands honor, both great and small."

for he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, that every man should rule his own house, speaking in the language of his own people.

After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." The thing pleased the king, and he did so.

He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king's house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women's house.

Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women's house, to find out how Esther did, and what would become of her.

The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king's bounty.

Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn't listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai's people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai's people.

He came even before the king's gate, for no one is allowed inside the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

Esther's maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth; but he didn't receive it.

Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.

He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to make request before him, for her people.

"All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, know, that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days."

Then Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he didn't stand up nor move for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.

Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.

Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, "Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet." This pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.

On that night, the king couldn't sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.

The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king's house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen, "Who is he, and where is he who dared presume in his heart to do so?"

The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.

Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, "Will he even assault the queen in front of me in the house?" As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were with the king said, "Behold, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, is standing at Haman's house." The king said, "Hang him on it!"

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

On that day, King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, to Esther the queen. Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her.

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

Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and begged him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

She said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.

For how can I endure to see the evil that would come to my people? How can I endure to see the destruction of my relatives?"

Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, "See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged on the gallows, because he laid his hand on the Jews.

He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by courier on horseback, riding on royal horses that were bread from swift steeds.

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.

He sent letters to all the Jews, to the hundred twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,

Haven't you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face."

Yahweh said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don't put forth your hand." So Satan went forth from the presence of Yahweh.

While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, "The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, "The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you."

While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,

He said, "Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh."

Yahweh said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause."

Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.

But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face."

Yahweh said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand. Only spare his life."

He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes.

But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job didn't sin with his lips.

Behold, he puts no trust in his servants. He charges his angels with error.

How much more, those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth!

so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.

He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands can't perform their enterprise.

He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty.

For he wounds, and binds up. He injures, and his hands make whole.

He will deliver you in six troubles; yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.

In famine he will redeem you from death; in war, from the power of the sword.

Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?

even that it would please God to crush me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

How forcible are words of uprightness! But your reproof, what does it reprove?

As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol shall come up no more.

He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

"How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

If your children have sinned against him, He has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience.

If you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you, and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.

He shall lean on his house, but it shall not stand. He shall cling to it, but it shall not endure.

He is green before the sun. His shoots go forth over his garden.

His roots are wrapped around the rock pile. He sees the place of stones.

If he is destroyed from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, 'I have not seen you.'

"Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man, neither will he uphold the evildoers.

He will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.

"Truly I know that it is so, but how can man be just with God?

If he is pleased to contend with him, he can't answer him one time in a thousand.

He removes the mountains, and they don't know it, when he overturns them in his anger.

He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.

He commands the sun, and it doesn't rise, and seals up the stars.

He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.

He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the rooms of the south.

He does great things past finding out; yes, marvelous things without number.

Behold, he goes by me, and I don't see him. He passes on also, but I don't perceive him.

Behold, he snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, 'What are you doing?'

How much less shall I answer him, And choose my words to argue with him?

If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn't believe that he listened to my voice.

For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause.

He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, 'Who,' says he, 'will summon me?'

"It is all the same. Therefore I say he destroys the blameless and the wicked.