And it came to pass as they spoke daily to him, and he hearkened not to them, that they informed Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, Haman was full of fury.

But he scorned to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus the people of Mordecai.

In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman for each day and for each month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have charge of the affairs, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

Then were the king's scribes called, in the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month, and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king's satraps, and to the governors over every province, and to the princes of every people; to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language: in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, upon the thirteenth of the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

That the decree might be given in every province, a copy of the writing was published to all peoples, that they should be ready against that day.

And when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his garments, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry,

And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and of the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

And he gave him a copy of the writing of the decree that had been given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to charge her that she should go in unto 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 do know that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law, to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live; and I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

And Mordecai bade to answer Esther: Imagine not in thy heart that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

Go, gather together all the Jews that are found in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise, and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.

And Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

And it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house. And the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the entrance to the house.

And it was so, when the king saw the queen Esther standing in the court, that she obtained grace in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand; and Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

And Esther said, If it seem good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

And the king said, Hasten Haman, that it may be done as Esther has said. And the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

If I have found grace in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to-morrow according to the king's word.

And Haman went forth that day joyful and glad of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up nor moved for him, he was full of fury against Mordecai.

And Haman said, Yea, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to-morrow also I am invited to her with the king.

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends to him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king that Mordecai may be hanged on it: then go in merrily with the king to the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

On that night sleep fled from the king. And he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.

And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, keepers of the threshold, who had sought to lay hand on king Ahasuerus.

And the king said, What honour and dignity has been done to Mordecai for this? And the king's servants that attended upon him said, Nothing has been done for him.

And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman had come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak to the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

let the royal apparel be brought with which the king arrays himself, and the horse that the king rides upon, and on the head of which the royal crown is set;

And the king said to Haman, Make haste, take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast said.

And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and to all his friends all that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife to him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but wilt certainly fall before him.

While they were yet talking with him, the king's chamberlains came, and hasted to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

And king Ahasuerus spoke and said to Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he that has filled his heart to do so?

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

And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold, also, the gallows fifty cubits high, that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him on it!

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

On that day did king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' oppressor to Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her.

and said, If it please the king and if I have found grace before him, and the thing seem right to the king, and I be pleasing in his sight, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that are in all the king's provinces.

For how shall I endure to see the evil that shall befall my people? and how shall I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

Write ye then for the Jews as seems good to you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring. For a writing that is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, cannot be reversed.

Then were the king's scribes called at that time, in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors, and the princes of the provinces which are from India even to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language.

stating that the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that might assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, upon the thirteenth of the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

That the decree might be given in every province, a copy of the writing was published to all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

And in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day thereof, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them (but it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had power over them that hated them),

And the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword and slaughter and destruction, and did what they would to those that hated them.

On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the fortress was brought before the king.

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 Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but they laid not their hand on the prey.

And the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their life, and had rest from their enemies; and they slew of them that hated them seventy-five thousand (but they laid not their hand on the prey),

But the Jews that were at Shushan gathered themselves together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and joy.

Therefore the Jews of the villages that dwell in the country towns make the fourteenth of the month Adar a day of joy and feasting, and a good day, and on which they send portions one to another.

And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews near and far that were in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus,

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

as the days on which the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month that was turned to them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

For Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the oppressor of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them and to destroy them;

and when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head; and they hanged him and his sons on the gallows.

the Jews ordained and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves to them, so that it should not fail, that they would observe these two days according to their writing and according to their fixed time, every year;

and that these days should be remembered and observed throughout every generation, in every family, every province, and every city, and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them cease from among their seed.

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.

And it was so, when the days of the feasting were gone about, that Job sent and hallowed them; and he rose up early in the morning, and offered up burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil?

Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is spread abroad in the land.

But put forth thy hand now and touch all that he hath, and see if he will not curse thee to thy face!

And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil? and still he remaineth firm in his integrity, though thou movedst me against him, to swallow him up without cause.

And Satan answered Jehovah and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life;

And three friends of Job heard of all this evil that was come upon him. And they came each one from his place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to condole with him and to comfort him.

And they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights; and none spoke a word to him; for they saw that his anguish was very great.

Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived.

That day let it be darkness, let not +God care for it from above, neither let light shine upon it:

That night let gloom seize upon it; let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.

Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful sound come therein;

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan;

Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.

Why did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?

Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that have not seen the light.

Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,

For I feared a fear, and it hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me.

Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees:

Remember, I pray thee, who that was innocent has perished? and where were the upright cut off?

Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow mischief, reap the same.

How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as the moth!

Call, I pray thee! Is there any that answereth thee? and to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

Setting up on high those that are low; and mourners are exalted to prosperity.

And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; and thou wilt survey thy fold, and miss nothing.

And thou shalt know that thy seed is numerous, and thine offspring as the herb of the earth.

Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!

Shall that which is insipid be eaten without salt? Is there any taste in the white of an egg?

What my soul refuseth to touch, that is as my loathsome food.

Oh that I might have my request, and that +God would grant my desire!

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

Then should I yet have comfort; and in the pain which spareth not I would rejoice that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should have patience?

Is it not that there is no help in me, and soundness is driven away from me?

For him that is fainting kindness is meet from his friend; or he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

Do ye imagine to reprove words? The speeches of one that is desperate are indeed for the wind.

Remember thou that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good.

The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up.

Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?