The king extended the gold scepter toward Esther, so she got up and stood before the king.

and saith, 'If to the king it be good, and if I have found grace before him, and the thing hath been right before the king, and I be good in his eyes, let it be written to bring back the letters -- a device of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite -- that he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all provinces of the king,

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.

that the king hath given to the Jews who are in every city and city, to be assembled, and to stand for their life, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy the whole force of the people and province who are distressing them, infants and women, and their spoil to seize.

And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

And Esther saith, 'If to the king it be good, let it be given also to-morrow, to the Jews who are in Shushan, to do according to the law of to-day; and the ten sons of Haman they hang on the tree.'

The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces assembled, defended themselves, and got rid of their enemies. They killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they did not seize any plunder.

Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto 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.

Because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the hater of all the Jews, had made designs for their destruction, attempting to get a decision by Pur (that is, chance) with a view to putting an end to them and cutting them off;

For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

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

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

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

And the men of Sheba came against them and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

Then Job got up, and after parting his clothing and cutting off his hair, he went down on his face to the earth, and gave worship, and said,

and exclaimed: "I left my mother's womb naked, and I will return to God naked. The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken. May the name of the LORD be blessed."

In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. 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.

Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

"Why does God give light to the sufferer or life to the bitter person:

Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

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

Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, And the integrity of thy ways thy hope?

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

A figure stood there,
but I could not recognize its appearance;
a form loomed before my eyes.
I heard a quiet voice:

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

If God puts no trust in His servants
and He charges His angels with foolishness,

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.

“But God saves [the innocent] from the sword of the mouth of the devious,
And the poor from the hand of the mighty.

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

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

like as if one withdrew a good deed from his friend, and forsook the fear of the Almighty God?

By the time they are warm they have been cut off, By its being hot they have been Extinguished from their place.

“Indeed, you have now become like a dried-up stream,
You see a terror [believing me to be a victim of the wrath of God] and are afraid [to be compassionate].

Or, Get me out of the power of my hater? or, Give money so that I may be free from the power of the cruel ones?

Give me teaching and I will be quiet; and make me see my error.

"Now then, be good enough to look at me; and I will not lie to your face!

When I lie down I think:
When will I get up?
But the evening drags on endlessly,
and I toss and turn until dawn.

O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.

When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?

Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:

Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.

“If he is snatched from his place [in the garden],
Then his place will forget him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’

"Indeed, this is the benefit of God's way: from the soil other plants will sprout.

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

If one wanted to take Him to court,
he could not answer God once in a thousand times.

“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?

“It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it,
When He overturns them in His anger;

If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.

“He will not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bitterness.

“It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He destroys [both] 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]?

Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

They are passed away, as the ships that be good under sail, and as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey.

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my'sad countenance, and be of good cheer;

“For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court and judgment together.

I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Thou hast granted me life, and done me good: and the diligent heed that thou tookest upon me hath preserved my spirit.

Are your words of pride to make men keep quiet? and are you to make sport, with no one to put you to shame?

“For you have said, ‘My teaching (doctrine) [that God knowingly afflicts the righteous] is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’

But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?

“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise
[Only] when the colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.

“If you direct your heart [on the right path]
And stretch out your hands to Him,

And you will be safe because there is hope; after looking round, you will take your rest in quiet;

“But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they will not escape [the justice of God];
And their hope is to breathe their last [and die].”

“But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these [of God’s wisdom and might]?

I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

“Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];
And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;

“Who among all these does not recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life]
That the hand of the Lord has done this,

With God is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

"With God are strength and sound wisdom; both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him.