and let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man therewith whom the king delighteth to honor, and cause him to ride on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor.

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

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

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

Then spake the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?

And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden: and 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 said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him thereon.

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

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

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

And she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be 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 that are in all the king's provinces:

for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

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

And he wrote the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by post on horseback, riding on swift steeds that were used in the king's service, bred of the stud:

wherein 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 would assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

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

So the posts that rode upon swift steeds that were used in the king's service went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment; and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace.

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

And all the princes of the provinces, and the satraps, and the governors, and they that did the king's business, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai was fallen upon them.

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

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

Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews that are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according unto 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 in Shushan; but on the spoil they laid not their hand.

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

But the Jews that were in Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

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

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

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

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

because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;

but when the matter 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 that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

Wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come unto them,

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

and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the remembrance of them perish from their 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 turned away from evil.

His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.

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 renounced God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

Now it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan also came among them.

And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away 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 increased in the land.

But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face.

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

that there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them;

Again it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah.

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

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

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, and they made an appointment together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him.

So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Let that day be darkness; Let not God from above seek for it, Neither let the light shine upon it.

Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let all that maketh black the day terrify it.

As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it: Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months.

Lo, let that night be barren; Let no joyful voice come therein.

Let them curse it that curse the day, Who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should suck?

Or with princes that had gold, Who filled their houses with silver:

Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants that never saw light.

Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul;

Who long for death, but it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;

For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast made firm the feeble knees.

According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow trouble, reap the same.

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

How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth!

Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.

Call now; is there any that will answer thee? And to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

So that he setteth up on high those that are low, And those that mourn are exalted to safety.

He frustrateth the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

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

Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, And thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

Oh that my vexation were but weighed, And all my calamity laid in the balances!

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas: Therefore have my words been rash.

Can that which hath no savor be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

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 crush me; That he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

And be it still my consolation, Yea, let me exult in pain that spareth not, That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is mine end, that I should be patient?

Is it not that I have no help in me, And that wisdom is driven quite from me?

To him that is ready to faint kindness'should be showed from his friend; Even to him that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, As the channel of brooks that pass away;

The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside; They go up into the waste, and perish.

Do ye think to reprove words, Seeing that the speeches of one that is desperate are as wind?

As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages:

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And are spent without hope.

Oh remember that my life is a breath: Mine eye shall no more see good.

The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be.

As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.

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

So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than these my bones.

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him,

And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment?

If I have sinned, what do I unto thee, O thou watcher of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, So that I am a burden to myself?

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:

So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish:

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.

Of a truth I know that it is so: But how can man be just with God?

Him that removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When he overturneth them in his anger;

That shaketh the earth out of its place, And the pillars thereof tremble;

That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And sealeth up the stars;

That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;