Then the king's scribes were called at that time in the third month, the month Sivan, on the twenty-third of it. And it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the lieutenants and the governors and rulers of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing of it, and to every people in their writing, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language.

And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's ring. And he sent letters by riders on horseback, riders on royal steeds, stallions, even sons of mares.

In them the king granted the Jews in every city to gather themselves, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to kill and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province who desired to attack them, little ones and women, and to take what they owned for a prize,

on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

The copy of the writing for a command to be given in every province was announced to all people, even that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

The runners, riders on stallions, royal steeds, went out, being hurried and pressed on by the king's command. And the order was given at Shushan the palace.

And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple. And the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

And in every province, and in every city where the king's command and his order 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 on them.

And in the twelfth month, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and his order came to be done, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them; though it was turned around, so that the Jews had rule over the ones who hated them.

The Jews gathered themselves in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, in order to lay hand on any who sought their harm. And no man could withstand them, for the fear of them fell on all people.

And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants and the governors and officers of the king helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell on them.

For Mordecai was great in the house of the king, and his fame went throughout all the provinces. For this man Mordecai was going on and growing greater.

And in Shushan the palace the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.

they killed the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the spoil.

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

And the king said to Esther the queen, The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? And what is your petition, that it may be granted you? Or what further request do you have? And it shall be done.

Then Esther said, If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews in Shushan to do tomorrow also according to this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the wooden gallows.

For the Jews in Shushan gathered themselves on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and killed three hundred men at Shushan. But they did not lay their hands on the spoil.

But the rest of the Jews in the king's provinces gathered themselves and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their foes. But they did not lay their hands on the spoil.

And on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day of the same, they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

But the Jews at Shushan gathered on the thirteenth of it and on the fourteenth of it. And on the fifteenth of the same, they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

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

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

as the days in which the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which 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 to one another, and gifts to the poor.

But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked plot which he had plotted against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the wooden gallows.

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

in order to confirm these days of Purim in their set times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had ordered them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed the matters of the fastings and of their cry.

And the order of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim. And it was written in the book.

And King Ahasuerus laid a tax on the land and on the isles of the sea.

And all the acts of his power and of might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, with which the king made him great, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and turned aside from evil.

And his sons went and feasted in the house of each one on his day. And they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

And when they had gone around the day of feasting, 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. So Job did always.

And a day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah. And Satan also came among them.

And Jehovah said to Satan, From where do you come? Then Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you set your heart against My servant Job, because there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil?

Have You not 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 livestock have increased in the land.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only do not lay your hand upon him. And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.

And a day came when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house.

And the Sabeans fell on and took them away. Yea, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.

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

In all this Job did not sin, nor charge God foolishly.

And it happened that a day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah. And Satan also came among them to present himself before Jehovah.

And Jehovah said to Satan, From where do you come? And Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

And Jehovah said unto Satan, Have you set your heart on My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil? And still he is keeping hold of his integrity, although you moved Me against him to destroy him without cause.

And Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, he is in your hand, but save his life.

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

And Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, and they each one came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had met together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and did not know him, they lifted up their voice and wept. And each one tore his robe, and they sprinkled dust upon their heads toward Heaven.

And they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights. And no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night which said, A man-child is conceived.

Lo, let that night be barren; let no joyful voice come in it.

Why is light given to one who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul,

They are rejoicing to exultation. They are glad when they can find the grave.

I was not in safety, nor did I have rest, nor was I quiet; yet trouble comes.

Shall one try a word with you, you who are weary? But who can hold back with words?

In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men,

It stood still, but I could not tell the form of it. An image was before my eyes; silence; then I heard a voice,

Behold, He puts no trust in His servants, and His angels He charges with folly!

How much less in those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth?

For vexation kills the fool, and envy slays the simple one.

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, nor is there any to deliver them.

who gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the field,

to set on high those who are low, so that those who mourn may be lifted up to safety;

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

They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

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

In famine He shall redeem you from death; and in war from the power of the sword.

You shall be hidden from the whip of the tongue; neither shall you be afraid of robbery when it comes.

For you shall be in covenant with the stones of the field; and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.

And you shall know that your tent is in peace; and you shall visit your fold, and shall miss nothing.

You shall come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.

Oh that my grief were but weighed, and my ruin laid in the balances together!

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

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

And it is yet my comfort; yea, I would rejoice in pain, though He did not spare me; for I have not hidden the words of the Holy One.

Is not my help in me? And is wisdom fully driven away from me?

torrents black from ice, in which the snow hides itself.

When they become warm, they go away; when it is hot, they vanish out of their place.

Do you intend to criticize words, and the speeches of one who is hopeless, that are as wind?

Yea, you cause anger to fall on the fatherless, and you dig a pit for your friend.

And now, please look on me; for if I lie, it is before your face.

Turn back, please let there be no sin; yea, return again, my righteousness is in this matter.

Is there wrong in my tongue? Cannot my taste discern desirable things?

Is there not a warfare to man on earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hireling?

When I lie down, I say, When shall I rise? But the night is long, and I am full of tossing to and fro until the dawning of the day.

The eye of him who has seen me shall see me no more; Your eyes are on me, and I am gone.

Therefore I will not hold my mouth; I will speak in the trouble of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint,

What is man, that You should magnify him, and that You should set Your heart on him,

Until when will You look away from me, nor let me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

And why do You not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? For now I shall sleep in the dust, and You shall seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

for we are but of yesterday and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow.

While it is yet in its greenness, and not cut down, it dries out before any other herb.

His hope shall be cut off, and his trust shall be in a spider's web.

He shall lean on his house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold fast to it, but it shall not endure.

He is moist before the sun, and his branches shoot forth in his garden.

If he will argue with Him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand.

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and been blessed;

He who removes the mountains, and they know it not, when He overturns them in His anger;