Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the sin of the returned exiles were gathered around me and I sat appalled until the evening offering.

From the days of our ancestors until this day we have been in great guilt, and because of our sins we ourselves, our kings, and our priests have been handed into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to utter shame, as it is this day.

Yahweh, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we have been left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this."

Ezra rose from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He did not eat food nor drink water because he was mourning over the sin of the exiles.

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth day of the month. All the people sat in the public square of the house of God trembling because of this matter and from the rains.

Please let our leaders stand for the whole assembly, and let all that are in our cities who have married foreign women come at set times, and with them the elders of and judges of each city, until the fierce wrath of our God because of this matter is averted from us."

The former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and they took food and wine from them, besides forty shekels. Also, their servants controlled the people, but I did not do so because of the fear of God.

Now what was prepared each day for me was one ox, six choice sheep, and birds. And every ten days all [kinds of] wine were made. But for this I did not demand the food [allowance] of the governor because the slavery was too heavy on this people.

Then I look and realized God had not sent him; rather, he had spoken the prophecy against me [because] Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jehohanan took as a wife the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.

Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, because he was above all of the people. When he opened it all the people stood up.

Then he said to them, "Go, eat festive food and drink sweet drinks, and send a share to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our lord. Do not be grieved because the joy of Yahweh is your refuge."

All of the people went to eat, to drink, to send a share, and to have great joy because they understood the words that they had made known to them.

And all of the assembly of those who returned from captivity made booths and lived in the booths because the {Israelites} had not done it from the days of Jeshua son of Nun until that day. And there was very great joy.

You found his heart faithful before you and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite--to give [it] to his seed. And you have kept your word because you are righteous.

You gave signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all of his servants, and all of the people of his land because you knew that they acted arrogantly against them. You made a name for yourself, as it is this day.

Its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have given over us because of our sins, and [they are] ruling over our dead bodies and our livestock at their pleasure. We are in great trouble.

"Now because of all of this we make a binding written agreement and are writing on the sealed documents [the names of] our commanders, our Levites, and our priests."

They offered on that day great sacrifices and rejoiced because God brought great joy to them. And the women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

because they did not come to meet the {Israelites} with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them in order to curse them--but our God changed the curse into a blessing.

During all of this, I was not in Jerusalem because in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. At the end of [some] days I asked permission from the king [to leave].

Remember them, my God, because of their defilements of the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

"According to [the] law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she has not done the command of King Ahasuerus {conveyed by} the eunuchs?

And let the king's decree that he will make be proclaimed in all his kingdom, because it [is] vast and all the women will honor their husbands, great and small."

Esther did not disclose her people and her family because Modecai had charged her that she must not tell.

I and my people have been sold to be destroyed and killed, to be annihilated. If we had been sold as male and female slaves I would have kept quiet, because this is not a need sufficient to trouble the king."

And King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Look, I have given Haman's house to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he {plotted against} the Jews.

In every province and city, wherever the king's edict and his law came, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a banquet and a {holiday}, and many of the people from the country [were] posing as Jews because the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

All the officials of the provinces, the satraps, governors, and {those who did the work of the king} [were] supporting the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.

Therefore they called these days Purim, because of the name Pur. Thus because of all the words of this letter, and of what they faced concerning this, and of what had happened to them,

{Then when} the days of the feast had run their course, {Job would send}, and he would sanctify them. Thus he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings [according to] the number of all of them, because Job thought, "Perhaps my children have sinned and {cursed} God in their heart." This is what Job used to do {all the time}.

Then they sat with him on the ground [for] seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that {his} suffering was very great.

because it did not shut the doors of my [mother's] womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.

because the dread that I {feel} has come upon me, and what I feared befalls me.

which are growing dark because of ice upon them, it will pile up snow.

They are disappointed, because they trusted; they came {here} and they are confounded.

Is it because I have said, 'Give to me,' or, 'Offer a bribe for me from your wealth'?

because of your knowledge that I am not guilty, and there is no escaping from your hand?

And you will have confidence because there is hope; and you will be well protected--{you will sleep in safety}.

Because he stretched out his hand against God, and he was arrogant to Shaddai;

"Because he has covered his face with his fat and has gathered fat upon [his] loins,

My face is red because of weeping, and deep shadows [are] on my eyelids,

"[You who] are tearing {yourself} in your anger, will [the] earth be forsaken because of you? Or will [the] rock be removed from its place?

be afraid for yourselves {because of the sword}, for wrath [brings] punishment by [the] sword, so that you may know that [there is] judgment."

Because he has not known satisfaction in his stomach, {he lets nothing escape that he desires}.

Does he reprove you because of your reverence [or] enter into judgment with you?

He will deliver the guilty, and he will escape because of the cleanness of your hands."

Therefore, I am horrified because of his presence; [when] I consider, I tremble because of him.

Indeed, I have not been silenced {because of darkness}, and because of me he conceals thick darkness.

because morning likewise is to them deep darkness; indeed, they know about [the] terrors of deep darkness.

because I saved [the] needy who cried for help, and [I saved] [the] orphan for whom [there was] no helper.

because he has loosened his bowstring and humbled me, and they have thrown off restraint {in my presence}.

if I have seen [the one who] perishes because of no clothing or [that] there is no covering for the poor,

if I have raised my hand against an orphan because I saw my supporters at the gate,

Indeed, the disaster from God [was] a dread for me, and {I was powerless} because of his majesty.

if I have rejoiced because my wealth [was] great or because my hand found a fortune,

because I dreaded [the] great multitude, and [the] contempt of clans terrified me, so that I kept quiet, I did not go out of [the] doorway?

Then these three men ceased from answering Job because he [was] righteous in his [own] eyes.

So Elihu the son of Barakel the Buzite, from the clan of Ram, {became angry}. {He became angry} at Job because he justified himself rather than God,

and {he became angry} at his three friends because they had not found an answer, and they had declared Job guilty.

Thus Elihu had waited for Job {to speak} because {they were older than he}.

And I have waited because they do not speak, because they stand [there] [and] no longer answer.

because they have turned aside from him and have not understood any of his ways,

{According to your judgment}, must he repay [it] because you rejected [this]? Indeed, you must choose, and not I, so declare what you know.

Would that Job were tested up to [the] end because [his] answers [are] like [those from] men of mischief,

"Because of [the] multitude of oppressions, they cry out; they cry for help because of [the] arm of [the] mighty.

There they cry out, but he does not answer {because of the pride of evildoers}.

But now, because his anger does not punish, and he does not acknowledge the transgression at all,

Take care, you must not turn to mischief, for because of this you have been tried by misery.

[You] whose garments [are] hot, when [the] earth is being still because of [the] south wind,

"Teach us what we should say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of [the] presence of darkness.

Can you trust it because its strength [is] great, or will you hand your labor over to it?

because God made it forget wisdom, and he did not give it a share in understanding.

{When it raises itself}, [the] mighty ones are terrified; they retreat because of its thrashing.

I lay down and slept; I woke up because Yahweh sustains me.

O Yahweh, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies; make straight before me your way.

Treat them as guilty, O God; let them fall because of their plans. Because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.

But let all who take shelter in you rejoice. Let them ever sing for joy, {because} you spread protection over them; And let those [who] love your name exult in you.

Be gracious to me, O Yahweh, because I am feeble. Heal me, O Yahweh, for my bones are terrified.

My eye wastes away because of vexation; it grows old because of all my oppressors.

When my enemies turn back, they will stumble and perish because of your presence.

"Because of [the] oppression of [the] afflicted, because of [the] groaning of [the] poor, now I will rise up," Yahweh says. "I shall put [them] in [the] safety [for which] they long."

[and] lest my enemy should say, "I have overcome him," [lest] my enemies rejoice because I am shaken.

I will sing to Yahweh because he has dealt bountifully with me.

There {they are very fearful} because God [is] with [the] generation of [the] righteous.

You would put to shame [the] plan of [the] poor, because Yahweh [is] his refuge.

I have set Yahweh before me always. Because [he is] at my right hand I will not be shaken.

As for me, I have called on you because you will answer me, O God. Incline your ear to me. Hear my words.

Then the earth shook and quaked, and [the] foundations of [the] mountains trembled, and they staggered because he was angry.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from [those who] hated me because they were stronger than I.

So he brought me out to a spacious place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.

Because I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not acted wickedly against my God,

because all his ordinances [are] before me, and his statutes I have not removed from me,

His honor [is] great because of your help. Splendor and majesty you have bestowed upon him.

Because the king trusts Yahweh, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

"{He trusts Yahweh}. Let him rescue him. Let him deliver him because he delights in him."

Do not be far from me because trouble [is] near; because there is no helper.

Because dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has encircled me. Like the lion [they are at] my hands and my feet.

because he has not despised nor abhorred [the] affliction of [the] afflicted, and has not hid his face from him; but he listened to him when he cried for help.

Because the kingship belongs to Yahweh, and [he] rules over the nations.