A copy of the edict to be issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.

In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.

Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them.

The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand before them, for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples.

Even all the princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and those who were doing the king’s business assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them.

the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa was reported to the king.

The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request? It shall also be done.”

Then said Esther, “If it pleases the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”

The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending portions of food to one another.

Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far,

obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually,

because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them.

Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them,

So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.

Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.

He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth,

to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations.

The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book.

Now King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land and on the coastlands of the sea.

And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?

For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

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

Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

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

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him.

When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky.

Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

“Let darkness and black gloom claim it;
Let a cloud settle on it;
Let the blackness of the day terrify it.

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

“Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;
Let it wait for light but have none,
And let it not see the breaking dawn;

Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.

With kings and with counselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt ruins for themselves;

“The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.

“Why is light given to him who suffers,
And life to the bitter of soul,

“For my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And my cries pour out like water.

“If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But who can refrain from speaking?

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

“By the breath of God they perish,
And by the blast of His anger they come to an end.

“The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.

“The lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

“Now a word was brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a whisper of it.

“Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,

“Then a spirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh bristled up.

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

“Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

“His harvest the hungry devour
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the schemer is eager for their wealth.

“He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.

“He captures the wise by their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.

“But He saves from the sword of their mouth,
And the poor from the hand of the mighty.

“Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

“In famine He will redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.

“You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.

“You will laugh at violence and famine,
And you will not be afraid of wild beasts.

“For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

“You will know also that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.

“You will come to the grave in full vigor,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.

“For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.

“For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
Their poison my spirit drinks;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

“Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

“Would that God were willing to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!

“But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

“Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

“My brothers have acted deceitfully like a wadi,
Like the torrents of wadis which vanish,

Which are turbid because of ice
And into which the snow melts.

“The paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.

“The caravans of Tema looked,
The travelers of Sheba hoped for them.

Or, ‘Deliver me from the hand of the adversary,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?

“Do you intend to reprove my words,
When the words of one in despair belong to the wind?

“Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face.

“Is not man forced to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

So am I allotted months of vanity,
And nights of trouble are appointed me.

“My flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and runs.

“The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.

“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

“If I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’

“Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?

“How long will you say these things,
And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

“If your sons sinned against Him,
Then He delivered them into the power of their transgression.

“If you would seek God
And implore the compassion of the Almighty,