All of the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by the LORD God of Heaven, and he specifically charged me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Therefore, who among the LORD's people trusts in his God? Whoever among this group wishes to do so may travel to Jerusalem of Judah to rebuild the Temple of the LORD God of Israel, the God of Jerusalem.

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel replied, "You have no part in our plans for building a temple to our God, because we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, in accordance with the decree issued by King Cyrus, king of Persia."

May the king be advised that the Jews who came from you to us have reached Jerusalem and are rebuilding a rebellious and wicked city, having completed its walls and repaired its foundations.

Now, because we are royal employees and are committed to preserving the reputation of the king, we have written to the king and have declared its contents to be true,

Powerful kings have reigned over Jerusalem, including ruling over all lands beyond the Euphrates River. Furthermore, taxes, tribute, and tolls have been paid to them.

And may the God who causes his Name to rest there destroy any king or people who might attempt to destroy this Temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be carried out quickly.

You have authority to act for the king and for his Council of Seven to conduct an inquiry concerning Judah and Jerusalem in accordance with the Law of your God, which is in your possession.

You are carrying silver and gold that the king and his advisors have freely given to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem,

Furthermore, you are to deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels for the service of the Temple of your God that have been given to you.

After these things occurred, certain officials approached me and said "The people of Israel, the priests, and the descendants of Levi have not separated themselves from the people of the lands or from the detestable behavior of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites,

because they and their sons have married foreign women. As a result, the holy people have mingled themselves among the nations of these lands. As a matter of fact, the senior officials and the rulers have been foremost in this sin."

"My God, I am too ashamed and hurt to turn to you, because we're in our iniquities over our heads. Furthermore, my God, our sins have grown as high as the heavens. We have lived in great sin from the days of our ancestors even until today, and because of those iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered over to foreign kings, for execution, for captivity, for plunder, and for humiliation, as is the case today.

Now, our God, what can we say besides this? Because we have abandoned your commandments

"After all that has happened to us because of our evil behavior, and because of our great sin considering that you our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us this deliverance

Jehiel's son Shecaniah, one of Elam's descendants, responded to Ezra: "We have sinned against our God by marrying foreign wives from the people of the land, but even now there is hope in Israel, despite this.

Ezra the priest stood up and spoke to them, "You have sinned by marrying foreign wives, thereby increasing the transgressions of Israel.

However, many people are involved, and it's raining heavily. Furthermore, this is not just a matter of a day or two of work, because many of us have sinned in this.

So let's have our officials remain on behalf of the whole community. Then all who have married foreign wives are to come appear at specific times before the elders and judges of each city until the fierce anger of our God has been turned away from us in this matter."

Here is a list of priestly descendants who were found to have married foreign women. From Jeshua's descendants: Jozadak's son and his brothers Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

They told me, "The survivors of the captivity there in the province are living in great distress and shame. Furthermore, the Jerusalem wall remains broken down and its gates have been burned by fire."

"I confess the sins that we Israelis have committed against you. Both I and my father's house have sinned. We have abandoned you by not keeping your commands, your ceremonies, and your judgments that you proscribed to your servant Moses.

"If you rebel, I will scatter you among the nations but if you return to me, keeping my commands and doing them, even if your exiled people are in the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to establish my Name.'

These are your servants as well as your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.

Don't atone their iniquity, and don't let their sin be blotted out from before you, because they have demoralized the builders."

At the same time I told the people, "Let's have everyone sleep at night inside Jerusalem with their servants, so they can guard us at night and work during the day.

because certain of them kept claiming, "Since we have so many sons and daughters, we must get some grain so we can eat and survive."

It is reported among the nations and Gashmu confirms this that you and the Jews are planning a revolt, and that you're rebuilding the wall in order to declare yourself king. According to these reports, you also have appointed prophets to proclaim about you in Jerusalem, "There is a king in Judah!" Since these words are being reported to the king, come and let's meet together.

He also told them, "Go eat the best food, drink the best wine, and give something to those who have nothing, since this day is holy to our Lord. Don't be sorrowful, because the joy of the LORD is your strength."

You found him faithful in your sight; you made a covenant with him and you gave the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites to his descendants. And you have kept your word, because you are righteous.

"Now therefore, our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God, who keeps the covenant and gracious love, don't let all of the difficulties seem trifling to you, all of hardships that have come upon us, upon our kings, upon our leaders, upon our priests, upon our prophets, upon our ancestors, and upon all of your people from the time of the kings of Assyria until this day.

You are righteous in all that is happening to us, because you have acted faithfully while we have practiced evil.

Furthermore, neither our kings, nor our leaders, nor our priests nor our ancestors have practiced your Law or paid attention to your commands and warnings by which you admonished them.

But now its abundant produce belongs to the kings whom you placed over us because of our sin. They also have power over our bodies and our herds at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

Remember me, my God, concerning this, and do not erase my faithful deeds that I have undertaken for the Temple of my God, and for its services.

Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the descendants of Levi.

Then Haman said, "Even Queen Esther brought no one except me with the king to the banquet that she held. Furthermore, I (along with the king) have also been invited by her tomorrow.

Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said, "Have a pole made 50 cubits high, and then in the morning speak to the king and have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the banquet happy." This advice pleased Haman, and he had the pole made.

Then the king told Haman, "Quick! Take the clothes and the horse just as you have suggested and do this for Mordecai the Jew who sits in the king's gate. And don't let anything you've suggested fall through the cracks."

Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His wise friends and his wife Zeresh told him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is one of the Jewish people, you won't prevail against him. Instead, you will surely fall before him."

The king and Haman went in to have a drink with Queen Esther.

Indeed, I and my people have been sold to be annihilated, killed, and destroyed. If we had just been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because the trouble wouldn't have been sufficient to bother the king."

King Ahasuerus told Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "Look, I've given Haman's property to Esther, and they have hanged him on the pole because he tried to harm the Jewish people.

The king told Queen Esther, "In Susa the capital the Jewish people have killed and destroyed 500 people, including Haman's ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what's your petition? It will be given to you. What's your further request? It will be done."

The LORD asked Satan, "Where have you come from?" In response, Satan answered the LORD, "From wandering all over the earth and walking back and forth throughout it."

Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth. The man is blameless as well as upright. He fears God and keeps away from evil."

Haven't you surrounded him with a fence on all sides, around his house, and around all that he owns? You have blessed everything he puts his hands on and you have increased his livestock in the land.

The LORD asked Satan, "Where have you come from?" In response, Satan told the LORD, "From wandering all over the earth and walking back and forth throughout it."

The LORD asked Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth. The man is blameless as well as upright. He fears God and keeps away from evil. He remains firm in his integrity, even though you have been urging me to overwhelm him without cause."

A word from you has supported those who have stumbled, and has strengthened faltering knees.

Now please think: Who has ever perished when they're innocent? Where have the upright been destroyed?

how much less confidence does he have in those who dwell in houses of clay; who were formed from a foundation in dust and can perish like a moth?

For you'll have a pact with the stones in the field; and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.

You'll know that you'll have many children; and that your offspring will be like the grass of the earth.

"Look! We have thought all this through, and what we've said is true; So please listen and learn for your own good!"

"The arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit absorbs their poison; God's terrors have been arranged just for me!

"Do I have the strength to wait? And why should I be patient?

There is no help within me, is there? My resources have been driven away from me, haven't they?

But my brothers have acted treacherously like a cascading river, like torrential rivers that overflow.

For all their expectations, they are doomed to disappointment; even though they have come and searched this far.

Have I said anything that's unjust? I can discern evil, can't I?"

"Men have harsh servitude on earth, do they not? His days are like those of a hired laborer, are they not?

Truly I've been allotted months of emptiness; nights of trouble have been appointed for me.

So what if I sin? What have I done against you, you observer of humankind? Why have you made me your target? Why burden yourself with me?

"Were I to be summoned, and he were to answer me, I wouldn't even believe that he was listening to what I have to say.

Does it delight you to oppress or despise what you have made, while you smile at the plans of the wicked?

Do you have eyes made of flesh? Can you look at things as humans do?

Your hands formed and fashioned me, but then you have destroyed me all at once on all sides.

""You have brought new witnesses against me, you're even more angry with me you've brought fresh troops to attack me!

If you have any iniquity, throw it far away. Don't let evil live in your residence.

Like you, I also have understanding. I'm not inferior to you; who doesn't know things like this?"

"I'm a laughingstock to my friends, someone who called on God. But then he answered this upright and blameless man, and I have become a laughingstock.

The carefree are thinking, "I have contempt for misfortune,' Those who are about to stumble deserve it.

I have this as my salvation: the godless person won't be appearing before him.

Pay attention to what I have to say and listen to my testimony with your own ears."

"How many of my iniquities and sins have you counted? Show me my transgression and sin.

Indeed, have you opened your eyes on one like this to bring me into a legal fight with you?

Since his days have been determined, the number of his months is known to you. You've set his limit and he cannot exceed it.

Even if its roots have grown ancient in the earth, and its stump begins to rot in the ground,

You'll call and I'll answer you; you'll long for your creatures that your hands have made.

Because your sin dictates your speech, you have chosen the language of the crafty.

Have you listened in on God's secret council? Have you limited wisdom only to yourself?

"We have both the gray-haired and the aged with us, and they are far older than your father.

Why have your emotions carried you away? And why do your eyes flash

which is what wise men have explained, who didn't withhold anything from their ancestors.

and encourage you with what I have to say; my words of comfort would lessen your pain.

"But if I speak, my pain isn't assuaged; if I refrain from speaking, what do I have to lose?"

Even now, behold! I have a witness in heaven, my Advocate is on high.

For when only a few years have elapsed, I'll start down a path from which I'll never return."

My eyes have grown weak from grief; and my whole body is as thin as a shadow.

My days are passed; my plans have been shattered; along with my heart's desires.

They have transformed night into day "The light,' they say, "is about to become dark.'

my relatives have failed me; and my friends have abandoned me.

My closest friends detest me; even the ones I love have turned against me.

I'm a pile of skin and bones; I have barely escaped by the skin of my teeth."

"They say to God, "Turn away from us! We have no desire to know your ways.

"How often do the wicked have their lights put out? Does calamity ever fall on them? Will God in his anger ever apportion their destruction?

"Will you keep walking on the traditional path that sinners have tread,

He clears the skies with his wind; his hands have pierced the fleeing serpent.

Look! All of you have been watching, so why have you become so completely worthless?

If he has many children, their destiny is to die by the sword, and his descendants won't have enough food.