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

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

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

But the Jews that were at Shushan gathered themselves together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and joy.

Therefore the Jews of the villages that dwell in the country towns make the fourteenth of the month Adar a day of joy and feasting, and a good day, and on which they send portions one to another.

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

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

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

For Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the oppressor of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them and to destroy them;

Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore, according to all the words of this letter, and for what they had seen concerning this matter and what had happened to them,

and that these days should be remembered and observed throughout every generation, in every family, every province, and every city, and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them cease from among their seed.

And queen Esther the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim.

And he sent letters to all the Jews, to the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, words of peace and truth,

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

And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

And king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land and the isles of the sea.

And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration 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 to king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the welfare of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and this man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and abstained from evil.

And his substance was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and very many servants; and this man was greater than all the children of the east.

And his sons went and made a feast in the house of each one on his day; and they sent and invited their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

And it was so, when the days of the feasting were gone about, that Job sent and hallowed them; and he rose up early in the morning, and offered up burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

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

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 spread abroad in the land.

But put forth thy hand now and touch all that he hath, and see if he will not curse thee to thy face!

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

And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn.

and they of Sheba fell upon them and took them, and the servants have they smitten with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels and took them, and the servants have they smitten with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their brother, the firstborn;

and behold, there came a great wind from over the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they died; and I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee.

and he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah!

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

but put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and see if he will not curse thee to thy face!

And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah; and he smote Job with a grievous botch from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

And his wife said to him, Dost thou still remain firm in thine integrity? curse God and die.

But he said to her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. We have also received good from God, and should we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

And three friends of Job heard of all this evil that was come upon him. And they came each one from his place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to condole with him and to comfort him.

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice and wept. And they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward the heavens.

Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of the day terrify it.

That night let gloom seize upon 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 dark; let it wait for light, and have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the dawn:

Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.

With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build desolate places for themselves,

The prisoners together are at ease; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,

If a word were essayed to thee, wouldest thou be grieved? But who can refrain from speaking?

Hath not thy piety been thy confidence, and the perfection of thy ways thy hope?

Remember, I pray thee, who that was innocent has perished? and where were the upright cut off?

By the breath of +God they perish, and by the blast of his nostrils are they consumed.

The roar of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken;

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

In thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men: --

And a spirit passed before my face the hair of my flesh stood up --

How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as the moth!

Call, I pray thee! Is there any that answereth thee? and to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh even out of the thorns; and the snare gapeth for his substance.

For evil cometh not forth from the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

Who giveth rain on the face of the earth, and sendeth waters on the face of the fields;

He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, and their hands carry not out the enterprise.

He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; and the counsel of the wily is carried headlong:

And he saveth the needy from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

Behold, happy is the man whom +God correcteth; therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty.

In famine he will redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

Thou shalt be hidden from the scourge of the tongue; and thou shalt not be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh, and of the beasts of the earth thou shalt not be afraid.

For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

And thou shalt know that thy seed is numerous, and thine offspring as the herb of the earth.

Thou shalt come to the grave in a ripe age, as a shock of corn is brought in in its season.

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; therefore my words are vehement.

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, their poison drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of +God are arrayed against me.

Shall that which is insipid be eaten without salt? Is there any taste in the white of an egg?

And that it would please +God to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!

Then should I yet have comfort; and in the pain which spareth not I would rejoice that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

Is my strength the strength of stones? is my flesh of brass?

For him that is fainting kindness is meet from his friend; or he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a stream, as the channel of streams which pass away,

Which are turbid by reason of the ice, in which the snow hideth itself:

They wind about in the paths of their course, they go off into the waste and perish.

The caravans of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba counted on them:

Or, rescue me from the hand of the oppressor, and redeem me from the hand of the violent?

Do ye imagine to reprove words? The speeches of one that is desperate are indeed for the wind.

Now therefore if ye will, look upon me; and it shall be to your face if I lie.

Hath not man a life of labour upon earth? and are not his days like the days of a hireling?

So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

If I lie down, I say, When shall I rise up, and the darkness be gone? and I am full of tossings until the dawn.

My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates.

The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

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.

What is man, that thou makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him?

Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself?

How long wilt thou speak these things? and the words of thy mouth be a strong wind?

If thy children have sinned against him, he hath also given them over into the hand of their transgression.

If thou seek earnestly unto God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty,

If thou be pure and upright, surely now he will awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous;

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and attend to the researches of their fathers;

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

Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?