All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were four hundred and sixty-eight mighty men.

And their brethren, mighty men of valour, an hundred twenty and eight: and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great men.

Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.

On that day there was a reading from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and they saw that it said in the book that no Ammonite or Moabite might ever come into the meeting of God;

And so, when the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the doors to be shut and not to be open again till after the Sabbath: and I put some of my servants by the door so that nothing might be taken in on the Sabbath day.

in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and servants. And the mighty men of Persia and Media, the captains also, and rulers of his countries, were before him;

to fetch the queen Vashti with the crown regal, that he might show the people and princes her fairness: for she was beautiful.

And day after day Mordecai used to walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem in order to learn how Esther was doing and what might happen to her.

then, indeed, the maiden came in unto the king, - whatsoever she might mention, was given her, to go with her, out of the house of the women up to the house of the king:

But, when the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai - who had taken her as his own daughter - to go in unto the king, she requested nothing, save what Hegai the king's eunuch who kept the women might direct, - but so it was, that Esther obtained favour in the eyes of all who beheld her.

And when they spake this daily unto him and he followed them not, they told Haman, that they might see whether Mordecai's matters would endure: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

That the decree might be given in every province, a copy of the writing was published to all peoples, that they should be ready against that day.

And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

And Esther's maids and her eunuchs came and they told her, and the queen was deeply distressed; she sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he might remove his sackcloth--but he did not accept [them].

Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king's chamberlains which stood before her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, that he might know what it were, and wherefore he did so.

Mordecai also gave him a copy of the text of the decree which had been issued in Susa for the Jews destruction, so that he might show Esther and explain it to her, and order her to go in to the king to seek his favor and plead with him for [the lives of] her people.

"All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, know, that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days."

And the king said, "Who is in the court?" For Haman was gone into the court without before the king's house, that he might speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the tree, that he had prepared for him.

Then Esther again spoke with the king, falling at his feet. She wept and begged him for mercy, that he might nullify the evil of Haman the Agagite which he had intended against the Jews.

stating that the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that might assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

That the decree might be given in every province, a copy of the writing was published to all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

and how Esther went and spake to the king, that through letters his wicked device - which he imagined against the Jews - might be turned upon his own head, and how he and his sons were hanged on the tree.

The Jews made a rule and gave an undertaking, causing their seed and all those who were joined to them to do the same, so that it might be in force for ever, that they would keep those two days, as ordered in the letter, at the fixed time every year;

And that those days were to be kept in memory through every generation and every family, in every division of the kingdom and every town, that there might never be a time when these days of Purim would not be kept among the Jews, or when the memory of them would go from the minds of their seed.

And Esther the queen, daughter of Abihail, writeth, and Mordecai the Jew, with all might, to establish this second letter of Purim,

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

and suddenly there came a mighty great wind out of the South, and smote the four corners of the house: which fell upon thy children, so that they are dead, and I alone am gotten away, to tell thee."

And Job's three friends had word of all this evil which had come on him. And they came every one from his place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. So they came together to a meeting-place, in order that they might go and make clear to Job their grief for him, and give him comfort.

Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.

Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk?

For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,

Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.

The mighty lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

Lo, the happiness of mortal man, God doth reprove him: And the chastisement of the Mighty despise not,

“Oh, that my grief could actually be weighed
And placed in the balances together with my tragedy [to see if my grief is the grief of a coward]!

For arrows of the Mighty are with me, Whose poison is drinking up my spirit. Terrors of God array themselves for me!

The things that sometime I might not away withal, are now my meat for very sorrow.

Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

If only he would be pleased to put an end to me; and would let loose his hand, so that I might be cut off!

So might it still be my comfort, And I might exult in the anguish he would not spare, - That I had not concealed the sayings of the Holy One.

What power have I to endure? Or, what is mine end, that my soul might be patient?

To a despiser of his friends is shame, And the fear of the Mighty he forsaketh.

Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?

How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long'shall the words of thy mouth be like a mighty wind?

Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?

If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication,

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

If he came by me, I might not look upon him: if he went his way, I should not perceive it.

If we speak of strength, lo, he is mighty! And if of justice, Who,'saith he , will summon me?

For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.

Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

“Let Him take His rod away from me,
And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.

Wherefore then, from the womb, didst thou bring me forth? I might have breathed my last, and, no eye, have seen me.

As though I had not been, should I have become, - from the womb to the grave, might I have been borne.

But, {O that} God might speak, and [that] he would open his lips to you,

that he might show thee out of his secret wisdom how manifold his law is! Then shouldest thou know that God had forgotten thee, because of thy sins.

By searching dost thou find out God? Unto perfection find out the Mighty One?

“But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these [of God’s wisdom and might]?

With God is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

“With Him are might and sound wisdom,
The misled and the misleader are His [and in His power].

He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.

“Oh, that you would be completely silent,
And that silence would be your wisdom!

Would it be well, when he searched you out? Or, as one might jest with a mortal, would ye jest, with him?

If only a clean thing might come out of an unclean! But it is not possible.

If only you would keep me safe in the underworld, putting me in a secret place till your wrath is past, giving me a fixed time when I might come to your memory again!

What is man, that he should be clean? What hath he, which is born of a woman, whereby he might be known to be righteous?

For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.

I also, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul's stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.

I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.

He breaketh me with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a mighty man.

O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!

If only my words might be recorded! if they might be put in writing in a book!

[That] with a pen of iron and [with] lead they might be engraved on a rock forever!

This, is the portion of the lawless man, from God, and the inheritance decreed him from the Mighty One.

Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

What is the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?'

His own eyes see his destruction, And of the wrath of the Mighty he drinketh.

One dieth now when he is mighty and at his best, rich and in prosperity;

Is it a delight to the Mighty One That thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

Those saying to God, 'Turn aside from us,' And what doth the Mighty One to them?

If thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.

And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver is strength to thee.

For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,

Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

That I might know, what answer he would give me: and that I might understand, what he would say unto me.

Would he, with fulness of might, contend with me? Nay, surely, he, would give heed to me!

There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

And God hath made my heart soft, And the Mighty hath troubled me.

Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.

He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

And though they might be safe, yet they will not receive it, for their eyes look upon their own ways.

"Dominion and awesome might belong to God; he establishes peace in his heights.

Lo, these are the borders of His way, And how little a matter is heard of Him, And the thunder of His might Who doth understand?

God liveth! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty -- He made my soul bitter.

On the Mighty doth he delight himself? Call God at all times?

I shew you by the hand of God, That which is with the Mighty I hide not.