They

As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.

…and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.

I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.

…but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day.

In every province to which the king’s command and edict came, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

And as they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled.”

And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

While they were still speaking with Haman, the king’s eunuchs arrived and rushed him to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

…and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled.”

Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually assault the queen while I am in the palace?” As soon as the words had left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.

At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush—writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.

The Jews put all their enemies to the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did as they pleased to those who hated them.

The Jews put all their enemies to the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did as they pleased to those who hated them.

They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

…who said to Queen Esther, “In the citadel of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, including Haman’s ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. And what further do you request? It will be fulfilled.”

So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.

On the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, the Jews in Susa came together again and put to death three hundred men there, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces also assembled to defend themselves and rid themselves of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who hated them, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces also assembled to defend themselves and rid themselves of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who hated them, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

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

The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth days of the month. So they rested on the fifteenth day, making it a day of feasting and joy.

So the Jews agreed to continue the custom they had started, as Mordecai had written to them.

Therefore these days are called Purim, from the word Pur. Because of all the instructions in this letter, and because of all they had seen and experienced,

…the Jews bound themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should not fail to celebrate these two days at the appointed time each and every year, according to their regulation.

And all of Mordecai’s powerful and magnificent accomplishments, together with the full account of the greatness to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?

Job’s sons would take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

…the Sabeans swooped down and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels, and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

…when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him.

When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.

When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.

When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was.

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was.

The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

…who rejoice and greatly exult when they reach the grave?

By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.

By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.

They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever.

They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever.

Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’

They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.

My soul refuses to touch them; they are loathsome food to me.

Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish.

They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment.

They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment.

My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.

Will they not teach you and tell you, and speak from their understanding?

While the shoots are still uncut, they dry up more quickly than grass.

My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.

They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know?

They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know?

But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”

But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.

If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.

They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”

They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.

They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.

He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit.

They have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness.

His troops advance together; they construct a ramp against me and encamp around my tent.

Even little boys scorn me; when I appear, they deride me.

They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,

They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.

Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.

Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?

But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.

Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!

They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.

They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’

Men move boundary stones; they pasture stolen flocks.

They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.

They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding.

They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.

Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.

Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.

Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter.

Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.

Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.

They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.

They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.

In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience the light.

In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience the light.

For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!

They are but foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one turns toward their vineyards.

The womb forgets them; the worm feeds on them; they are remembered no more. So injustice is broken like a tree.