The Jews Destroy Their Tormentors

9 Now ain the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, bthe time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves coverpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews dgathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who esought their harm. And no one could withstand them, fbecause fear of them fell upon all people. 3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai gbecame increasingly prominent. 5 Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.

6 And in hShushan 1the 2citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha— 10 ithe ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews—they killed; jbut they did not lay a hand on the 3plunder.

11 On that day the number of those who were killed in 4Shushan the 5citadel 6was brought to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now kwhat is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done.”

13 Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow laccording to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons mbe hanged on the gallows.”

14 So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.

15 And the Jews who were in 7Shushan ngathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; obut they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

16 The remainder of the Jews in the king’s provinces pgathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; qbut they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth of 8the month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

The Feast of Purim

18 But the Jews who were at 9Shushan assembled together ron the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of 1the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar swith gladness and feasting, tas a holiday, and for usending presents to one another.

20 And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, 21 to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, 22 as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of vsending presents to one another and gifts to the wpoor. 23 So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them, 24 because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, xhad plotted against the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to consume them and destroy them; 25 but ywhen 2Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that 3this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should zreturn on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

26 So they called these days Purim, after the name 4Pur. Therefore, because of all the words of athis letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would bjoin them, that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to the written instructions and according to the prescribed time, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, cthe daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this dsecond letter about Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews, to ethe one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31 to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their ffasting and lamenting. 32 So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.

Mordecai’s Advancement

10 And King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on athe islands of the sea. 2 Now all the acts of his power and his might, and the account of the greatness of Mordecai, bto which the king 1advanced him, are they not written in the book of the cchronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was dsecond to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, eseeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his 2countrymen.

Job

Job and His Family in Uz

1 There was a man ain the land of Uz, whose name was bJob; and that man was cblameless and upright, and one who dfeared God and 1shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the 2people of the East.

4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and 3sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning eand offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and fcursed 4God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

Satan Attacks Job’s Character

6 Now gthere was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and 5Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to 6Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From hgoing to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you 7considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and 8shuns evil?”

9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 iHave You not 9made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? jYou have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 kBut now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely lcurse 1You to Your face!”

12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your 2power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Job Loses His Property and Children

13 Now there was a day mwhen his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the 3Sabeans 4raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

16 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 5consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, n“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from 6across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

20 Then Job arose, otore his robe, and shaved his head; and he pfell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said:

q“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

And naked shall I return there.

The Lord rgave, and the Lord has staken away;

tBlessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 uIn all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.