5:1Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king`s house, over against the king`s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the entrance of the house. 5:2And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre. 5:3Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the kingdom. 5:4And Esther said, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. 5:5Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that it may be done as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 5:6And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. 5:7Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is: 5:8if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to-morrow as the king hath said. 5:9Then went Haman forth that day joyful and glad of heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king`s gate, that he stood not up nor moved for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. 5:10Nevertheless Haman refrained himself, and went home; and he sent and fetched his friends and Zeresh his wife. 5:11And Haman recounted unto them the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. 5:12Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to-morrow also am I invited by her together with the king. 5:13Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king`s gate. 5:14Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
6:1On that night could not the king sleep; and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 6:2And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king`s chamberlains, of those that kept the threshold, who had sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus. 6:3And the king said, What honor and dignity hath been bestowed on Mordecai for this? Then said the king`s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him. 6:4And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king`s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 6:5And the king`s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. 6:6So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now Haman said in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself? 6:7And Haman said unto the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honor, 6:8let royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and on the head of which a crown royal is set: 6:9and let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king`s most noble princes, that they may array the man therewith whom the king delighteth to honor, and cause him to ride on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor. 6:10Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king`s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. 6:11Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and caused him to ride through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor. 6:12And Mordecai came again to the king`s gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered. 6:13And Haman recounted unto Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai, before whom thou hast begun to fall, be of the seed of the Jews, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. 6:14While they were yet talking with him, came the king`s chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
7:1So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. 7:2And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. 7:3Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: 7:4for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king`s damage. 7:5Then spake the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? 7:6And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. 7:7And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine [and went] into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. 7:8Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the couch whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? As the word went out of the king`s mouth, they covered Haman`s face. 7:9Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him thereon. 7:10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king`s wrath pacified.
8:1On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews` enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her. 8:2And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. 8:3And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. 8:4Then the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre. So Esther arose, and stood before the king. 8:5And she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that are in all the king`s provinces: 8:6for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? 8:7Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews. 8:8Write ye also to the Jews, as it pleaseth you, in the king`s name, and seal it with the king`s ring; for the writing which is written in the king`s name, and sealed with the king`s ring, may no man reverse. 8:9Then were the king`s scribes called at that time, in the third month Sivan, on the three and twentieth [day] thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, a hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language. 8:10And he wrote the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king`s ring, and sent letters by post on horseback, riding on swift steeds that were used in the king`s service, bred of the stud: 8:11wherein 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 would assault them, [their] little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, 8:12upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, [namely], upon the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. 8:13A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published unto all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 8:14So the posts that rode upon swift steeds that were used in the king`s service went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king`s commandment; and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace. 8:15And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan shouted and was glad. 8:16The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor. 8:17And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king`s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a good day. And many from among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews was fallen upon them.
9:1Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king`s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have rule over them, (whereas it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them,) 9:2the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them was fallen upon all the peoples. 9:3And all the princes of the provinces, and the satraps, and the governors, and they that did the king`s business, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai was fallen upon them. 9:4For Mordecai was great in the king`s house, and his fame went forth throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai waxed greater and greater. 9:5And the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and with slaughter and destruction, and did what they would unto them that hated them. 9:6And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. 9:7And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, 9:8and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, 9:9and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaizatha, 9:10the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jew`s enemy, slew they; but on the spoil they laid not their hand. 9:11On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king. 9:12And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what then have they done in the rest of the king`s provinces! Now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. 9:13Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews that are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according unto this day`s decree, and let Haman`s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. 9:14And the king commanded it so to be done: and a decree was given out in Shushan; and they hanged Haman`s ten sons. 9:15And the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men in Shushan; but on the spoil they laid not their hand. 9:16And the other Jews that were in the king`s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of them that hated them seventy and five thousand; but on the spoil they laid not their hand. 9:17[This was done] on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 9:18But the Jews that were in Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth [day] thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth [day] of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 9:19Therefore do the Jews of the villages, that dwell in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar [a day of] gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another. 9:20And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, 9:21to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, 9:22as the days wherein the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. 9:23And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; 9:24because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; 9:25but when [the matter] came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 9:26Wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come unto them, 9:27the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so that it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to the writing thereof, and according to the appointed time thereof, every year; 9:28and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the remembrance of them perish from their seed. 9:29Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. 9:30And he sent letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, [with] words of peace and truth, 9:31to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had ordained for themselves and for their seed, in the matter of the fastings and their cry. 9:32And the commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.
10:1And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. 10:2And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account 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? 10:3For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
Job
1:1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil. 1:2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 1:3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. 1:4And his sons went and held a feast in the house of each one upon his day; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 1:5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. 1:6Now it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan also came among them. 1:7And Jehovah said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 1:8And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil. 1:9Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 1:10Hast 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 increased in the land. 1:11But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face. 1:12And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah. 1:13And it fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother`s house, 1:14that there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them; 1:15and the Sabeans fell [upon them], and took them away: yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 1:16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 1:17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 1:18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother`s house; 1:19and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 1:20Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped; 1:21and 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. 1:22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
2:1Again it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah. 2:2And Jehovah said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 2:3And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 2:4And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 2:5But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face. 2:6And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life. 2:7So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 2:8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes. 2:9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die. 2:10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. 2:11Now when Job`s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and they made an appointment together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him. 2:12And 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 robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. 2:13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
3:1After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. 3:2And Job answered and said: 3:3Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night which said, There is a man-child conceived. 3:4Let that day be darkness; Let not God from above seek for it, Neither let the light shine upon it. 3:5Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let all that maketh black the day terrify it. 3:6As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it: Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months. 3:7Lo, let that night be barren; Let no joyful voice come therein. 3:8Let them curse it that curse the day, Who are ready to rouse up leviathan. 3:9Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark: Let it look for light, but have none; Neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning: 3:10Because it shut not up the doors of my [mother`s] womb, Nor hid trouble from mine eyes. 3:11Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me? 3:12Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should suck? 3:13For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest, 3:14With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up waste places for themselves; 3:15Or with princes that had gold, Who filled their houses with silver: 3:16Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants that never saw light. 3:17There the wicked cease from troubling; And there the weary are at rest. 3:18There the prisoners are at ease together; They hear not the voice of the taskmaster. 3:19The small and the great are there: And the servant is free from his master. 3:20Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul; 3:21Who long for death, but it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures; 3:22Who rejoice exceedingly, And are glad, when they can find the grave? 3:23[Why is light given] to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in? 3:24For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groanings are poured out like water. 3:25For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me. 3:26I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh.
4:1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, 4:2If one assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking? 4:3Behold, thou hast instructed many, And thou hast strengthened the weak hands. 4:4Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast made firm the feeble knees. 4:5But now it is come unto thee, and thou faintest; It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. 4:6Is not thy fear [of God] thy confidence, [And] the integrity of thy ways thy hope? 4:7Remember, I pray thee, who [ever] perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off? 4:8According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow trouble, reap the same. 4:9By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of his anger are they consumed. 4:10The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions, are broken. 4:11The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad. 4:12Now a thing was secretly brought to me, And mine ear received a whisper thereof. 4:13In thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth on men, 4:14Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones to shake. 4:15Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair of my flesh stood up. 4:16It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; A form was before mine eyes: [There was] silence, and I heard a voice, [saying], 4:17Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker? 4:18Behold, he putteth no trust in his servants; And his angels he chargeth with folly: 4:19How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth! 4:20Betwixt morning and evening they are destroyed: They perish for ever without any regarding it. 4:21Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.
5:1Call now; is there any that will answer thee? And to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn? 5:2For vexation killeth the foolish man, And jealousy slayeth the silly one. 5:3I have seen the foolish taking root: But suddenly I cursed his habitation. 5:4His children are far from safety, And they are crushed in the gate, Neither is there any to deliver them: 5:5Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, And taketh it even out of the thorns; And the snare gapeth for their substance. 5:6For affliction cometh not forth from the dust, Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; 5:7But man is born unto trouble, As the sparks fly upward. 5:8But as for me, I would seek unto God, And unto God would I commit my cause; 5:9Who doeth great things and unsearchable, Marvellous things without number: 5:10Who giveth rain upon the earth, And sendeth waters upon the fields; 5:11So that he setteth up on high those that are low, And those that mourn are exalted to safety. 5:12He frustrateth the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. 5:13He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; And the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong. 5:14They meet with darkness in the day-time, And grope at noonday as in the night. 5:15But he saveth from the sword of their mouth, Even the needy from the hand of the mighty. 5:16So the poor hath hope, And iniquity stoppeth her mouth. 5:17Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. 5:18For he maketh sore, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and his hands make whole. 5:19He will deliver thee in six troubles; Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. 5:20In famine he will redeem thee from death; And in war from the power of the sword. 5:21Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue; Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. 5:22At destruction and dearth thou shalt laugh; Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. 5:23For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. 5:24And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; And thou shalt visit thy fold, and shalt miss nothing. 5:25Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, And thine offspring as the grass of the earth. 5:26Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, Like as a shock of grain cometh in in its season. 5:27Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; Hear it, and know thou it for thy good.
6:1Then Job answered and said, 6:2Oh that my vexation were but weighed, And all my calamity laid in the balances! 6:3For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas: Therefore have my words been rash. 6:4For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, The poison whereof my spirit drinketh up: The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. 6:5Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder? 6:6Can that which hath no savor be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg? 6:7My soul refuseth to touch [them]; They are as loathsome food to me. 6:8Oh that I might have my request; And that God would grant [me] the thing that I long for! 6:9Even that it would please God to crush me; That he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! 6:10And be it still my consolation, Yea, let me exult in pain that spareth not, That I have not denied the words of the Holy One. 6:11What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is mine end, that I should be patient? 6:12Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass? 6:13Is it not that I have no help in me, And that wisdom is driven quite from me? 6:14To him that is ready to faint kindness [should be showed] from his friend; Even to him that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. 6:15My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, As the channel of brooks that pass away; 6:16Which are black by reason of the ice, [And] wherein the snow hideth itself: 6:17What time they wax warm, they vanish; When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. 6:18The caravans [that travel] by the way of them turn aside; They go up into the waste, and perish. 6:19The caravans of Tema looked, The companies of Sheba waited for them. 6:20They were put to shame because they had hoped; They came thither, and were confounded. 6:21For now ye are nothing; Ye see a terror, and are afraid. 6:22Did I say, Give unto me? Or, Offer a present for me of your substance? 6:23Or, Deliver me from the adversary`s hand? Or, Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors? 6:24Teach me, and I will hold my peace; And cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 6:25How forcible are words of uprightness! But your reproof, what doth it reprove? 6:26Do ye think to reprove words, Seeing that the speeches of one that is desperate are as wind? 6:27Yea, ye would cast [lots] upon the fatherless, And make merchandise of your friend. 6:28Now therefore be pleased to look upon me; For surely I shall not lie to your face. 6:29Return, I pray you, let there be no injustice; Yea, return again, my cause is righteous. 6:30Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern mischievous things?
7:1Is there not a warfare to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling? 7:2As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages: 7:3So am I made to possess months of misery, And wearisome nights are appointed to me. 7:4When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? And I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. 7:5My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; My skin closeth up, and breaketh out afresh. 7:6My days are swifter than a weaver`s shuttle, And are spent without hope. 7:7Oh remember that my life is a breath: Mine eye shall no more see good. 7:8The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be. 7:9As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more. 7:10He shall return no more to his house, Neither shall his place know him any more. 7:11Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 7:12Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me? 7:13When I say, My bed shall comfort me, My couch shall ease my complaint; 7:14Then thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions: 7:15So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than [these] my bones. 7:16I loathe [my life]; I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity. 7:17What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him, 7:18And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment? 7:19How long wilt thou not look away from me, Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? 7:20If I have sinned, what do I unto thee, O thou watcher of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, So that I am a burden to myself? 7:21And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; And thou wilt seek me diligently, but I shall not be.
8:1Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 8:2How long wilt thou speak these things? And [how long] shall the words of thy mouth be [like] a mighty wind? 8:3Doth God pervert justice? Or doth the Almighty pervert righteousness? 8:4If thy children have sinned against him, And he hath delivered them into the hand of their transgression; 8:5If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty; 8:6If thou wert pure and upright: Surely now he would awake for thee, And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. 8:7And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end would greatly increase. 8:8For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out: 8:9(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, Because our days upon earth are a shadow); 8:10Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, And utter words out of their heart? 8:11Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water? 8:12Whilst it is yet in its greenness, [and] not cut down, It withereth before any [other] herb. 8:13So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish: 8:14Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider`s web. 8:15He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure. 8:16He is green before the sun, And his shoots go forth over his garden. 8:17His roots are wrapped about the [stone] -heap, He beholdeth the place of stones. 8:18If he be destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him, [saying], I have not seen thee. 8:19Behold, this is the joy of his way; And out of the earth shall others spring. 8:20Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers. 8:21He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with shouting. 8:22They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
9:1Then Job answered and said, 9:2Of a truth I know that it is so: But how can man be just with God? 9:3If he be pleased to contend with him, He cannot answer him one of a thousand. 9:4[He is] wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?- 9:5[Him] that removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When he overturneth them in his anger; 9:6That shaketh the earth out of its place, And the pillars thereof tremble; 9:7That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, And sealeth up the stars; 9:8That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea; 9:9That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; 9:10That doeth great things past finding out, Yea, marvellous things without number. 9:11Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: He passeth on also, but I perceive him not. 9:12Behold, he seizeth [the prey], who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou? 9:13God will not withdraw his anger; The helpers of Rahab do stoop under him. 9:14How much less shall I answer him, And choose out my words [to reason] with him? 9:15Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge. 9:16If I had called, and he had answered me, Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice. 9:17For he breaketh me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause. 9:18He will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness. 9:19If [we speak] of strength, lo, [he is] mighty! And if of justice, Who, [saith he], will summon me? 9:20Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: Though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse. 9:21I am perfect; I regard not myself; I despise my life. 9:22It is all one; therefore I say, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 9:23If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the trial of the innocent. 9:24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof: If [it be] not [he], who then is it? 9:25Now my days are swifter than a post: They flee away, they see no good, 9:26They are passed away as the swift ships; As the eagle that swoopeth on the prey. 9:27If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my [sad] countenance, and be of good cheer; 9:28I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. 9:29I shall be condemned; Why then do I labor in vain? 9:30If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean; 9:31Yet wilt thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me. 9:32For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, That we should come together in judgment. 9:33There is no umpire betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both. 9:34Let him take his rod away from me, And let not his terror make me afraid: 9:35Then would I speak, and not fear him; For I am not so in myself.
10:1My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 10:2I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Show me wherefore thou contendest with me. 10:3Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked? 10:4Hast thou eyes of flesh? Or seest thou as man seeth? 10:5Are thy days as the days of man, Or thy years as man`s days, 10:6That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin, 10:7Although thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is none that can deliver out of thy hand? 10:8Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. 10:9Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again? 10:10Hast thou not poured me out as milk, And curdled me like cheese? 10:11Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews. 10:12Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness; And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. 10:13Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart; I know that this is with thee: 10:14If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. 10:15If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head; Being filled with ignominy, And looking upon mine affliction. 10:16And if [my head] exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion; And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me. 10:17Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me: Changes and warfare are with me. 10:18Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me. 10:19I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. 10:20Are not my days few? cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, 10:21Before I go whence I shall not return, [Even] to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death; 10:22The land dark as midnight, [The land] of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.
11:1Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, 11:2Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be justified? 11:3Should thy boastings make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? 11:4For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in thine eyes. 11:5But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against thee, 11:6And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. 11:7Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? 11:8It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know? 11:9The measure thereof is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea. 11:10If he pass through, and shut up, And all unto judgment, then who can hinder him? 11:11For he knoweth false men: He seeth iniquity also, even though he consider it not. 11:12But vain man is void of understanding, Yea, man is born [as] a wild ass`s colt. 11:13If thou set thy heart aright, And stretch out thy hands toward him; 11:14If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, And let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents. 11:15Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: 11:16For thou shalt forget thy misery; Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away, 11:17And [thy] life shall be clearer than the noonday; Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning. 11:18And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; Yea, thou shalt search [about thee], and shalt take thy rest in safety. 11:19Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; Yea, many shall make suit unto thee. 11:20But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall have no way to flee; And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.
12:1Then Job answered and said, 12:2No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you. 12:3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these? 12:4I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock. 12:5In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; It is ready for them whose foot slippeth. 12:6The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth [abundantly]. 12:7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee: 12:8Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. 12:9Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this, 12:10In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? 12:11Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food? 12:12With aged men is wisdom, And in length of days understanding. 12:13With [God] is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding. 12:14Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. 12:15Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. 12:16With him is strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his. 12:17He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools. 12:18He looseth the bond of kings, And he bindeth their loins with a girdle. 12:19He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty. 12:20He removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders. 12:21He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong. 12:22He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death. 12:23He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive. 12:24He taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. 12:25They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
13:1Lo, mine eye hath seen all [this], Mine ear hath heard and understood it. 13:2What ye know, [the same] do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. 13:3Surely I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. 13:4But ye are forgers of lies; Ye are all physicians of no value. 13:5Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom. 13:6Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips. 13:7Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him? 13:8Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God? 13:9Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him? 13:10He will surely reprove you If ye do secretly show partiality. 13:11Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you? 13:12Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are defences of clay. 13:13Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak; And let come on me what will. 13:14Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand? 13:15Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him. 13:16This also shall be my salvation, That a godless man shall not come before him. 13:17Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears. 13:18Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I am righteous. 13:19Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the ghost. 13:20Only do not two things unto me; Then will I not hide myself from thy face: 13:21Withdraw thy hand far from me; And let not thy terror make me afraid. 13:22Then call thou, and I will answer; Or let me speak, and answer thou me. 13:23How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin. 13:24Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And holdest me for thine enemy? 13:25Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? 13:26For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me to inherit the iniquities of my youth: 13:27Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And markest all my paths; Thou settest a bound to the soles of my feet: 13:28Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.