and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple and the city of Shushan 16 shouted and was glad. The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and 17) honour. And 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 Iwas fallen upon them.

91 Now 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, in 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 2 them; the 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' 3 upon all the peoples'. And all the princes of the provinces, and the Isatraps, and the governors, and 'they that did the king's business', helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai Iwas fallen upon them. 4 °For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went forth throughout all the provinces: for 'the' man Mordecai waxed greater and 5 greater. And the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and with slaughter and destruction, and did what they would 6 unto them that hated them. And

in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. 7 °And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and 8 Aspatha, and Poratha, and Adalia, 9 and Aridatha, and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and 'Vaizatha', 10) the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the 'Jews' enemy, slew they; but on the spoil they laid not 11 their hand. On that day the number

of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the 12 king. And 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. 13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged 14 upon the gallows. And the king commanded it so to be done: and 'a' decree was given out in Shushan; and 15 they hanged Haman's ten sons.

о

And 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. 16)And 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'. 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 18 gladness. But 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 19 gladness. Therefore '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.

20

And 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, 21 to enjoin them that they should

keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the 22 same, yearly, as 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 23 the poor. And the Jews undertook

to do as they had begun, and as Mor24 decai had written unto them; "because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that

- IX. 1 that.. power. . though; king.. fell; 4 out.. this; 5 Thus.. prey; 16 But.. their foes. hands joy.. joy. [44]

..

is, the lot, to consume them, and to 25 destroy them; but 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. 26 °Wherefore 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' 27 which had come unto them, the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to 'the' writing thereof, and according to 'thel appointed time thereof', every year; 28 and 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 memorial of 29 them perish from their seed. Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote

with all authority to confirm this (30 second letter of Purim. And he sent letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words 31) of peace and truth, to 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 32 cry. And the commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

10 1

And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the 2 isles of the sea. And 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 3 Media and Persia? °For 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.

1*1

THERE 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 eschewed evil. 2 °And there were born unto him seven 3 sons and three daughters. His "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 4 east. And 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

5 to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were

*6

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.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came 7 also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up *8 and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my

6 Or, blasphemed So ver. 11, ch. ii. 5, 9. 7 That is, the Adversary.

servant Job? "for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, 9 and escheweth evil. Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job 10 fear God for nought? Hast not thou made lan' 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 11 is increased in the land. "But put

forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce 12 thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

13

So

And 'it fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's 14 house, that there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside 15 them: and 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 16 alone to tell thee. "While 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 (17 alone to tell thee. While 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 18 to tell thee. °While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest 19 brother's house: and, 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 20 am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon 21 the ground, and worshipped;

and

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

*22 the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God 'with foolishness'.

2*1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present 2 himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walk3) ing up and down in it. And the LORD 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 escheweth evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man 5 hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will 6 renounce thee to thy face. °And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; only spare his 7) life. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his (8 foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat among the ashes. 9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? 10 renounce God, and die. "But 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.

(11

Now 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 'be*12 moan 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 heaven. 13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights,

is come;