Esther Pleads for Her People

¹So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen,

²and 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.”

³Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my request.

⁴For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.”

⁵Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devisesuch a scheme?”

⁶Esther replied, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked man—Haman!”And Haman stood in terror before the king and queen.

The Hanging of Haman

⁷In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king was planning a terrible fate for him.

⁸Just 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.

⁹Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “There is a gallows fifty cubits highat Haman’s house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king.”“Hang him on it!” declared the king.

¹⁰So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.

Elihu Rebukes Job

¹“But now, O Job, hear my speech,and listen to all my words.

²Behold, I will open my mouth;my address is on the tip of my tongue.

³My words are from an upright heart,and my lips speak sincerely what I know.

⁴The Spirit of God has made me,and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

⁵Refute me if you can;prepare your case and confront me.

⁶I am just like you before God;I was also formed from clay.

⁷Surely no fear of me should terrify you;nor will my hand be heavy upon you.

⁸Surely you have spoken in my hearing,and I have heard these very words:

⁹‘I am pure, without transgression;I am clean, with no iniquity in me.

¹⁰Yet God finds occasions against me;He counts me as His enemy.

¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks;He watches over all my paths.’

¹²Behold, you are not right in this matter.I will answer you, for God is greater than man.

¹³Why do you complain to Himthat He answers nothing a man asks?

¹⁴For God speaks in one way and in another,yet no one notices.

¹⁵In a dream,in a vision in the night,when deep sleep falls upon menas they slumber on their beds,

¹⁶He opens their earsand terrifies them with warnings

¹⁷to turn a man from wrongdoingand keep him from pride,

¹⁸to preserve his soul from the Pitand his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹A man is also chastened on his bedwith pain and constant distress in his bones,

²⁰so that he detests his bread,and his soul loathes his favorite food.

²¹His flesh wastes away from sight,and his hidden bones protrude.

²²He draws near to the Pit,and his life to the messengers of death.

²³Yet if there is a messenger on his side,one mediator in a thousand,to tell a man what is right for him,

²⁴to be gracious to him and say,‘Spare him from going down to the Pit;I have found his ransom,’

²⁵then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s;he returns to the days of his youth.

²⁶He prays to God and finds favor;he sees God’s face and shouts for joy,and God restores His righteousnessto that man.

²⁷Then he sings beforemenwith these words:‘I have sinned and perverted what was right;yet I did not get what I deserved.

²⁸He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,and I will live to see the light.’

²⁹Behold, all these things God does to a man,two or even three times,

³⁰to bring back his soul from the Pit,that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

³¹Pay attention, Job, and listen to me;be silent, and I will speak.

³²But if you have something to say, answer me;speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.

³³But if not, then listen to me;be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Job Prepares His Case

¹“Indeed, my eyes have seen all this;my ears have heard and understood.

²What you know, I also know;I am not inferior to you.

³Yet I desire to speak to the Almightyand argue my case before God.

⁴You, however, smear with lies;you are all worthless physicians.

⁵If only you would remain silent;for that would be your wisdom!

⁶Hear now my argument,and listen to the plea of my lips.

⁷Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalfor speak deceitfully for Him?

⁸Would you show Him partialityor argue in His defense?

⁹Would it be well when He examined you?Could you deceive Him as you would deceive a man?

¹⁰Surely He would rebuke youif you secretly showed partiality.

¹¹Would His majesty not terrify you?Would the dread of Him not fall upon you?

¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;your defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³Be silent, and I will speak.Then let come to me what may.

¹⁴Why do I put myself at riskand take my life in my own hands?

¹⁵Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.I will still defend my ways to His face.

¹⁶Moreover, this will be my salvation,for no godless man can appear before Him.

¹⁷Listen carefully to my words;let my declaration ring in your ears.

¹⁸See now, I have prepared my case;I know that I will be vindicated.

¹⁹Can anyone indict me?If so, I will be silent and die.

²⁰Only grant these two things to me,so that I need not hide from You:

²¹Withdraw Your hand from me,and do not let Your terror frighten me.

²²Then call me, and I will answer,or let me speak, and You can reply.

²³How many are my iniquities and sins?Reveal to me my transgression and sin.

²⁴Why do You hide Your faceand consider me as Your enemy?

²⁵Would You frighten a windblown leaf?Would You chase after dry chaff?

²⁶For You record bitter accusations against meand bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷You put my feet in the stocksand stand watch over all my paths;You set a limitfor the soles of my feet.

²⁸So man wastes away like something rotten,like a moth-eaten garment.

The Excellence of Wisdom

¹Does not wisdom call out,and understanding raise her voice?

²On the heights overlooking the road,at the crossroads she takes her stand.

³Beside the gates to the city,at the entrances she cries out:

⁴“To you, O men, I call out,and my cry is to the sons of men.

⁵O simple ones, learn to be shrewd;O fools, gain understanding.

⁶Listen, for I speak of noble things,and the opening of my lips will reveal right.

⁷For my mouth will speak the truth,and wickedness is detestable to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous;none are crooked or perverse.

⁹They are all plain to the discerning,and upright to those who find knowledge.

¹⁰Receive my instruction instead of silver,and knowledge rather than pure gold.

¹¹For wisdom is more precious than rubies,and nothing you desire compares with her.

¹²I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence,and I find knowledge and discretion.

¹³To fear the LORD is to hate evil;I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine;I have insight and strength.

¹⁵By me kings reign,and rulers enact just laws;

¹⁶By me princes rule,and all nobles who govern justly.

¹⁷I love those who love me,and those who seek me early shall find me.

¹⁸With me are riches and honor,enduring wealth and righteousness.

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, pure gold,and my harvest surpasses choice silver.

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,along the paths of justice,

²¹bestowing wealth on those who love meand making their treasuries full.

²²The LORD created me as His first course,before His works of old.

²³From everlasting I was established,from the beginning, before the earth began.

²⁴When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth,when no springs were overflowing with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled,before the hills, I was brought forth,

²⁶before He made the land or fields,or any of the dust of the earth.

²⁷I was there when He established the heavens,when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

²⁸when He established the clouds above,when the fountains of the deep gushed forth,

²⁹when He set a boundary for the sea,so that the waters would not surpass His command,when He marked out the foundations of the earth.

³⁰Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side,and His delightday by day,rejoicing always in His presence.

³¹I was rejoicing in His whole world,delighting together in the sons of men.

³²Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,for blessed are those who keep my ways.

³³Listen to instruction and be wise;do not ignore it.

³⁴Blessed is the man who listens to me,watching daily at my doors,waiting at the posts of my doorway.

³⁵For whoever finds me finds lifeand obtains the favor of the LORD.

³⁶But he who fails to find me harms himself;all who hate me love death.”