The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And at Shushan the palace slewe the Iewes and destroyed fiue hundreth men,

And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,

And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaiezatha,

The ten sonnes of Haman, ye sonne of Ammedatha, the aduersarie of the Iewes slewe they: but they layd not their hands on the spoyle.

On the same day came ye nomber of those that were slayne, vnto the palace of Shushan before the King.

And the King sayd vnto the Queene Ester, The Iewes haue slayne in Shushan the palace and destroyed fiue hundreth men, and the ten sonnes of Haman: what haue they done in the rest of the Kings prouinces? and what is thy petition, that it may be giuen thee? or what is thy request moreouer, that it may be performed?

Then sayd Ester, If it please the King, let it be granted also to morow to the Iewes that are in Shushan, to do according vnto this daies decree, that they may hang vpon ye tree Hamans ten sonnes.

And the King charged to doe so, and the decree was giuen at Shushan, and they hanged Hamans ten sonnes.

So the Iewes that were in Shushan, assembled themselues vpon the fourteenth day of the moneth Adar, and slew three hundreth men in Shushan, but on the spoyle they layd not their hand.

And the rest of the Iewes that were in the Kings prouinces assembled themselues, and stood for their liues, and had rest from their enemies, and slewe of them that hated them, seuentie and fiue thousand: but they layd not their hand on the spoyle.

This they did on the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar, and rested the fourteenth day thereof, and kept it a day of feasting and ioy.

But the Iewes that were in Shushan assembled themselues on the thirteenth day, and on the fourteenth therof, and they rested on the fifteenth of the same, and kept it a day of feasting and ioy.

Therefore the Iewes of the villages that dwelt in the vnwalled townes, kept the foureteenth day of the moneth Adar with ioy and feasting, euen a ioyfull day, and euery one sent presents vnto his neighbour.

And Mordecai wrote these words, and sent letters vnto all the Iewes that were through all the prouinces of the King Ahashuerosh, both neere and farre,

Inioyning them that they shoulde keepe the fourteenth day of the moneth Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, euery yeere.

According to the dayes wherein the Iewes rested from their enemies, and the moneth which was turned vnto them from sorowe to ioy, and from mourning into a ioyfull day, to keepe them the dayes of feasting, and ioy, and to sende presents euery man to his neyghbour, and giftes to the poore.

And the Iewes promised to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written vnto them,

Because Haman the sonne of Hammedatha the Agagite al the Iewes aduersarie, had imagined against the Iewes, to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is a lot) to consume and destroy them.

And when she came before the King, he commanded by letters, Let this wicked deuise (which he imagined against the Iewes) turne vpon his owne head, and let them hang him and his sonnes on the tree.

Therfore they called these dayes Purim, by the name of Pur, and because of all the wordes of this letter, and of that which they had seene besides this, and of that which had come vnto them.

The Iewes also ordeined, and promised for them and for their seede, and for all that ioyned vnto them, that they would not faile to obserue those two dayes euery yeere, according to their writing, and according to their season,

And that these dayes shoulde be remembred, and kept throughout euery generation and euery familie, and euery prouince, and euery citie: euen these daies of Purim should not faile among the Iewes, and the memoriall of them should not perish from their seede.

And the Queene Ester ye daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Iew wrote with al authoritie (to cofirme this letter of Purim ye second time)

And he sent letters vnto al the Iewes to the hundreth and seuen and twentie prouinces of the kingdome of Ahashuerosh, with words of peace and trueth,

To confirme these dayes of Purim, according to their seasons, as Mordecai the Iewe and Ester the Queene had appointed them, and as they had promised for them selues and for their seede with fasting and prayer.

And the decree of Ester confirmed these words of Purim, and was written in the booke.

And the King Ahashuerosh layd a tribute vpon the land, and vpon the yles of the sea.

And all the actes of his power, and of his might, and the declaration of the dignitie of Mordecai, wherwith the King magnified him, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?

For Mordecai the Iewe was the second vnto King Ahashuerosh, and great among the Iewes, and accepted among the multitude of his brethren, who procured the wealth of his people, and spake peaceably to all his seede.

There was a man in the lande of Vz called Iob, and this man was an vpright and iust man, one that feared God, and eschewed euill.

And he had seue sonnes, and three daughters.

His substance also was seuen thousande sheepe, and three thousand camels, and fiue hundreth yoke of oxen, and fiue hundreth shee asses, and his family was very great, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East.

And his sonnes went and banketted in their houses, euery one his day, and sent, and called their three sisters to eate and to drinke with them.

And when the dayes of their banketting were gone about, Iob sent, and sanctified them, and rose vp early in the morning, and offred burnt offrings according to the nomber of them all. For Iob thought, It may be that my sonnes haue sinned, and blasphemed God in their hearts: thus did Iob euery day.

Nowe on a day when the children of God came and stoode before the Lord, Satan came also among them.

Then the Lord sayde vnto Satan, Whence commest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, saying, From compassing the earth to and from, and from walking in it.

And the Lord saide vnto Satan, Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob, how none is like him in the earth? an vpright and iust man, one that feareth God, and escheweth euill?

Then Satan answered the Lord, and sayde, Doeth Iob feare God for nought?

Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house, and about all that he hath on euery side? thou hast blessed the worke of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

But stretch out now thine hand and touch all that he hath, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face.

Then the Lord sayde vnto Satan, Lo, all that he hath is in thine hand: onely vpon himselfe shalt thou not stretch out thine hand. So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

And on a day, when his sonnes and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house,

There came a messenger vnto Iob, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding in their places,

And the Shabeans came violently, and tooke them: yea, they haue slayne the seruants with the edge of the sworde: but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee.

And whiles he was yet speaking, another came, and sayde, The fire of God is fallen from the heauen, and hath burnt vp the sheepe and the seruants, and deuoured them: but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee.

And whiles he was yet speaking, another came, and sayd, The Caldeans set on three bands, and fell vpon the camels, and haue taken them, and haue slayne the seruantes with the edge of the sworde: but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee.

And whiles he was yet speaking, came an other, and sayd, Thy sonnes, and thy daughters were eating, and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house,

And behold, there came a great wind from beyonde the wildernesse, and smote the foure corners of the house, which fel vpon the children, and they are dead, and I onely am escaped alone to tell thee.

Then Iob arose, and rent his garment, and shaued his head, and fel downe vpon the ground, and worshipped,

And sayd, Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I returne thither: the Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken it: blessed be the Name of the Lord.

In all this did not Iob sinne, nor charge God foolishly.

And on a day the children of God came and stood before the Lord, and Satan came also among them, and stoode before the Lord.

Then the Lord sayde vnto Satan, Whence commest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and sayd, From compassing the earth to and from, and from walking in it.

And the Lord sayd vnto Satan, Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob, how none is like him in the earth? an vpright and iust man, one that feareth God, and escheweth euill? for yet he continueth in his vprightnesse, although thou mouedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

And Satan answered the Lord, and sayde, Skin for skin, and all that euer a man hath, will he giue for his life.

But stretch now out thine hand, and touch his bones and his flesh, to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face.

Then the Lord said vnto Satan, Lo, he is in thine hand, but saue his life.

So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord, and smote Iob with sore boyles, from the sole of his foote vnto his crowne.

And he tooke a potsharde to scrape him, and he sate downe among the ashes.

Then said his wife vnto him, Doest thou continue yet in thine vprightnes? Blaspheme God, and dye.

But he said vnto her, Thou speakest like a foolish woman: what? shall we receiue good at the hande of God, and not receiue euill? In all this did not Iob sinne with his lippes.

Nowe when Iobs three friends heard of all this euill that was come vpon him, they came euery one from his owne place, to wit, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they were agreed together to come to lament with him, and to comfort him.

So when they lift vp their eyes a farre off, they knewe him not: therefore they lift vp their voyces and wept, and euery one of them rent his garment, and sprinkled dust vpon their heads toward the heauen.

So they sate by him vpon the ground seuen dayes, and seuen nights, and none spake a worde vnto him: for they sawe, that the griefe was very great.

Afterward Iob opened his mouth, and cursed his day.

And Iob cryed out, and sayd,

Let the day perish, wherein I was borne, and the night when it was sayde, There is a man childe conceiued.

Let that day bee darkenesse, let not God regarde it from aboue, neyther let the light shine vpon it,

But let darkenesse, and the shadowe of death staine it: let the cloude remayne vpon it, and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day.

Let darkenesse possesse that night, let it not be ioyned vnto the dayes of the yeere, nor let it come into the count of the moneths.

Yea, desolate be that night, and let no ioy be in it.

Let them that curse the day, (being readie to renue their mourning) curse it.

Let the starres of that twilight be dimme through darkenesse of it: let it looke for light, but haue none: neither let it see the dawning of the day,

Because it shut not vp the dores of my mothers wombe: nor hid sorowe from mine eyes.

Why died I not in the birth? or why dyed I not, when I came out of the wombe?

Why did the knees preuent me? and why did I sucke the breasts?

For so shoulde I now haue lyen and bene quiet, I should haue slept then, and bene at rest,

With the Kings and counselers of the earth, which haue buylded themselues desolate places:

Or with the princes that had golde, and haue filled their houses with siluer.

Or why was I not hid, as an vntimely birth, either as infants, which haue not seene the light?

The wicked haue there ceased from their tyrannie, and there they that laboured valiantly, are at rest.

The prisoners rest together, and heare not the voyce of the oppressour.

There are small and great, and the seruant is free from his master.

Wherefore is the light giuen to him that is in miserie? and life vnto them that haue heauie hearts?

Which long for death, and if it come not, they would euen search it more then treasures:

Which ioy for gladnes, and reioyce, when they can finde the graue.

Why is the light giuen to the man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

For my sighing commeth before I eate, and my roarings are powred out like the water.

For the thing I feared, is come vpon me, and the thing that I was afraid of, is come vnto me.

I had no peace, neither had I quietnesse, neither had I rest, yet trouble is come.

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and sayde,

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieued? but who can withholde himselfe from speaking?

Behold, thou hast taught many, and hast strengthened the wearie hands.

Thy wordes haue confirmed him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the weake knees.

But now it is come vpon thee, and thou art grieued: it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

Is not this thy feare, thy confidence, thy pacience, and the vprightnesse of thy wayes?

Remember, I pray thee: who euer perished, being an innocent? or where were the vpright destroyed?

As I haue seene, they that plow iniquitie, and sowe wickednesse, reape the same.

With the blast of God they perish, and with the breath of his nostrels are they cosumed.