ing borne.

+ Gr. spirit.

+

regard to the future, that we may strengthen them, that on the thirteenth maintain the government in undis- of the twelfth month Adar, on the selfturbed peace for all men, adopting same day, they may defend themselves needful changes, and ever judging against those who attacked them in a those cases which come under our time of affliction. For in the place of notice, with truly equitable decision. the destruction of the chosen race, For whereas Aman, a Macedonian, Almighty God has granted them this the son of Amadathes, in reality an time of gladness. Do ye therefore alien from the blood of the Persians, also, among your notable feasts, keep a and differing widely from our mild distinct day with all festivity, that course of government, having been both now and hereafter it may be a day hospitably entertained by us, obtained of deliverance to us and those who are so large a share of our universal kind- well disposed towards the Persians, but ness, as to be called our father, and to to those that plotted against us a mecontinue the person next to the royal morial of destruction. And every city throne, reverenced of all; he, however, and province collectively, which shall + Gr. not hav- overcome by the pride of not do accordingly, shall be consumed his station, endeavoured to with vengeance by spear and fire: it deprive us of our dominion, and our shall be made not only inaccessible to life; having by various men, but also most hateful to wild and subtle artifices demanded for de- beasts and birds for ever. And let the struction both Mardochæus our de- copies be posted in conspicuous places liverer and perpetual benefactor, and throughout the kingdom, and let all Esther the blameless consort of our the Jews be ready against this day, to kingdom, with their whole nation. fight against their enemies. For by these methods he thought, having surprised us in a defenceless 9. 14 So the horsemen went forth state, to transfer the dominion of the with haste to perform the king's comPersians to the Macedonians. But we mands; and the ordinance was also find that the Jews, who have been published in Susa. 15 And Mardoconsigned to destruction by the most chæus went forth robed in the royal + Gr. thrice abominable of men, are not apparel, and wearing a golden crown, guilty. malefactors, but living ac- and a diadem of fine purple linen: and cording to the justest laws, and being the people in Susa saw it and rejoiced. the sons of the living God, the most 16 And the Jews had light and glad+Gr.greatest. high and mighty, who ness, in every city and province 17 maintains the kingdom, to us as well wherever the ordinance was published: as to our forefathers, in the most ex- wherever the proclamation took place, cellent order. Ye will therefore do the Jews had joy and gladness, feastwell in refusing to obey the letters ing and mirth: and many of the Gensent by Aman the son of Amadathes, tiles were circumcised, and became because he that has done these things, Jews, for fear of the Jews. For in has been hanged with the twelfth month, on the thirteenth paled, same his whole family at the day of the month which is Adar, the subsequently gates of Susa, Almighty letters written by the king arrived. for crucified. God having swiftly returned 2 In that day the adversaries of the to him a worthy recompense. We enjoin you then, having openly published a copy of this letter in every place, to give the Jews permission to use their own lawful customs, and to

+ Gr. or, im

word used

+

Jews perished: for no one resisted, through fear of them. 3 For the chiefs of the satraps, and the princes, and the royal scribes honoured the Jews; for the fear of Mardochæus lay upon them.

9

6

as were in the kingdom of Artaxerxes, both them that were near and them that were afar off, 21 to establish these as joyful days, and to keep the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar; 22 for on these days the Jews obtained rest from their enemies: and as to the month, which was Adar, in which a change was made for them, from mourning to joy, and from sorrow to a good day,

+ Gr. wed

For the order of the king was in force, that he should be celebrated in all the kingdom. And in the city Susa the Jews slew five hundred men: both Pharsannes, and Delphon and Phasga, and Pharadatha, and Barca, and Sarbaca, and Marmasima, and Ruphæus, and Arsæus, and Zabuthæus, 10 the ten sons of Aman the son of Amadathes the Bugaan, the enemy of the Jews, and they plundered their to spend the whole of it in good days property on the same day: "and the of feasting and gladness, number of them that perished in Susa sending portions to their dings. was rendered to the king. 12 And the friends, and to the poor. 23 And the king said to Esther, The Jews have Jews consented to this accordingly as slain five hundred men in the city Mardochæus wrote to them, 24 showing Susa; and how, thinkest thou, have how Aman the son of Amadathes the they used them in the rest of the Macedonian fought against them, how country? What then dost thou yet he made a decree and cast lots + Gr. lot. ask, that it may be done for thee? to destroy them utterly; 25 also how 13 And Esther said to the king, Let it he went into the king, telling him to be granted to the Jews so to treat them hang Mardochæus: but all the calamito-morrow as to hang the ten sons of ties he tried to bring upon the Jews Aman. 14 And he permitted it to be came upon himself, and he was hanged, so done; and he gave up to the Jews and his children. 26 Therefore these of the city the bodies of the sons of days were called Phruræ, because of Aman to hang. 15 And the Jews the lots; (for in their language they assembled in Susa on the fourteenth are called Phrure;) because of the day of Adar, and slew three hundred words of this letter, and because of all men, but plundered no property. 16 And they suffered on this account, and all the rest of the Jews who were in the that happened to them. 27 And Markingdom assembled, and helped one dochæus made it a settled thing, and +Gr.lit. them another, and obtained rest the Jews took upon themselves, and selves, ie the from their enemies: for they upon their seed, and upon those that the parts is the destroyed fifteen thousand were joined to them to observe it, neither reflective act of of them on the thirteenth would they on any account behave Eph. 5. 19; day of Adar, but took no differently: but these days were to be Col. 3. 16. spoil. 17 And they rested a memorial kept in every generation, on the fourteenth of the same month, and city, and family, and province. and kept it as a day of rest with joy 28 And these days of the Phruræ, said and gladness. 18 And the Jews in the they, shall be kept for ever, and their city Susa assembled also on the four-memorial shall not fail in any generateenth day, and rested; and they kept tion. 29 And queen Esther, the daughalso the fifteenth with joy and glad-ter of Aminadab, and Mardochæus the 19 On this account then it is Jew, wrote all that they had done, that the Jews dispersed in every foreign and the confirmation of the letter of land keep the fourteenth of Adar as a Phruræ. 31 And Mardochæus and + Gr. good day. *holy day with joy, sending Esther the queen appointed a fast for portions to one another. 20 And Mar- themselves privately, even at that time dochæus wrote these things in a book, also having formed their plan against and sent them to the Jews, as many their own health. 32 And Esther estab

mutual act of

or

the whole. See

ness.

lished it by a command for ever, and that cried to God, and were delivered: it was written for a memorial.

JO B.

try.

5

CHAPTER I. VERSES 1, 17.

+ Gr. hedged

without him,

house, and that

out all his pos

1. THERE was a certain man in, blameless, true, godly, abstaining from the land of Ausis, whose name was everything evil? 9 Then the devil Job; and that man was true, blameless, answered, and said before the Lord, righteous, and godly, abstaining from Does Job worship the Lord for everything evil. 2 And he had seven nothing? 10 Hast thou not sons and three daughters. And his *made a hedge about him, roundthe parts cattle consisted of seven thousand and about his household, and the inner sheep, three thousand camels, five hun- and all his possessions round parts of his dred yoke of oxen, five hundred she- about? and hast thou not which is withasses in the pastures, and a very great blessed the works of his sessions round +Lit. minis household, and he had a hands, and multiplied his about great husbandry on the cattle upon the land? "But put forth earth; and that man was most noble thine hand, and touch all that he has: of the men of the east. And his sons verily he will bless thee to thy face. visiting one another prepared a ban-12 Then the Lord said to the devil, quet every day, taking with them also Behold, I give into thine hand all that their three sisters to eat and drink he has, but touch not himself. So the with them. And when the days of devil went out from the presence of the banquet were completed, Job sent the Lord. 13 And it came to pass on and purified them, having risen up in a certain day, that Job's sons and the morning, and offered sacrifices for his daughters were drinking wine in them, according to their number, and the house of their elder brother. † Gr. sin. one calf for a sin-offering 14And, behold, there came a messenger for their souls: for Job said, Lest per- to Job, and said to him, The yokes of adventure my sons have thought evil oxen were ploughing, and the shein their minds against God. Thus then asses were feeding near them; 15 and Job did continually. And it came the spoilers came and took them for a to pass on a day, that, behold, the prey, and slew the servants with the angels of God came to stand before the sword; and I having escaped alone am Lord, and the devil came with them. come to tell thee. 16 While he was yet 7 And the Lord said to the devil, speaking, there came another mesWhence art thou come? And the devil senger, and said to Job, Fire has fallen answered the Lord, and said, I am from heaven, and burnt up the sheep, come from compassing the earth, and and devoured the shepherds likewise; + Gr. the earth walking up and down in and I having escaped alone am come under heaven. the world. And the Lord to + said to him, Hast thou diligently considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a man

8

tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another messenger, and said to Job, The horsemen formed three companies against us, and

9

8

surrounded the camels, and took them ( said to the devil, Behold, I deliver for a prey, and slew the servants with him up to thee; only save his life. the sword; and I only escaped, and am come to tell thee. 18 While he is yet speaking, another messenger comes, saying to Job, While thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking with their elder brother; 19 suddenly a great wind came on from the desert, +Gr. touched. and caught the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon thy children, and they are dead; and I have escaped alone, and am come to tell thee. 20 So Job arose, and rent his garments, and shaved the hair of his head, and fell on the earth, and worshipped, 21 and said, I myself came forth naked from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, the Lord has taken away: as it seemed good to the Lord, so has it come to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 In all these events that befell him Job sinned not at all before the Lord, and did not impute folly to God.

So the devil went out from the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from his feet to his head. And he took a potsherd to scrape away the discharge, and sat upon a dung-heap outside the city. And when much time had passed, his wife said to him, How long wilt thou hold out, saying, Behold, I wait yet a little while, expecting the hope of my deliverance? for, behold, thy memorial is abolished from the earth, even thy sons and daughters, the pangs and pains of my womb which I bore in vain with sorrows; and thou thyself sittest down to spend the nights in the open air among the corruption of worms, and I am a wanderer and a servant from place to place and house to house, waiting for the setting of the sun, that I may rest from my labours and my pangs which now beset me: but say some word against the Lord, and die. 10 But he looked on her, and said to her, Thou hast spoken like one of the foolish women. If we have 2. And it came to pass on a certain received good things of the hand of day, that the angels of God came to the Lord shall we not endure evil stand before the Lord, and the devil things? In all these things that hapcame among them to stand before the pened to him Job sinned not at all Lord. And the Lord said to the with his lips before God. Now his devil, Whence comest thou? Then the three friends having heard of all the devil said before the Lord, I am come evil that was come upon him, came to + Gr. earth from going through the him each from his own country: Eliunder heaven. world, and walking about phaz the king of the Thamans, Baldad, the whole earth. 3 And the Lord said sovereign of the Saucheans, Sophar to the devil, Hast thou then observed king of the Minæans: and they came my servant Job, that there is none of to him with one accord, to comfort and men upon the earth like him, a harm- to visit him. 12 And when they saw less, true, blameless, godly man, ab-him from a distance they did not know staining from all evil? and he yet him; and they cried with a loud voice, cleaves to innocence, whereas thou and wept, and rent every one his hast told me to destroy his substance ment, and sprinkled dust upon their without cause? 4 And the devil an- heads, 13 and they sat down beside him. swered and said to the Lord, Skin for seven days and seven nights, and no skin, all that a man has will he give as one of them spoke; for they saw that a ransom for his life. Nay, but put his affliction was dreadful and very forth thine hand, and touch his bones great. + Gr. plural. and his 'flesh: verily he will bless thee to thy face. And the Lord

5

11

gar

3. After this Job opened his mouth,