12,750 verses contain “For” (in the KJV: 10,422, in the BSB: 7,841) — showing 4,201–4,300
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Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did
outlandish women cause to sin.
Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.
Shall we then
hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to
transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
Thus
cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
Thus I
purified the priests and Levites from everything
foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.
And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.
In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:
In the third year of his reign,
Xerxes held a feast
for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.
When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and
fourscore days.
And
for a full 180 days he displayed the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificent
splendor of his greatness.
And when these days were
expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in
Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace;
At the end of this time, in the garden court of the royal palace, the king held a seven-day feast
for all the people in the citadel of
Susa, from the least to the greatest.
And the drinking was according to the law; none did
compel:
for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.
By order of the king, no limit was placed on the drinking, and every official of his household was to serve each man whatever he desired.
Also Vashti the queen made a feast
for the women in the royal house which belonged to king
Ahasuerus.
Queen Vashti also gave a
banquet for the women in the royal palace of King
Xerxes.
To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to
shew the people and the princes her beauty:
for she was fair to look on.
to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown, to display her beauty to the people and officials. For she was beautiful to behold.
Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment:
Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times,
for it was customary
for him to
confer with the experts in law and justice.
For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall
despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king
Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to
despise their husbands and say, ‘King
Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’
And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
The edict the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom—and so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands.”
For he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.
He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own
script and to each people in their own language,
proclaiming that every man should be master of his own household.
Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,
And let the king
appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto
Shushan the palace, to the house of the women unto the
custody of Hege the king’s
chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things
for purification be given them:
and let the king
appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to
assemble all the beautiful young women into the
harem at the citadel of
Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s
eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.
And he brought up Hadassah, that is,
Esther, his uncle’s daughter:
for she had neither father nor mother, and the
maid was fair and beautiful; whom
Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took
for his own daughter.
And
Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is,
Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in
form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died,
Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter.
And the
maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things
for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the
harem.
Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred:
for Mordecai had charged her that she should not
shew it.
And
Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how
Esther did, and what should become of her.
And every day
Mordecai would walk back and
forth in front of the court of the
harem to learn about
Esther’s
welfare and what was happening to her.
Now when every
maid’s turn was come to go in to king
Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (
for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of
myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things
for the
purifying of the women;)
In the twelve months before her turn to go to King
Xerxes, the
harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of
myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics
for another six months.
Now when the turn of
Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of
Mordecai, who had taken her
for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s
chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And
Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
Now
Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom
Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask
for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the
harem, had
advised. And
Esther found favor in the eyes of
everyone who saw her.
Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even
Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
Then the king held a great
banquet,
Esther’s
banquet,
for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax
holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s
bounty.
Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as
Mordecai had charged her:
for Esther did the commandment of
Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced
Haman:
for the king had so commanded concerning him. But
Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid
homage to
Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done
for him. But
Mordecai would not bow down or pay
homage.
Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he
hearkened not unto them, that they told
Haman, to see whether
Mordecai’s matters would stand:
for he had told them that he was a
Jew.
And he thought
scorn to lay hands on
Mordecai alone;
for they had shewed him the people of
Mordecai: wherefore
Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of
Ahasuerus, even the people of
Mordecai.
And when he learned the identity of
Mordecai’s people, he
scorned the notion of laying hands on
Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of
Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of
Xerxes.
And
Haman said unto king
Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and
dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are
diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not
for the king’s profit to suffer them.
Then
Haman informed King
Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and
dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from
everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to
tolerate them.
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the
thirteenth day of the
twelfth month, which is the month
Adar, and to take the
spoil of them
for a prey.
And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and
annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to
plunder their possessions on a single day, the
thirteenth day of
Adar, the
twelfth month.
The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day.
And came even before the king’s gate:
for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with
sackcloth.
But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited
anyone wearing
sackcloth from entering that gate.
When
Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and told her about
Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes
for Mordecai to wear instead of his
sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
Then called
Esther for Hatach, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to
Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.
Then
Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs appointed to her, and she
dispatched him to
Mordecai to learn what was troubling him and why.
So Hatach went
forth to
Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king’s gate.
So Hathach went out to
Mordecai in the city square in front of the king’s gate,
And
Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that
Haman had promised to pay to the king’s
treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
and
Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that
Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury in order to destroy the Jews.
Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at
Shushan to destroy them, to
shew it unto
Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make
supplication unto him, and to make request before him
for her people.
Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the written decree issued in
Susa for the destruction of the Jews, to show and explain to
Esther,
urging her to approach the king,
implore his favor, and
plead before him
for her people.
All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that
whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden
sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
“All the royal officials and the people of the king’s provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned—that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold
scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king
for the past thirty days.”
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there
enlargement and
deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom
for such a time as this?
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and
deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom
for such a time as this?”
Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in
Shushan, and fast ye
for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
“Go and
assemble all the Jews who can be found in
Susa, and fast
for me. Do not eat or drink
for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”
And
Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and
Haman come this day unto the
banquet that I have prepared
for him.
“If it pleases the king,”
Esther replied, “may the king and
Haman come
today to the
banquet I have prepared
for the king.”
If I have found favour 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.
If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and
fulfill my request, may the king and
Haman come
tomorrow to the
banquet I will prepare
for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
Nevertheless
Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called
for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.
Nevertheless,
Haman restrained himself and went home. And calling
for his friends and his wife Zeresh,
And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to
Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done
for him.
The king inquired, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on
Mordecai for this act?” “Nothing has been done
for him,” replied the king’s attendants.
And 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.
“Who is in the court?” the king asked. Now
Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to ask the king to
hang Mordecai on the
gallows he had prepared
for him.
So
Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now
Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done
for the man whom the king is delighted to honor?” Now
Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king be delighted to honor more than me?”
And
Haman answered the king,
For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
And
Haman told the king, “
For the man whom the king is delighted to honor,
And let this
apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may
array the man
withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him 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 honour.
Let the
robe and the horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them
array the man the king wants to honor and
parade him on the horse through the city square,
proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done
for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!’”
Then took
Haman the
apparel and the horse, and
arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on
horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
So
Haman took the
robe and the horse,
arrayed Mordecai, and
paraded him through the city square, crying out before him, “This is what is done
for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!”
And
Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had
befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If
Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since
Mordecai, before whom your
downfall has begun, is Jewish, you will not prevail against him—
for surely you will fall before him.”
For 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 tongue, although the enemy could not
countervail the king’s damage.
For 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.”
And the king arising from the
banquet of wine in his wrath 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.
In 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.
Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the
banquet of wine; and
Haman was fallen upon the bed
whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he
force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered
Haman’s face.
Just 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.
And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the
gallows fifty cubits high, which
Haman had made
for Mordecai, who had spoken good
for the king, standeth in the house of
Haman. Then the king said,
Hang him
thereon.
Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “There is a
gallows fifty cubits high at
Haman’s house. He had it built
for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king.” “
Hang him on it!” declared the king.
On 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.
For 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?
For how could I bear to see the
disaster that would
befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”
Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh 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.
Now you may write in the king’s name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal
signet ring.
For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal
signet ring cannot be
revoked.”
Wherein the king granted the Jews which 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, both little ones and women, and to take the
spoil of them
for a prey,
By these letters the king permitted the Jews in each and every city the right to
assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and
annihilate all the
forces of any people or province hostile to them, including women and children, and to
plunder their possessions.
The copy of the writing
for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to
avenge themselves on their enemies.
A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to
avenge themselves on their enemies.
The Jews had light, and
gladness, and joy, and honour.
For the Jews it was a time of light and
gladness, of joy and honor.
And in every province, and in every city,
whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and
gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews;
for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.
In every province and every city, wherever the king’s edict and decree reached, there was joy and
gladness among the Jews, with feasting and
celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon 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 fell upon all people.
In each of the provinces of King
Xerxes, the Jews assembled in their cities to attack those who sought to
harm them. No man could
withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen upon all peoples.
For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces:
for this man
Mordecai waxed greater and greater.
For Mordecai exercised great power in the palace, and his fame spread throughout the provinces as he became more and more powerful.
For the Jews that were in
Shushan gathered themselves together on the
fourteenth day also of the month
Adar, and
slew three hundred men at
Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.
On the
fourteenth day of the month of
Adar, the Jews in
Susa came together again and put to death three hundred men there, but they did not lay a hand on the
plunder.
But 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 their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,
The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces also assembled to defend themselves and rid themselves of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who
hated them, but they did not lay a hand on the
plunder.
Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the
fourteenth day of the month
Adar a day of
gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.
This is why the rural Jews, who live in the villages, observe the
fourteenth day of the month of
Adar as a day of joy and feasting. It is a
holiday for sending gifts to one another.
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 is, the lot, to
consume them, and to destroy them;
For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had
plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the
Pur (that is, the lot) to
crush and destroy them.
Wherefore they called these days
Purim after the name of
Pur. Therefore
for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,
Therefore these days are called
Purim, from the word
Pur. Because of all the instructions in this letter, and because of all they had seen and experienced,
To
confirm these days of
Purim in their times appointed, according as
Mordecai the
Jew and
Esther the queen had
enjoined them, and as they had decreed
for themselves and
for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
in order to
confirm these days of
Purim at their appointed time, just as
Mordecai the
Jew and Queen
Esther had established them and had committed themselves and their descendants to the times of fasting and
lamentation.
For Mordecai the
Jew was next unto king
Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
For Mordecai the
Jew was second only to King
Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many
kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.
And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
Job’s sons would take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would
invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
And 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
cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send
for his children to
purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings
for all of them.
For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have
sinned and
cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
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 and down in it.
“Where have you come from?” said the LORD to
Satan. “From
roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and
forth in it.”
And the LORD said unto
Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Then the LORD said to
Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job?
For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is
blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.”
Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God
for nothing?
But put
forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will
curse thee to thy face.
But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely
curse You to Your face.”
And the LORD said unto
Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not
forth thine hand. So
Satan went
forth from the presence of the LORD.
“Very well,” said the LORD to
Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then
Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away,
yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
While he was still speaking, another
messenger came and reported: “The Chaldeans
formed three bands,
raided the camels, and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
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 walking up and down in it.
“Where have you come from?” said the LORD to
Satan. “From
roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and
forth in it.”
And the LORD said unto
Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his
integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
Then the LORD said to
Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job?
For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is
blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his
integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”
And
Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin
for skin,
yea, all that a man hath will he give
for his life.
“Skin
for skin!”
Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange
for his life.
But put
forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will
curse thee to thy face.
But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely
curse You to Your face.”
So went
Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and
smote Job with
sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
So
Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and
infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.
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:
for they had made an appointment together to come to
mourn with him and to comfort him.
Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite,
Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this
adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and
sympathize with Job and comfort him.
So 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.
Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was.
As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.
If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months.
Let the stars of the
twilight thereof be dark; let it look
for light, but have none; neither let it see the
dawning of the day:
May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain
for daylight; may it not see the breaking of
dawn.
Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s
womb, nor
hid sorrow from mine eyes.
For that night did not shut the doors of the
womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
For now should I have
lain still and been quiet, I should have
slept: then had I been at rest,
For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be
asleep and at rest
With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built
desolate places
for themselves;
with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,
Which long
for death, but it cometh not; and
dig for it more than
for hid treasures;
who long
for death that does not come, and search
for it like hidden
treasure,
For my
sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.
I
sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.
For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I
dreaded has
befallen me.
I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”
The old lion perisheth
for lack of prey, and the
stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.
The old lion perishes
for lack of prey, and the cubs of the
lioness are scattered.
It stood still, but I could not
discern the
form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
It stood still, but I could not
discern its appearance; a
form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a
whispering voice:
They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.
For resentment kills a
fool, and
envy slays the simple.
Although
affliction cometh not
forth of the dust, neither
doth trouble spring out of the ground;
For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not
sprout from the ground.
