Bible in 90 Days
15 In those days, I saw people in Judah who were working on Sabbath days.[a] They were making wine. They were bringing their grain from the fields. They were making their donkeys carry the grain, as well as wine, grapes, figs and other things. They were bringing all those things into Jerusalem when it was a Sabbath day. I warned them that they must not sell things on any Sabbath day.
16 People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem sold fish and other things when it was a Sabbath day. They even brought those things into Jerusalem and sold them to the people of Judah. 17 I was angry with the leaders of Judah. I said to them, ‘You are doing an evil thing. You are not making the Sabbath a special day. 18 Your ancestors did the same thing. That is why God punished them and he brought trouble on this city. Now you will make God even more angry with us, Israel's people. You are insulting God's Sabbath day.’
19 So I gave a command to the guards at the city's gates. I told them, ‘You must close the gates in the evening before each Sabbath day begins. Do not open the gates again until the Sabbath day has finished.’ I told some of my own men to stand at the gates. They would watch carefully so that no traders would bring things into Jerusalem on any Sabbath day.
20 A few times, some traders stayed outside Jerusalem all night, with the things that they wanted to sell. 21 I warned them, ‘Do not stay beside the city's wall all night. If you do this again, I will take hold of you.’ After I said that, they did not come again to Jerusalem on a Sabbath day. 22 Then I told the Levites that they must make themselves ready to serve God. I told them to go and stand at the gates as guards. They must keep the Sabbath day as a special day for God.
My God, please remember this good thing that I have done. Because of your faithful love, please be kind to me.
23 Also at that time, I discovered that men from Judah had married foreign women.[b] They were women who came from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, or a language of the other foreign nations. They did not know how to speak the language of Judah.
25 I was angry with them. I asked God to curse them. I hit some of the men. I pulled out the hair of some of them. I told them to make a promise in God's name. I said to them, ‘You must not let your daughters marry the sons of those foreign people. You must not let their daughters marry your sons. You yourselves must not marry foreign women either. 26 Solomon, king of Israel, did a bad thing when he married foreign women. There was no other king as great as him in any other nation. God loved him. God chose him to be king over all Israel. But Solomon's foreign wives caused him to do bad things, even though he was so great.
27 We can never agree to all the evil things that you have done. If we all married foreign women, we would not be faithful to our God.’
28 Joiada was the son of Eliashib, the leader of the priests. One of Joiada's sons had married a daughter of Sanballat, who came from Horon. I sent Joiada's son away from Jerusalem.
29 My God, remember what these people have done. They have not been faithful to you as your priests. They have spoiled the covenant that you made with the priests and the other descendants of Levi.
30 After that, I made the priests and the Levites clean to serve God. I made them become separate from any foreign thing. I told each of them which job they should do. 31 I also made sure that people brought wood to the temple for sacrifices on the altar. I made them bring the first crops and fruits from their fields for the offerings.
My God, please remember to bless me.
Queen Vashti does not obey the king
1 These things happened when King Xerxes ruled. He was the king who ruled over 127 regions, from India to Ethiopia. 2 King Xerxes lived in the capital, the city of Susa. 3 During the third year that he ruled, he gave a big feast for his leaders and officers. The soldiers from the army of Persia and Media came to the feast. The rulers and leaders of the regions in the kingdom also came.
4 The feast continued for 180 days. King Xerxes wanted to show everyone how rich and powerful he was. He wanted to show that he was a great king. 5 When this feast finished, he gave another feast for everyone who lived in Susa. It was for people who were important, and for ordinary people as well. The feast continued for seven days. It was in part of the garden of the king's palace. 6 The gardens had curtains made of expensive white linen and purple material. They hung from silver rings on white stone pillars. White and purple strings held the curtains. There were seats made from gold and silver. The floor had many kinds of valuable stones to make it beautiful.
7 People at the feast drank from gold cups. Each cup was different. The king gave plenty of his own wine to everyone to drink. 8 Everyone could drink as much wine as they wanted. The king told his officers to give each person what they wanted, no more and no less.
9 At the same time, the king's wife, Queen Vashti, gave a feast for all the women in the palace.[c]
10 On the seventh day of the feast, King Xerxes was feeling happy, because he had drunk so much wine. He had seven eunuchs who served him in the palace. Their names were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas. 11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him. He said that she must wear her royal crown. He wanted to show everyone at his feast how beautiful his queen was. She was a very beautiful woman. 12 The eunuchs told Queen Vashti what the king had commanded. But she refused to go to him. This made the king very angry.
13 The king spoke to his wise advisors about what had happened. These men understood the laws and customs of Persia. When something like this happened, the king would ask them what he should do. 14 The seven advisors who were often with the king were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan. These men were the most important officers in the kingdom.
15 The king asked them, ‘What should we do with Queen Vashti? What does our law say about this? The eunuchs took my message to her, but she did not obey my command. And I am the king!’
16 One of the advisors, Memukan, replied to the king and the other officers. He said, ‘Queen Vashti has not only done something wrong against you, the king. She has also done a wrong thing against all the officers and all the people too. That is all the men who live in your kingdom. 17 When other women hear about this, they will not obey their own husbands. All the women will say, “Queen Vashti did not obey her husband, King Xerxes. When he told her to come to him, she refused to do it!” 18 Everywhere in Persia and Media, the wives of the king's officers will know what Queen Vashti has done. From today, they will refuse to obey their husbands. They will no longer respect their husbands, and the men will be very angry.
19 So we suggest this, if you agree as king. You should give a royal command. It should become one of the laws of Persia and Media, so that nobody can change it. This law must say that Vashti must never see you again. Then you should find a woman who deserves to be queen more than Vashti. 20 You must send this command to everyone in your great kingdom. When people know about this law, all the women will respect their husbands. They will obey them, whether they are important people or ordinary people.’
21 The king and his officers liked this idea. So the king did as Memukan had said. 22 He sent letters to all the regions of his kingdom. The letters were in the language of each region, so that all the people could read and understand the law. The law said that every man should be the ruler of his family and he should speak the language of his people.
Esther becomes queen
2 Some time later, King Xerxes was not feeling so angry. He thought about Vashti and what she had done. He remembered the law that he had made, that she should not be queen any more.[d]
2 The king's servants who helped him in the palace said, ‘We think that the king should send some men to look for beautiful young women for him. 3 The king could choose officers from every region of his kingdom to do this. They will bring all the beautiful young women here to Susa. Hegai will take care of them in the royal harem.[e] He is the eunuch who has that job. The young women will receive special oils and perfumes to make them more beautiful. 4 The king may choose the young woman that pleases him most. She may take the place of Vashti as queen.’
King Xerxes thought that this was a good idea. He did everything that the servants said.
5 A Jewish man called Mordecai lived in Susa. He was the son of Jair. Jair was the son of Shimei. Shimei was the son of Kish. Kish was a descendant of Benjamin. 6 When Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon, he had taken Kish away from Jerusalem as a prisoner. That was the time when Nebuchadnezzar also took Jeconiah, king of Judah, away to Babylon as well as other Jews.[f]
7 Mordecai was taking care of a young cousin called Hadassah. She was also called Esther.[g] Esther's mother and father were no longer alive. She was the daughter of Mordecai's uncle. When her parents died, Mordecai took care of her, as if she was his own daughter. Esther was very beautiful.
8 Esther was one of the young women that the king's officers took to Susa. That happened because of the king's command. The beautiful young women lived in the royal harem. Hegai had the authority to take care of them. 9 Hegai liked Esther and he was kind to her. As soon as Esther arrived, Hegai gave her special food and oils to make her more beautiful. He chose seven female servants from the king's palace to take care of her. Then he moved Esther and her servants to the best rooms in the harem.
10 Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew. That is what Mordecai had told her. 11 Mordecai wanted to know what was happening to Esther. So every day he walked in the palace yard that was near the harem. He wanted to hear some news about her.
12 All the young women stayed in the harem for 12 months. For six months they received myrrh oil for their bodies. Then they received perfume and different kinds of oil for another six months. After that time they could each go to the king's bedroom. 13 When the time came for a young woman to go to the king, she could take whatever she wanted with her. She would take those things with her from the harem to the king's room.[h]
14 She would go to be with the king in the evening. She would stay with him during that night. In the morning, she went to a different part of the harem. That was where the king's slave wives lived. One of the king's eunuchs, Shaashgaz, took care of them there.[i] After that, the young woman would only see the king again if he was pleased with her. Then he would ask for her by name.
15 One evening, it was the time for Abihail's daughter, Esther, to go to the king. Abihail was Mordecai's uncle. After Abihail had died, Mordecai took care of Esther as if she was his own daughter. Everyone who saw Esther liked her. When she went to the king, she took with her only the things that Hegai had suggested. 16 Esther went to King Xerxes in his royal rooms in the palace. That happened in the tenth month of the year, called Tebeth. King Xerxes had ruled for seven years.
17 The king loved Esther more than he loved any of the other women. He was more pleased with her than all the other young women. He put the royal crown on her head. He chose Esther to be queen, instead of Vashti. 18 The king gave a great feast for all the leaders and officers of his kingdom. He did it to give honour to Esther. He said that there would be a holiday for people in all the regions. He also gave expensive gifts to people.
Mordecai saves the king
19 Some time later, the young women all came together again in the harem. At this time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, as one of his officers.[j]
20 Esther still had not told anyone that she was a Jew. Mordecai had told her that she should not tell anyone. She continued to obey Mordecai, as she had done when she lived with him as his daughter.
21 One day, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. While he was there, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh, became angry with King Xerxes. They decided that they would kill the king. 22 Mordecai heard about this. So he told Queen Esther about it. Queen Esther told the king what Mordecai had said. 23 The king sent his men to see if it was true. When he discovered that Mordecai had told the truth, he said that the two eunuchs must die. So his officers hanged them from a wooden tower until they were dead. They wrote about this event in the history book, while the king watched.
Haman is angry with Mordecai
3 After some time, King Xerxes gave one of his officers greater authority. The officer's name was Haman. He was the son of Hammedatha, a descendant of Agag. Haman became the most important officer who served the king. 2 The king commanded that all the royal officers at the king's gate must bend down low down to Haman. So they all gave Haman honour when he passed them. Only Mordecai would not bend down and give honour to Haman.[k]
3 The officers at the king's gate asked Mordecai, ‘Why do you not obey the king's command?’ 4 They warned Mordecai every day. But he would not agree to bend down low to Haman. So the officers told Haman about this. Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. So they wanted to know if Haman would let Mordecai do this.
5 When Haman realized that Mordecai would not give him honour, he became very angry. 6 But he did not want to destroy only Mordecai. Now he knew that Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy all the Jews who lived in Xerxes' whole kingdom.
Haman decides to kill all the Jews
7 Haman asked his advisors when would be the right time to make this happen. He asked them in the first month of the year (Nisan), during Xerxes' 12th year as king. Haman's advisors threw dice to decide the right time to destroy the Jews. The dice chose the 12th month of the year (Adar). The dice were called ‘Purim’.
8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, ‘There is a group of people who live in many regions of your kingdom. They have different customs to all the other people. They refuse to obey the laws of your kingdom. It is not good for you to let them live among all the other people in your kingdom. 9 If you agree, we should send out a command to destroy them. Then I will give 350 tons of silver to the king, so that your officers can do this work.’[l]
10 The king took his special ring from his finger and he gave it to Hammedatha's son, Haman, the Jews' great enemy.[m] 11 He said to Haman, ‘Keep your money. You should do anything that you want with these people.’
12 On the 13th day of the first month, Haman asked the king's secretaries to come to him. They wrote Haman's commands in letters to the king's rulers and officers in every region. They wrote the letters in the languages that people spoke in the different regions. Haman used the authority of King Xerxes and he marked the letters with the king's special ring.[n]
13 Men delivered the letters to all the regions of the kingdom. Haman's command said that on the 13th day of the 12th month (Adar) people should completely destroy and kill all the Jews. They should kill old people and young people, women and children. Then they should take all the Jews' valuable things for themselves. 14 Haman sent copies of his command to every region, so that it would be read aloud to the people. Everyone would know what the law said, and everyone would be ready on the right day.
15 King Xerxes told his men to take the letters quickly to all the people. They also read the law to the people in Susa city. Then Haman and the king sat down to drink wine together. But the people in the city were very upset.
Mordecai asks Queen Esther to help the Jews
4 Mordecai discovered what Haman had done. He tore his clothes and he dressed in sackcloth and ashes, because he was very upset. He went into the city. He cried and he wept loudly as he went.
2 Nobody who was wearing sackcloth could go into the yard of the palace. So Mordecai stopped at the king's gate. 3 Jews who lived in all the regions of Xerxes' kingdom heard the king's command. So they were very sad. They were weeping and they were fasting.[o] Many of them lay on sackcloth and ashes.
4 Esther's female servants the eunuchs who took care of her told her what Mordecai was doing. So Esther was very upset. She sent clothes for Mordecai to put on instead of the sackcloth, but Mordecai refused to wear them. 5 Hathach was one of the king's eunuchs who served Esther. Esther asked him to discover what was the matter with Mordecai.[p]
6 So Hathach went to speak to Mordecai. Mordecai was outside the king's gate, in an open place. 7 Mordecai told Hathach everything that had happened. He told Hathach how much money Haman would pay to the king when people destroyed all the Jews.[q] 8 Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the law that they had read aloud to the people in Susa. He told Hathach to show the law to Esther and explain it to her. Mordecai also said that Esther must go and speak to the king. She must ask the king to let her people live.
9 Hathach went back into the palace. He told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther sent Hathach back to Mordecai with this message: 11 ‘Everybody knows the law. People cannot go to meet the king in his own part of the palace unless the king asks them to come. All the king's officers and all his people know that that is the law. If somebody decides to go to the king when the king has not asked to see him, that person must die. He will only stay alive if the king holds out his gold sceptre towards him. As for me, the king has not asked me to go to him for the last 30 days.’[r]
12 When Mordecai heard this message from Esther, 13 he sent this answer back to her: ‘Do not think that you will be safe because you live in the king's palace. You will not escape when they kill all the other Jews. 14 You must speak now on behalf of all the Jewish people. If you do not, they will receive help from another place to make them safe and free. Then you and your father's family will come to an end. But I think that perhaps you have become queen so that you can help at a time like this.’[s]
15 Then Esther sent this answer to Mordecai: 16 ‘Tell all the Jews in Susa to meet together. Tell them to fast and to pray for me. They must not eat or drink for three days, during the day and the night. My female servants and I will also do that. After three days, I will go and speak to the king. I know that I will do that against the king's law. But if I must die because of that, I agree to die.’
17 Then Mordecai left the king's gate. He did everything that Esther had told him to do.
Esther goes to the king
5 After they had fasted for three days, Esther put on her royal clothes. She went to King Xerxes' part of the palace. She stood in the yard outside his rooms. The king was sitting on his royal throne. He could see through the door of the room where he sat. 2 The king saw Esther as she stood outside in the yard. He was pleased to see her. He held out his gold sceptre towards her. Esther came near to him and she touched the top of the sceptre.
3 The king asked her, ‘What is your trouble, Queen Esther? I will do for you whatever you want. I will even give you half of my kingdom!’
4 Esther replied, ‘If the king agrees, I would like you to do this. I would like the king and Haman to come to a special meal that I have prepared for you.’
5 The king said to his servants, ‘Bring Haman here quickly. Then we can do what Esther wants.’
The king and Haman went to the meal that Esther had prepared. 6 When they were drinking wine, the king asked Esther, ‘What do you want? I will give you whatever you want. What do you want me to do for you? Even if you want half of my kingdom, I will give it to you.’
7 Esther replied, ‘This is what I want. 8 If the king is pleased with me, and if you agree, please do what I ask. I would like the king and Haman to come again tomorrow. Come to another meal that I will prepare for you. Then I will tell you what I want, as you have asked me to do.’
Mordecai makes Haman angry again
9 When Haman went from Queen Esther's meal that day, he was very happy. But then he saw Mordecai at the king's gate. When Haman passed him, Mordecai did not get up. He did not show that he respected Haman in any way. So Haman became very angry with Mordecai. 10 Haman did not show that he was angry at that time. He went home.
Then Haman told his friends and Zeresh, his wife, to meet with him. 11 Haman told them how rich he was, and how many sons he had. He told them of all the things that the king had done to give him great honour. He told them that he was now more important than all the king's other rulers and officers. 12 Haman said to them, ‘Queen Esther asked me to go with the king to a special meal that she had prepared. We were the only people who ate with her. Now the queen has asked me to go with the king to another meal tomorrow. 13 But even all these things do not make me happy. I am angry when I see that Jewish man Mordecai. He is sitting at the king's gate.’
14 Haman's wife and all his friends said to him, ‘This will make you happy. Tell your men to build a wooden tower that is 22 metres high. In the morning, tell the king to hang Mordecai on the tower to kill him. Then you will enjoy Queen Esther's special meal.’
Haman liked their idea very much. So he told his men to build the tall tower.[t]
The king remembers Mordecai
6 That night the king could not sleep. He asked a servant to bring the kingdom's history book. He asked the servant to read the book to him.
2 The history book included a report of how two of the king's eunuchs wanted to kill King Xerxes. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. The report said that Mordecai had told the king about this.[u] 3 When the king heard this, he asked his servant, ‘When Mordecai saved my life, what great honour did we give to him?’ The king's servants replied, ‘We did not do anything for him.’
4 The king said, ‘Who is now in the palace yard?’
Haman had just arrived at the palace. His men had built the wooden tower. Now he wanted to ask the king to hang Mordecai on it to kill him. 5 The king's servants said to the king, ‘Haman is in the palace yard.’ The king said, ‘Bring him here to me.’
6 Haman came in to the king's room. The king asked him, ‘If I want to give great honour to a man, what should we do for that man?’
Haman thought to himself, ‘I am sure that I am that man. The king must want to give me honour.’ 7 So Haman replied to the king, ‘This is what you should do for that man, if you want to give him honour. 8 Your servants should bring some royal clothes that you yourself have worn. They should bring a horse that you yourself have ridden on as king. They should put a special crown on the horse's head to show that it belongs to you. 9 Then give the clothes and the horse to one of your royal officers. Tell the officer to put the king's clothes on the man that you want to give honour to. Then the officer must put the man on the king's horse. He must lead him through all the streets of the city. As he goes, the officer must shout, “This is what the king does for a man that he want to give honour to!” ’
10 The king said to Haman, ‘That is a good idea! Go quickly! Get my clothes and my horse. Go and do everything that you have suggested. Do it for the Jew, Mordecai, who sits at the king's gate. Be careful to do for him everything that you said.’
11 So Haman took the king's clothes and the king's horse to Mordecai. He put the king's clothes on Mordecai. Then he led Mordecai on the horse through all the streets of the city. Haman went in front and he shouted, ‘Look! This is what the king does for a man that he want to give honour to!’
12 After this, Mordecai returned to sit at the king's gate. But Haman hurried back home. He covered his face because he was ashamed and upset. 13 He told his wife, Zeresh, and his friends about everything that had happened to him. Then his advisors, as well as his wife, said to him, ‘It seems that you have already lost some of your power to Mordecai. If he really is Jewish, you will never win against him. He will destroy you completely.’
14 While they were speaking, the king's eunuchs arrived. Very quickly they took Haman to the special meal that Esther had prepared.
Haman dies
7 King Xerxes and Haman went to the meal that Queen Esther had prepared. 2 This was the second day that they ate a special meal together. While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, ‘Queen Esther, what do you want me to do for you? I will give you whatever you want. Even if you want half of my kingdom, I will give it to you.’
3 Queen Esther replied, ‘Sir, I hope that you are pleased with me. If you agree, I ask you to save my life. Also save the lives of my people. That is what I ask you to do. 4 Someone has sold me and my people as if we are animals. Now they will kill us and completely destroy us all. If we had been sold to become slaves, I would not have spoken to the king. It would not have been important enough for that.’
5 Then King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, ‘Who is this man? Who would even think of anything like that? Where is he?’
6 Esther replied, ‘The enemy of our people is this wicked man Haman!’
Then Haman became very afraid, as he sat there with the king and the queen.[v]
7 The king was very angry and he stood up. He left his wine and he went into the palace garden. Haman realized that the king wanted to destroy him. So he stayed with Queen Esther and he asked her to save his life. 8 Queen Esther was lying down on a bed. Haman threw himself down beside her. At that moment, the king returned from the garden. The king shouted, ‘What is this man doing? He even attacks the queen when she is with me in my palace!’[w]
While the king was still saying this, his servants covered Haman's head.[x]
9 One of the king's eunuchs, Harbona, said, ‘There is a wooden tower near Haman's home. It is 22 metres high. His men built it so that he could hang Mordecai on it. Mordecai is the man who saved the king's life.’
The king said, ‘Hang Haman on the tower until he is dead.’
10 So they took Haman and they hanged him on the tower until he was dead. It was the same tower that Haman had wanted to kill Mordecai on. After that, the king did not feel so angry.
The king makes another law
8 That day, King Xerxes took everything that had belonged to Haman, the enemy of the Jews. He gave it all to Queen Esther. Esther told the king that Mordecai was her cousin.
So Mordecai came to meet the king. 2 The king had taken back his special ring from Haman. Now he took it off his own finger and he gave it to Mordecai. And Esther gave Mordecai authority over all the things that had belonged to Haman.
3 Then Esther went again to speak to the king. She threw herself down at his feet and she wept. She wanted him to stop Haman's evil idea to kill all the Jews. 4 The king held out his gold sceptre towards Esther. So she stood up to speak to the king.
5 Esther said to the king, ‘I hope that I have pleased the king. If you agree, and if you are pleased with me, please make another law. Stop the command that Haman, the descendant of Agag, wrote. He sent letters to all the regions of your kingdom, because he wanted to destroy all the Jewish people. 6 I cannot let this evil thing happen to my relatives. I have to do something to stop it.’
7 King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai, ‘You are right! I have already punished Haman with death because he wanted to destroy the Jews. I have also given all of his things to Esther. 8 Now you must use my authority to write another law. Write a law that you think will save your people. Then mark the letters with my special ring. Any letter that has my name and the mark of my ring on it has the king's authority. Nobody can ever change it.’
9 They called the king's secretaries to come and write the new law. They did that on the 23rd day of the third month (Sivan). Mordecai told them what to write. They sent the letters to the Jews, the rulers and the officers in all the regions of the kingdom. There were 127 regions, from India as far as Ethiopia. They wrote the letters in the languages that people spoke in each region. They also wrote to the Jews in their own language. Everyone would know what the new law said. 10 Mordecai used King Xerxes' authority to write the letters. He made a mark on the letters with the king's special ring. Men who rode on the king's fastest horses quickly took the letters everywhere in the kingdom.
11 The king's new law said this: The Jewish people who lived in every city could fight against anyone who attacked them. They could join together to keep themselves safe. If an army of any kind attacked them, the Jews could kill and destroy them completely, as well as their women and children. They could take away their enemies' things for themselves.[y] 12 The law said that the Jews in all the regions of the kingdom could do this on one day. That day was the 13th day of the 12th month (Adar).[z] 13 A copy of the law would go to every region of the kingdom, so that everyone would know what the law said. Then the Jews would be ready on the right day to punish their enemies.
14 The king told his officers that they must ride quickly on the royal horses to take the letters to every region. His officers also read the law aloud to the people in Susa city.
15 Then Mordecai left the king's palace. He was wearing royal clothes that were purple and white. He had a large gold crown on his head. He wore a beautiful coat made from purple linen. The people in Susa city shouted with joy because of the new law.
16 All the Jews were very happy. Everyone respected them and gave them honour. 17 When the new law reached every region and every city, the Jews became very happy. The other people who lived there were now afraid of the Jews. Because of that, many people said that they themselves had become Jews.
The Jews punish their enemies
9 The 13th day of the 12th month (Adar) was the day when the enemies of the Jews had hoped to attack them. But now the king's new law said that the Jews could fight to keep themselves safe on that day. So the Jews won against their enemies. 2 In all the cities in each region of the kingdom where the Jews lived, they joined together. They punished anyone who tried to hurt them. Nobody could fight against them because all the people were very afraid of them.
3 All the king's officers and the rulers and leaders of each region decided to help the Jews. They did that because they were afraid of Mordecai's power. 4 He was now a very important officer in the king's palace. News about him reached all the regions as he became more and more powerful.
5 So when the day arrived, the Jews could do what they wanted to their enemies. They used their swords to attack them and to kill them.
6 In Susa city, the Jews killed 500 men. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha. 10 Those men were the ten sons of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. But the Jews did not take any of the things that belonged to the people that they killed.
11 On the same day, the king heard how many people they had killed in Susa city. 12 Then the king said to Queen Esther, ‘In Susa the Jews have killed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. So I think that they have killed many more of their enemies in the other regions of my kingdom! Now, what else do you want? If you ask me, I will do anything that you still want me to do.’
13 Esther replied, ‘If the king agrees, please let the Jews who live in Susa do the same thing tomorrow. Let your new law continue for one more day. Also, let them hang the dead bodies of Haman's ten sons from the wooden tower.’
14 The king agreed and he commanded that this should happen. He made another law so that the Jews in Susa could fight again. They also put the dead bodies of Haman's ten sons on the tower.
15 On the 14th day of the month called Adar the Jews in Susa all met together again. That day they killed 300 more men in Susa. But they did not take their enemies' things for themselves.
16-17 In the other regions of the kingdom, the Jews came together on the 13th day of Adar. They did that to protect themselves against their enemies. They killed 75,000 of their enemies. But they did not take their enemies' things for themselves. Then, on the 14th day of Adar, the Jews in the regions rested. They ate feasts and they were very happy.
18 But the Jews in Susa did not rest until the 15th day of the month. That was because they killed their enemies on both the 13th day and the 14th day. On the 15th day they ate feasts and they were very happy.
19 That is why the Jews who live in towns and villages in the country have a holiday on the 14th day of Adar. On that day, they have feasts and they give gifts to each other, because they are happy.
20 Mordecai wrote down all these events. He sent letters to all the Jews who were living in all the regions where King Xerxes ruled. 21 He told them that they should have a holiday on the 14th and 15th days of Adar every year. 22 They should do that to remember the time when they became safe from their enemies. That was the month when they became happy and they were no longer sad. They should eat a feast and they should send gifts of food to each other to show their joy. They should also give gifts to poor people.
23 The Jews agreed to do everything that Mordecai had written in the letters. They had a feast every year to remember what had happened. 24 They remembered what Hammedatha's son, Haman, the descendant of Agag, had done. He had been the enemy of the Jews and he had tried to destroy them all. He had thrown dice, called Purim, to choose the day when he would attack them and kill them. 25 But Esther went to tell the king what Haman was doing. Then the king stopped the evil thing that Haman wanted to do against the Jews. The king wrote a command to say that Haman should die. The same thing that Haman wanted to do to the Jews should happen to him instead. The bodies of Haman and his sons hung on the wooden tower that his men had built.
26 So the Jews call the days of their feast ‘Purim’. That was the name of the dice that Haman used. They did this because of what Mordecai wrote in his letter. They wanted to remember everything that had happened to them. 27 They made a rule for all the Jews, their descendants, and any other people who came to join them. The rule said that they must all have a holiday on those two days every year. They must do what Mordecai had written in his letter to them. 28 From that time, every Jew must remember to keep the days of Purim as a holiday. Every Jewish family and their children must continue to do this. They must do it in all the cities and all the regions, wherever they lived. And their descendants must continue to do it every year, to remember what happened.[aa]
29 Then Abihail's daughter, Queen Esther, and Mordecai wrote another letter. Esther used her authority to say that what Mordecai had written about the feast of Purim was true. 30 So they sent letters to all the Jews who lived in the 127 regions of Xerxes' kingdom. The message was to help them live safely in peace. 31 It told the Jews how to have the days of Purim as a holiday at the right time each year. This was a rule that came from the Jewish man, Mordecai, and from Queen Esther. The message also said that the Jews should remember the sad times, and they should fast.
32 Queen Esther's command made those rules about the feast of Purim. The palace secretaries wrote it down in a book.
Mordecai becomes powerful
10 King Xerxes caused everyone who lived in his kingdom to pay taxes. It included those who lived far away, on the coast of the sea.
2 Everything that King Xerxes did was written down in ‘The history book of the kings of Media and Persia’. The book tells about all the great things that King Xerxes did with his power and authority. It also tells how the king gave more authority to Mordecai, who became very great. 3 The Jewish man, Mordecai, was the most important Jew in the whole kingdom. Only King Xerxes himself had more authority than Mordecai. The other Jews respected Mordecai because he worked hard to help them. He made sure that all his people could live safely.
Job was a good man
1 There was a man who lived in a place called Uz. His name was Job. He was a good and honest man. He was afraid to make God angry. He refused to do evil things. 2 Job had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He had 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels. He had 500 pairs of oxen and 500 donkeys. He also had many servants. He was the richest person in the east part of the world.
4 Each of Job's sons would give parties for each other in their homes. They sent messages to their three sisters to come and eat the feast with them. 5 After each party, Job would ask his children to come and visit him. He wanted to make them clean again if they were guilty of bad things. He thought, ‘Perhaps they have done something that is bad. Perhaps they have thought bad things against God.’ So he would get up early in the morning. He would offer a burnt offering as a sacrifice for each of his children. Job always did this after each party that his children had.
Satan meets with God
6 One day, the angels came to meet with the Lord in heaven.[ab] Satan also came and he stood there with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan replied, ‘I have been travelling all over the earth. I have been watching the things that happen there.’
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘You have seen Job, who is my servant. What do you think about him? There is no one on earth that is like him. He is a good and honest man. He is afraid to make me angry. He refuses to do evil things.’
9 Satan answered the Lord, ‘There is a very good reason why Job obeys you. 10 You do not let any bad things happen to him. You keep him, his family and all his things safe. You have given him success with everything that he does. His many farm animals are everywhere! 11 You should take away from him all the things that he has. Then he will certainly curse you very strongly.’
12 So the Lord said to Satan, ‘I agree to give you power over all the things that belong to Job. But you must do nothing to hurt Job himself.’
After that, Satan went away.[ac]
Satan destroys all Job's things
13 One day, Job's sons and daughters were at a party in the home of his oldest son. 14 A servant brought a message to Job. He said, ‘We were using your oxen to plough the fields. Your donkeys were eating grass beside them. 15 Some men from Sheba suddenly came and they attacked us. They took away all your oxen and your donkeys. They also killed all your other servants. I was the only one who escaped. I ran here to tell you what has happened.’
16 That servant was still speaking, when another servant arrived. He said to Job, ‘God has sent lightning down from the sky. It has killed your sheep and your servants. I was the only one who escaped. I ran here to tell you what has happened.’
17 Before that servant had finished speaking, a third servant arrived. He said to Job, ‘Some robbers from Chaldea suddenly attacked us. They took away all your camels and they killed your servants. I was the only one who escaped. I ran here to tell you what has happened.’
18 That servant was still speaking, when a fourth servant arrived. He said to Job, ‘Your children were eating a feast at a party in the home of your oldest son. 19 Suddenly there was a strong storm that came from the desert. The wind destroyed the house where your children were. The house fell on them and it killed them. I was the only one who escaped. I ran here to tell you what has happened.’
20 When Job heard this news he was very upset. He tore his clothes and he cut off all his hair. Then he bent down low on the ground to worship God. 21 He said, ‘When I was born, I had nothing. When I die, I will take nothing with me. The Lord has given me all the things that I have. The Lord may choose to take those things away. I will continue to praise the name of the Lord!’
22 Even after all these things had happened, Job still did not do anything bad. He did not say that God had done something wrong to him.
Satan attacks Job's health
2 Another time, the angels came again to meet with the Lord. Satan also came with them to meet the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan replied, ‘I have been travelling all over the earth. I have been watching the things that happen there.’
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘You have seen Job, who is my servant. What do you think about him? There is no one on earth who is like him. He is a good and honest man. He is afraid to make me angry. He refuses to do evil things. Because of what you said, I allowed you to attack him. But he did not deserve that. He has continued to do what is right.’
4 Satan answered the Lord, ‘A man will always take care of his own body. He would do anything to save his own life. 5 So now cause Job to have great pain in his own body. Then he will certainly curse you very strongly.’
6 So the Lord said to Satan, ‘I agree to give you power over Job himself. But you must not cause his death.’
7 So Satan went away. He caused Job to have boils all over his body. They hurt him everywhere, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head.
8 Job was very upset and he sat down among some ashes. He used a piece of a broken pot to remove the bad bits of skin.
9 His wife said to him, ‘You cannot continue to trust God! Instead, you should curse God and then die.’ 10 Job replied, ‘Do not talk like a fool! We take the good things that God gives us. So we should not be surprised if he sends us trouble as well.’
In all his trouble, Job never said any wrong things against God.
Job's friends come to help him
11 Three of Job's friends heard news about his trouble. One friend was called Eliphaz, who came from Teman. The second friend was called Bildad, who came from Shuah. The third friend was called Zophar, who came from Naamah. They came from their own homes to meet together. They wanted to show Job that they were sorry about his trouble. They went to visit him to comfort him.
12 When they could see Job from far away, they did not easily recognize him. They began to weep very loudly. They were so upset that they tore their clothes. They threw dust into the air and on their heads. 13 For a whole week, they sat on the ground near Job. They knew that his pain was very bad. So all that time, they did not say anything to him.
Job complains to God[ad]
3 Finally, Job decided to speak. He cursed the day when he was born.
2 This is what Job said:
3 ‘Forget the day of my birth.
Forget the night when a son was born to my parents.
4 That day should be completely dark,
with no light to shine on it!
God in heaven above should not even think about it.
5 That day should remain in a dark shadow.
Clouds should cover it so that everywhere is black.
6 Remove that night completely!
It should no longer be a date among the days of the year.
Remove that day from the months of the year.
7 Do not let women become pregnant on that night.
Nobody should be happy!
8 People who know how to curse days should curse that day.
They should wake up Leviathan, the monster from the sea, to attack it.
9 The stars of early morning should be dark on that day.
Do not let the sun shine at dawn,
so that there is no end to the dark night.
10 I curse that day because it allowed me to be born.
It brought me into a life of trouble.
11 It would have been better if I had died at birth.
I should have been born dead.
12 Instead, my mother held me on her knees.
I drank from her breasts.
13 If I had died at birth, I would now be resting in peace.
14 I would be resting with kings and rulers.
They lived in beautiful houses which are now heaps of stones.
15 I would be with princes who once were very rich.
Their palaces were full of gold and silver.
16 My parents should have buried me,
like a child that is born dead.
I would never have seen the light of day.
17 After death, wicked people can no longer cause any trouble.
People who have become tired can rest.
18 Even prisoners can enjoy a time of peace.
No guards are there to shout at them.
19 Great people and ordinary people are all there together.
Slaves have no master that they must obey.
20 I am suffering very much.
Why does God let me wake up each day?
I am very upset,
so why does God continue to let me live?
21 People like me only want to die. But death does not come.
They would rather die than find valuable gold.
22 When their life finally finishes, they are very happy.
They are happy to go into their graves.
23 So why do I continue to live?
God has stopped me moving forward in life.
I cannot see which way to go.
24 I am crying instead of eating.
My tears pour out like a river of water.
25 The things that frighten me most have happened to me.
26 Because of all the trouble that has happened to me,
I cannot rest. I have no peace in my mind.’
Job's friend Eliphaz speaks to him[ae]
4 Eliphaz, who came from Teman, decided to speak. He said this to Job:
2 ‘Please be patient and listen to what I say.
Allow me to speak, because I cannot remain quiet.
3 Listen! You have taught many people.
You have helped weak people to be strong.
4 With your words, you have saved people from danger.
You have helped people who are in trouble to be brave.
5 But now you are the person who has trouble.
You yourself are not patient.
Trouble has come to you and you feel afraid.
6 But you respect God's authority,
so you should trust him.
You live in an honest way,
so you should still hope for better things.
7 Think about this:
People who are not guilty of sin do not suddenly die.
God does not destroy people who do good things.
8 I will tell you what I have seen.
Trouble comes to people who do wicked things.
They receive the punishment that they deserve.
9 God destroys them with his breath.
His anger is like a storm that blows them away.
10 Lions are strong animals that roar loudly.
But if God breaks a lion's teeth, it cannot eat.
11 Even the strongest lion will die if it has nothing to eat.
The young lions will run away from their mother to find food.[af]
12 One night I heard a quiet voice.
Someone spoke to me and told me a secret.
13 I was asleep, but my dreams woke me.
14 I was very afraid.
Even my bones were shaking.
15 A wind was blowing over my face.
The hair on my skin stood up.
16 Something stopped and it stood in front of me.
I could not recognize its shape.
Then I heard a quiet voice say:
17 “No human is righteous when he stands in front of God.
He cannot be pure in front of his Maker.
18 God knows that even his angels make mistakes.
They may do foolish things.
19 God used clay to make bodies for us who are humans.
We came from the dust of the earth.
We are as weak as moths.
20 We are alive in the morning,
and when evening comes we may be dead.
People disappear for ever.
No one even knows about it.
21 They no longer have their valuable things.
They suddenly die and they are still not wise.” ’
Eliphaz continues to speak to Job
5 ‘Shout for help, Job! But no one will answer you.
None of the angels will come to help you.
2 Foolish people may be angry and jealous.
That is what kills them.
3 I have seen fools who seemed to be successful.
But suddenly a curse destroyed their homes.
4 Their children are never truly safe.
The judge says that they are guilty,
and nobody saves them from punishment.
5 Hungry people take their crops to eat.
They even take them from among the weeds.
Thirsty people take the fool's money for themselves.
6 Problems do not grow like plants in our fields.
Trouble does not come up from the ground.
7 But trouble comes to everyone, as soon as they are born.
It is as certain as smoke that rises from a fire.
8 I suggest that you ask God to help you.
You should tell him about your problems.
9 He does great things that nobody can understand.
He does more miracles than anyone can count.
10 He gives rain for the earth.
He sends water for the fields.
11 He gives honour to humble people.
When people are suffering, he puts them in a safe place.
12 He stops the ideas of clever people.
They cannot do what they want to do.
13 When wise people try to do clever things,
he causes those things to give them trouble.
He quickly stops their clever ideas.
14 In the middle of the day, it becomes dark for those people.
At midday, they see no better than blind people.
15 He saves poor people when wicked people attack them.
He rescues weak people from the power of strong people.
16 So poor people can hope for justice.
Wicked people have to be quiet.
17 If Almighty God warns you to do what is right,
he has blessed you.
So do not be upset when he decides to do that.
18 He may cause you to have pain,
but he will make you well again.
He may hurt you,
but he will also give you health.
19 If trouble comes to you six times, he will rescue you.
No bad thing will hurt you, as often as it happens.
20 If there is a time of famine,
he will keep you alive.
He will protect you from death in a time of war.
21 If people insult you, he will take care of you.
When people attack you, you will not be afraid.
22 In times of danger and famine, you will be brave.
You will not be afraid of wild animals.
23 The stones in your fields will not give you trouble.
The wild animals will not attack you.
24 You will know that your home is strong and safe.
When you check all your land,
you will see that all your animals are safe.
25 You will know that your children will be very many.
You will have as many descendants as the grass that grows in the ground.
26 You will not die until you are old.
You will grow with strength until you die,
like crops that grow until the time of harvest.
27 We have thought carefully about these things.
We know that they are true.
So listen to what we say.
Accept it and it will be good for you.’
Job replies to Eliphaz[ag]
6 Then Job replied:
2 ‘I am so upset that nobody could measure it!
My problems are too many to weigh!
3 They are heavier than all the sand on the shore of the sea.
That is why I did not think carefully before I spoke.
4 Almighty God has shot his arrows into me.
Their poison is now deep inside me.
God has sent me many troubles that make me afraid.
5 A wild donkey does not complain when it has grass to eat.
An ox is quiet when it has its food.
6 You cannot enjoy food that has no salt in it.
The white part of an egg is not nice to eat on its own.
7 I cannot eat that kind of food.
It makes me ill.
8 I want God to give me what I ask him for.
I want him to answer my prayer.
9 I would like him to destroy me.
He should kill me himself.
10 Then I would have peace.
I would be happy.
I have received much cruel pain.
But I have always obeyed the words of the holy God.
11 I am not strong enough to hope for my life to become any better.
There is no reason for me to continue my life.
12 I am not as strong as stones.
My body is not strong like bronze.
13 I no longer have strength to help myself.
There is nowhere that I can go to get help.
14 When a man has no hope,
his friends should be kind to him.
They should help him,
even if he no longer respects God Almighty.
15 But you, my friends, have not helped me when I need you.
You are like streams that quickly become dry.
There is no water when you need it.
16 In the spring, ice and deep snow covers them.
17 But in the hot summer time, all the water disappears.
Those streams become completely dry.
18 Travellers leave the road to look for water.
They find no water to drink and they die in the desert.
19 Travellers from Tema look everywhere for these streams.
Traders from Sheba hope to find water.
20 They are very upset, because they expected to find water.
But when they arrive, they are disappointed.
21 My friends, you have become like those streams.
You see my great problem, and you are afraid.
22 I have never said to you, “Give me something to help me.
Please use some of your money to rescue me.”
23 I have not asked you to save me from the power of my enemy.
Or to pay cruel people to let me go free.
24 Teach me the truth, and I will listen carefully.
Explain to me the mistakes that I have made.
25 True words may give pain to the person who listens to them.
But the things that you say against me mean nothing.
26 You are warning me because of what I say.
I have no hope and you think that my words are empty.
27 You would play a game to win a child who has no family.
You would even sell your friends to become rich yourselves.
28 But now, please look at me.
I will not tell you any lies.
29 Change what you are saying about me.
Do not say that I am guilty.
Think again, for I am truly a good person.
30 I have not spoken any lies.
I know what is right and what is wrong.
Job continues to speak
7 People have to work very hard on this earth.
They have to work every day, like servants.
2 A servant waits for the end of the day so that he can rest.
A worker waits for his master to pay him.
3 But there is nothing for me to wait for.
I wait for many months and nothing happens.
Every night, I am always sad.
4 When I lie down at night to sleep,
I think, “How soon will the night end?”
But the night continues and I cannot sleep.
Finally, dawn comes.
5 There are worms all over my body.
All of my skin is painful.
There are dirty sores all over it.
6 My life is passing very fast.
Each day passes too quickly to see it!
The days of my life will finish,
and I cannot hope for anything to get better.
7 Remember, God, that my life is as short as a breath.
I know that I will never be happy again.
8 People who can see me now will not see me any more.
You will look for me, but I will not be there.
9 Clouds disappear and you never see them again.
That is like people who die and go into their graves.
They do not come back again.
10 They do not come back to live in their homes.
People forget about them.
11 So I must continue to speak.
I will tell you how upset I am.
I am angry because of what has happened to me.
So I must complain.
12 Why do you have to watch me, God, like a guard?
Do you think that I am a dangerous monster from the sea?
13 When I lie down to sleep,
I hope that my pain will be less.
14 But even then you give me dreams that frighten me.
I have visions which make me very afraid.
15 I would like someone to stop me breathing!
Death would be better than life.
16 My life is useless.
I do not want to live for ever.
My life is only a short breath.
So let me be alone.
17 Why do you think that people are important?
Why do you watch us so carefully?
18 You never leave us alone.
You test us every moment of every day.
19 You never look the other way.
You never leave me alone, even for a moment.
20 You carefully watch what people do.
Even if I have done something wrong,
it should not cause any trouble for you.
So why do you choose to punish me?
21 You should agree to forgive my sins.
You should say that I am not guilty.
I will soon die and I will go into my grave.
Then you will carefully look for me,
but I will not be there.’
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.