Job 11-12 Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse 11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: 2 “Should a multitude of words go unanswered,    and a man full of talk be judged right?3 Should your babble silence men,    and when you mock, shall no one shame you?4 For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure,    and I am clean in God’s[a] eyes.’5 But oh, that God would speak    and open his lips to you,6 and that he …

Job 9-10 Job Replies: There Is No Arbiter 9 Then Job answered and said: 2 “Truly I know that it is so:    But how can a man be in the right before God?3 If one wished to contend with him,    one could not answer him once in a thousand times.4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength    —who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—5 he who removes mountains, and …

Job 7-8 Job Continues: My Life Has No Hope 7 “Has not man a hard service on earth,    and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?2 Like a slave who longs for the shadow,    and like a hired hand who looks for his wages,3 so I am allotted months of emptiness,    and nights of misery are apportioned to me.4 When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’    But …

Job 5-6 5 “Call now; is there anyone who will answer you?    To which of the holy ones will you turn?2 Surely vexation kills the fool,    and jealousy slays the simple.3 I have seen the fool taking root,    but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.4 His children are far from safety;    they are crushed in the gate,    and there is no one to deliver them.5 The hungry eat his harvest,    and he takes it even …

Job 2-4 Satan Attacks Job’s Health 2 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And …

Job 1 Job’s Character and Wealth 1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was …

Esther 8-10 Esther Saves the Jews 8 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over …

Esther 5-7 Esther Prepares a Banquet 5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, in front of the king’s quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she …

Esther 3-4 Haman Plots Against the Jews 3 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not …

Esther 1-2 The King’s Banquets 1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the …