American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
Then were the king's {Or, secretaries}scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day thereof; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king's satraps, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and it was sealed with the king's ring.
And letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to slay, 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.
A copy of the writing, {Or, to be given out for a decree}that the decree should be given out in every province, was published unto all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.
The posts went forth in haste by the king's commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy {Hebrew: hand.}power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.
And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.
Thou hast made us like sheep appointed for food,And hast scattered us among the nations.
Thou sellest thy people for nought,And hast not increased thy wealth by their price.
him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of {Or, men without the law See Romans 2:12.}lawless men did crucify and slay:
him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of {Or, men without the law See Romans 2:12.}lawless men did crucify and slay:
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month {Hebrew: between the two evenings.}at even, is Jehovah's passover.
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death; for they feared the people.
A copy of the writing, {Or, to be given out for a decree}that the decree should be given out in every province, was published unto all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
The word of Jehovah that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or in the days of your fathers?
Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.
That which {Probably, different kinds of locusts, or locusts in different stages of growth.}the palmer-worm hath left hath {Probably, different kinds of locusts, or locusts in different stages of growth.}the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath {Probably, different kinds of locusts, or locusts in different stages of growth.}the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm hath left hath {Probably, different kinds of locusts, or locusts in different stages of growth.}the caterpillar eaten.
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and wail, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the jaw-teeth of a lioness.
He hath laid my vine waste, and {Or, broken}barked my fig-tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it {Or, down}away; the branches thereof are made white.
Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
The meal-offering and the drink-offering are cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests, Jehovah's ministers, mourn.
The field is laid waste, the land mourneth; for the grain is destroyed, the new wine is {Or, ashamed}dried up, the oil languisheth.
{Or, The husbandmen are confounded, the vinedressers wail}Be confounded, O ye husbandmen, wail, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; for the harvest of the field is perished.
The vine is {Or, ashamed}withered, and the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, the palm-tree also, and the apple-tree, even all the trees of the field are withered: for joy is {Or, ashamed}withered away from the sons of men.
Gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, ye priests; wail, ye ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meal-offering and the drink-offering are withholden from the house of your God.
Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the {Or, elders}old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of Jehovah your God, and cry unto Jehovah.
Alas for the day! for the day of Jehovah is at hand, and as destruction from {Hebrew: Shaddai.}the Almighty shall it come.
Is not the food cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
The seeds {Or, shrivel}rot under their clods; the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the grain is withered.
How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep {Or, suffer punishment}are made desolate.
O Jehovah, to thee do I cry; for the fire hath devoured the {Or, folds}pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.
Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto thee; for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the {Or, folds}pastures of the wilderness.
How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep {Or, suffer punishment}are made desolate.
And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.