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But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:

Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:

I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king"s gate.

Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king.

And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.

Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king"s gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.

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.

Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is;

And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.

Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

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.

Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king"s house, over against the king"s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.