two days yearly, as they were described and appointed,

That these days should not be forgotten, but kept among their children, among all generations, in all countries, and in all cities. These are the days of Purim, which shall not be forgotten among the Jews, neither shall their remembrance perish among their seed.

And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all their might to confirm this other letter of Purim.

And sent letters unto all the Jews in the hundred and twenty and seven countries of the kingdom of Ahasuerus with kind and faithful words:

And they confirmed these days of Purim in their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew had confirmed them, and Esther the queen; as they had confirmed upon their souls, and upon their seed, the story of their fasting and their crying.

And Esther commanded to confirm the history of these Purim, and to write it in a book.
(Ester)
Chapter 10
Mordecai is praised

And king Ahasuerus laid interest upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.

But all the works of his power and might, and the great glory of Mordecai, which the king gave him, behold, it is written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia.

For Mordecai the Jew was the other after king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and pleasant among the multitude of his brethren, seeking good for his people, and speaking the best for all his seed.
Text of the unrevised Luther Bible 1545
DeepL English Translation
[Processed by BackToLuther. German text published here.]
The Book of Job (Job) ^
Chapter 1
Job’s obnoxiousness and patience.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. He was righteous and wicked, fearing God and shunning evil.

And begat seven sons and three daughters.

And of his cattle were seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a great many servants: and he was more glorious than all they that dwelt eastward.

And his sons went and made merry every man in his house in his day, and sent and invited their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

And it came to pass, when the day was expired, 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, “My sons have sinned and blessed God in their hearts. So Job did all the days.

And it came to pass in a day, when the children of God came and stood before the LORD, that Satan also came among them.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said: I have compassed the country round about.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou not taken heed unto my servant Job? for there is none like him in the land, wicked and righteous, fearing God, and avoiding evil.

And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Thinkest thou that Job feareth God for nought?

Hast thou preserved him, and his house, and all that he hath round about? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands; And his substance is spread abroad in the land.

But put forth thine hand, and touch all that he hath: what matter, he will bless thee to thy face?

And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thine hand; without him alone lay not thine hand. Then Satan departed from the LORD.

And it came to pass on the day that his sons and his daughters did eat and drink wine in their brother’s house, the firstborn,

And there came a messenger to Job, saying, The oxen plowed, and the asses walked beside them in the pasture;

And they of Arabia came in, and took them, and smote the lads with the edge of the sword: and I alone escaped to tell thee.

While he yet spake, another came and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, and burned up sheep and lambs, and consumed them: and I alone escaped to tell thee.

While he yet spake, there came one, and said, The Chaldeans made three points, and attacked the camels, and took them, and smote the lads with the edge of the sword: and I alone escaped to tell thee.

While he yet spake, one came and said, Thy sons and thy daughters did eat and drink in the house of their brother the firstborn;

And, behold, a great wind came from the wilderness, and brake upon the four corners of the house, and cast it upon the young men, and they died: and I alone escaped to tell thee.

And Job arose, and rent his clothes, and ruffled his head, and fell to the ground, and worshipped.

And said: I came naked from my mother’s womb; naked shall I return. The LORD gave, the LORD hath taken away: blessed be the name of the LORD.

In all this Job sinned not, neither did he do anything foolish against God.
(Job)
Chapter 2
Job afflicted in the body, is despised and visited.

And it came to pass in the day that the children of God came and stood before the LORD, that Satan also came among them, and stood before the LORD.

Then said the LORD unto Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said: I have compassed the country round about.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou not taken heed unto my servant Job? For there is none like him in the land, wicked and righteous, fearing God, avoiding evil, and holding fast his godliness: but thou hast moved me to destroy him without a cause.

Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin; and all that a man hath he leaveth for his life.

But put forth thine hand, and touch his bones and his flesh: what matter, he will bless thee to thy face?

And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand: but spare his life.

Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with evil swarms from the sole of his foot even to the top of his head.

And he took a potsherd, and scraped himself, and sat in the ashes.

And his wife said unto him, Dost thou yet hold fast thy devotion? Yes, bless God and die!

And he said unto her, Thou speakest as foolish women speak. Have we received good from God, and should we not also receive evil? In all this Job sinned not with his lips.

And when the three friends of Job heard all the evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place, Eliphaz of Theman, and Bildad of Shuah, and Zophar of Naamah. They were united in coming to lament and comfort him.

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew him not, and lifted up their voice, and wept; and every man rent his clothes, and sprinkled earth upon their heads toward heaven.

And they sat with him upon the earth seven days and seven nights, and spake nothing to him: for they saw that the sorrow was very great.
(Job)
Chapter 3
Lamentations and impatience.

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day.

And Job said:

Let the day be lost wherein I was born, and the night when it was said, A man is conceived.

that same day must be dark, and GOD from above must not inquire of it; no brightness must shine upon it.

Darkness and gloom shall overtake him, and thick clouds shall be upon him, and the vapour by day shall make him hideous.

Let the night take a darkness, and not rejoice among the days of the year, nor come into the number of the moons.

Behold, the night shall be lonely, and there shall be no rejoicing therein.

They curse the cursers of the day, and they that are ready to raise up Leviathan.

Her stars must be dark in her twilight; she hopeth for the light, and cometh not, nor seeth the eyebrows of the dawn,

That she hath not shut the door of my womb, nor hid evil from mine eyes.

Why did I not die from my mother’s womb? Why did I not perish when I came out of the womb?

Why have they set me in the lap? Why am I suckled with breasts?

I would lie down and be still, and sleep, and be at rest.

With the kings and counsellors of the earth, which build the wilderness; 15. Or with the princes that have gold, and their houses are full of silver;

or like an untimely birth hidden and nothing would be, like the young children who have never seen the light.

There shall the wicked cease from their raging: there shall they rest that have laboured much.

For the captives are at peace with one another, and hear not the voice of the oppressor.

There are both small and great, servant and he that is set free of his master.

Why is light given to the weary, and life to the afflicted heart?

Who wait for death, and come not, and dig it out of secret,

Who almost rejoice, and are glad to get the grave:)

And to the man whose way is hid, and God covereth it from him?

For when I shall eat, I groan, and my weeping cometh forth like water.

For that which I feared is come upon me, and that which I cared for is come upon me.

Was I not blissful? Was I not fine quiet? Was I not well at rest? And comes such unrest!
(Job)
Chapter 4
Eliphaz begins to chastise Job.

Then Eliphaz of Theman answered and said:

Thou mayest not like it, if any man try to speak unto thee: but who can refrain?

Behold, thou