Study Desk

and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.

let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father's house have sinned.

So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"

Haman also said, "Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king.

Then she said, "If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.

"I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes."

So am I allotted months of vanity, And nights of trouble are appointed me.

"When I lie down I say, 'When shall I arise?' But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn.

"Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?

"Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?

"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of myself; I despise my life.

I am afraid of all my pains, I know that You will not acquit me.

"I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain?

"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together.

"Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

'According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty, Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand.

'If I am wicked, woe to me! And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery.

"For you have said, 'My teaching is pure, And I am innocent in your eyes.'

"But I have intelligence as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And who does not know such things as these?