He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, and he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram have …

But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

And in his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his fathers.

And when he prayed to Him, the LORD received his plea and heard his petition. So He brought him back to Jerusalem and …

… my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,

… in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to …

And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments

Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.

So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.

For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” …

O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.

You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.

… you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”

saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed …

In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.

On another day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before Him.

Then Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!”

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

And this is what he said:

“May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’

If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.

May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.

If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months.

May it be cursed by those who curse the day—those prepared to rouse Leviathan.

May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.