Esther 3 Cross References - LEB

¹ After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and he exalted him and set _⌊his position_⌋* above all the officials who were with him. ² And all of the king's servants who were at the gate of the king were kneeling and bowing down to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him, but Mordecai did not kneel and bow down. ³ And the king's servants who were at the gate of the king said to Mordecai, "Why are you transgressing the command of the king?" ⁴ They spoke to him day after day, but he did not listen to them, and they informed Haman to see if _⌊Mordecai's resolve would prevail_⌋;* for he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ And Haman saw that Mordecai was not kneeling and bowing down to him, and he was filled with anger. ⁶ But _⌊he considered it beneath him_⌋* to lay hands on Mordecai only, for they told him of Mordecai's people, and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in the kingdom of Ahasuerus. ⁷ In the first month, that is, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasurus, he cast pur—that is, the lot—before the presence of Haman _⌊for the day and for the month_⌋,* until* the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar. ⁸ And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all of the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from every other people, and they do not _⌊observe_⌋* the laws of the king; it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them. ⁹ If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will pay* ten thousand talents* of silver to those who do the job, to bring to the treasury of the king." ¹⁰ So the king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ And the king said to Haman, "The money is given to you and to the people to do with it _⌊as you see fit_⌋.* ¹² And the king's secretaries were called in the first month on the thirteenth day, and a decree was issued, according to all that Haman commanded, to the satraps of the king and to the governors who were over all the provinces, and to the officials of all the people, to each province according to its own script and to all people according to their own language; it was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was sealed with the king's ring. ¹³ Letters were sent by couriers* to all the provinces of the king to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, _⌊both young and old_⌋,* women and children, on one day, the thirteenth day of the month, that is Adar, and to plunder their goods. ¹⁴ A copy of the edict was presented as law in every province making it known to all the people to be ready for that day. ¹⁵ The couriers went out quickly by order of the king, and the law was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; and the city of Susa was bewildered.*

⁴⁰ You shall be over my house, and to your word* all my people shall submit. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."

⁵⁵ And when all the land of Egypt was hungry the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. And Pharaoh said to all the land of Egypt, "Go to Joseph; what he says to you, you must do."

⁷ He will pour water from his buckets, and his offspring will be like many waters; his king will be higher than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted.

⁸ He captured Agag the king of Amalek alive, but all the people he utterly destroyed with the _⌊edge_⌋* of the sword.

³³ Samuel said,
"Just as your sword bereaved women, so will your mother be bereaved among women!"
Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces in the presence of Yahweh at Gilgal.

¹⁴ For you are sent from the king and his seven counselors to enquire about Judah and Jerusalem concerning the law of your God, which is in your hand.

¹⁴ and those next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who _⌊had access to the king_⌋* and sat first in the kingdom—

¹⁰ So the king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

¹¹ And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his wealth and the number of his sons and all the ways that the king had honored him and promoted him above the officials and king's servants.

⁶ And Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this evil Haman!" And Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

³ And Esther again spoke before the king, and she fell before his feet and wept, pleading for his grace to avert Haman the Agagite's evil plan and the plot that he devised against the Jews.

⁸ The wicked prowl about when vileness is exalted among the children of humankind.

² When the righteous are numerous, the people will rejoice, but when the wicked are ruling, people will groan.

² and over them were three administrators, of whom Daniel was one, so that these satraps were giving account to them, and the king would not be suffering loss.

⁴³ And he had him ride in his second chariot. And they cried out before him, "Kneel!" And Pharaoh set him over all the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ And Yahweh said to Moses, "Write this as a memorial in the scroll and _⌊recite it in the hearing of_⌋* Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens."

¹⁶ And he said, "Because a hand was against the throne of Yah,* a war will be for Yahweh with Amalek from generation to generation."

¹⁹ _⌊And when_⌋* Yahweh your God gives rest to you from all your enemies from around about you in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as an inheritance to take possession of it, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens; you shall not forget!"

³ So then, go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that is his! You must not spare him, but kill both man and woman, both child and nursing infant, both ox and sheep, both camel and donkey.'"

¹⁹ When the virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the gate of the king.

²¹ In those days Mordecai was sitting at the gate of the king. Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs from the keepers of the threshold, became angry and they conspired _⌊to assassinate_⌋* King Ahasuerus.

¹ After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and he exalted him and set _⌊his position_⌋* above all the officials who were with him.

⁵ And Haman saw that Mordecai was not kneeling and bowing down to him, and he was filled with anger.

⁹ And Haman went out on that day rejoicing and _⌊feeling good_⌋.* But when Haman saw Mordecai at the gate of the king, and he did not rise or tremble before him, Haman was filled _⌊with rage toward_⌋* Mordecai.

⁴ In his eyes a rejected one is contemptible, but he honors those who respect Yahweh. He takes an oath to his own injury and does not retract it.

¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth,

¹⁷ But the midwives feared God, and they did not do as the king of Egypt had said to them. They let the boys live.

² And all of the king's servants who were at the gate of the king were kneeling and bowing down to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him, but Mordecai did not kneel and bow down.

² "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat _⌊a meal_⌋."* ³ So he answered and* said to them, "Why do you also break the commandment of God because of your tradition?

¹⁰ And it happened that as she spoke to Joseph _⌊day after day_⌋,* he did not heed her to lie beside her or to be with her.

³ Whoever among you who is from all of his people, may his God be with him and may he go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may he build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

⁸ _⌊Therefore_⌋* _⌊at this time_⌋* some _⌊astrologers_⌋* came forward and _⌊they denounced the Jews_⌋.* ⁹ _⌊They responded and said_⌋* to Nebuchadnezzar the king, "O king, may you live _⌊forever_⌋!*

¹² However there are Judean men whom you have appointed* over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—these men, O king, _⌊pay you no heed_⌋* and were not serving your god, and the statue of gold* that you set up they are not worshiping."

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, "We have no need on this matter _⌊to present a defense to you_⌋.* ¹⁷ _⌊If it is so_⌋,* our God, whom we serve, is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire. And from your hand, O king, let him rescue us. ¹⁸ And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that _⌊we will not serve your gods_⌋,* and the statue of gold* that you have set up we will not worship."

²³ But these men, the three of them, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell down into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire, and they were bound. ²⁴ Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and he rose up in haste and he asked, saying to his advisers, "Did we not throw three men, bound, into the midst of the fire? They answered, saying to the king, "Certainly, O king!" ²⁵ _⌊He answered_⌋,* saying, "Look, I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire and there is no damage to them, and the* appearance of the fourth man resembles the son of a god." ²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire, and he called out, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, _⌊servants_⌋* of the Most High God, come out* and come here!" ²⁷ And the satraps, the prefects, the governors and the advisors of the king were assembling, and they saw these men, that the fire had no power over their bodies, and the hair of their heads was* not singed, and their garments were not harmed, and the smell of fire did not come from them. ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar _⌊responded_⌋,* saying, "Blessed be their God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel* and rescued his servants who trusted in him, and the command of the king they disobeyed, and they gave their bodies so that they did not serve and did not worship any god except their God. ²⁹ And from me _⌊is set forth_⌋* a decree that any people, nation, or language that may utter criticism against their God—the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—will be broken into pieces and their* house will be made like ruins. _⌊For_⌋* there is not another God who is able to rescue like this God." ³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

¹³ Then _⌊they responded_⌋* and said before the king, "Daniel, who is from _⌊the exiles_⌋* of Judah,* _⌊is not paying any attention_⌋* to you, O king, or to the decree that you have signed, _⌊and three times daily_⌋* he says his prayer."

²⁰ And _⌊when he came near_⌋* to the pit, he cried out to Daniel with a distressed voice, and the king _⌊spoke_⌋* and said to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you serve faithfully, was he able to rescue you from the lions?" ²¹ Then Daniel spoke to* the king, "O king, live _⌊forever_⌋!* ²² My God sent his angel and he shut the mouth of the lions and they did not* hurt me, _⌊because_⌋* before him _⌊I was found_⌋* blameless, and also before you, O king, I have not done any wrong." ²³ Then the king was exceedingly glad over it* and commanded that Daniel be lifted up from the pit; and there was not any wound found on him, because he had trusted in his God. ²⁴ The king then commanded, and these men were brought _⌊who had accused Daniel_⌋,* and they threw them and their children and their wives into _⌊the lion pit_⌋,* and they had not reached the floor of the pit _⌊before_⌋* the lions had overpowered them and they had crushed all of their bones. ²⁵ Then Darius the king wrote to all the people, the nations, and the languages living in the whole earth, "May your prosperity become great! ²⁶ _⌊I make a decree_⌋* that in all the dominion of my kingdom people will be trembling and fearing before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and endures _⌊forever_⌋* and his* kingdom is one that will not be destroyed and his _⌊dominion has no end_⌋.* ²⁷ He is rescuing, delivering, and working signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth, for he has rescued Daniel from the _⌊power_⌋* of the lions." ²⁸ So this Daniel prospered during the kingdom of Darius and during the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian.

⁹ And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."

⁵ but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell. ⁶ And Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen?

¹² But Queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king that was _⌊conveyed by_⌋* the eunuchs. And the king became very angry, and his anger burned in him.

² For vexation will slay the fool, and jealousy will kill the simple.

¹⁶ As for a fool, _⌊on that very day_⌋* he makes his anger known, but he who ignores an insult is prudent.

¹⁹ A hot-tempered person pays a penalty; if you rescue him, you will do it yet again.

²⁴ The proud, haughty one: "scoffer" is his name; he acts with arrogance of pride.

³ Heavy is a stone and weighty is sand, but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them. ⁴ Cruel is wrath and overwhelming is anger, but who will stand before jealousy?

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with anger and the image of his face was changed _⌊toward_⌋* Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, so he _⌊ordered and said_⌋* to heat up the one furnace seven times what was usual to heat it up.

⁴ They say, "Come, let us annihilate them from being a nation, so that the name of Israel will be remembered no more."

¹² Because of this, rejoice, you heavens, and those who live in them! Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great anger, because he* knows that he has little time!"

¹⁵ This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

¹ It happened in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. And I had never been sad before the king.

³ he gave a banquet in the third year of his reign for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and officials of the provinces were in his presence

¹⁶ Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, to his _⌊palace_⌋,* in the tenth month that is Tebeth in the seventh year of his reign.

¹ In the twelfth month, that is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, on which the edict of the king arrived and his law was enacted, on the day in which the enemies of the Jews had hoped to gain power over them but was overturned, and the Jews gained power against their enemies,

⁵ The Jews struck down all their enemies with _⌊the sword_⌋,* killing and destroying them; and they did as they pleased with those that hated them.

¹⁷ This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. They rested on the fourteenth day and made it a day of feasting and joy. ¹⁸ But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth and on the fourteenth day, and rested on the fifteenth day. And they made it a day of feasting and joy. ¹⁹ Therefore the Jews in the rural areas, living in the rural towns, made the fourteenth month of Adar a day of joy and feasting, a festive day of giving gifts to each other.

²¹ to impose on them to keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and the fifteenth day, _⌊every year_⌋,*

²⁴ For Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and he had cast pur, that is the lot, to rout them out and destroy them. ²⁵ But when it came* _⌊to the attention of_⌋* the king, he _⌊gave orders in writing_⌋* that his evil plot that he had devised against the Jews should return on his head, and they hung him and his sons on the gallows. ²⁶ Therefore they called these days Purim, because of the name Pur. Thus because of all the words of this letter, and of what they faced concerning this, and of what had happened to them,

³³ The lot will be cast into the lap, but all of its decisions are from Yahweh.

²¹ For the king of Babylon stands at the fork of the road at the head of the two roads to practice divination. _⌊He shakes the arrows_⌋,* he inquires with the teraphim, he _⌊examines_⌋* the liver. ²² In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem, to put up battering rams, to open a mouth for slaughter,* _⌊to raise the battle cry_⌋,* to put up battering rams against gates, to build a siege ramp, to build siege works.*

³⁵ And when they* had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves* by* casting lots.

³³ And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw a sword behind you; and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a ruin.

²⁷ And Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left _⌊few in number_⌋* among the nations _⌊to where Yahweh will lead you_⌋.*

³ and Yahweh your God will restore your fortunes, and he will have compassion upon you, and _⌊he will again gather you together_⌋* from all the peoples where Yahweh your God scattered you there.

²⁶ I thought, "I will wipe them out; _⌊I will make people forget they ever existed_⌋."*

¹² be it known to the king that the Jews who have come up from near you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the wall and repairing the foundation. ¹³ Now be it known to the king that if this city is built and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute and toll, and the royal revenue will be reduced. ¹⁴ Now since we eat the salt of the palace and the dishonor of the king is not proper for us to see, we send and make this known to the king, ¹⁵ so that it may be investigated in the book of records of your ancestors.* You will find in the book of records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and they have rebelled in its midst from ancient times. Because of that this city was destroyed.

⁸ Please, remember the word that you have commanded to your servant Moses, saying, 'If you act unfaithfully I will scatter you all among the nations.

¹⁷ Israel is a sheep scattered, lions drove them away. The first who devoured it was the king of Assyria, and now at the end Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, gnawed its bones."

⁸ But* I will spare some, _⌊so there will be_⌋* for you fugitives from the sword among the nations _⌊when you are scattered_⌋* in the countries.

¹⁶ Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Though I have removed them far away among the nations and though I have scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary to them for a little while in the countries _⌊to which they have gone_⌋.'"*

¹⁴ 'And I scattered them with a wind among all the nations that they had not known; the land was made desolate behind them— no one crossing through it or returning—and they made the desirable land* a desolation.'"

³⁵ So the Jews said to one another, "Where is this one going to go, that we will not find him? He is not going to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he?*

²⁰ And when they* had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, ²¹ and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, because we* are Romans!"

⁶ And when they* did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world* have come here also, ⁷ whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these people are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!"

⁵ For we have found* this man to be a public menace and one who causes riots among all the Jews throughout the Roman Empire* and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,

²² But we would like to hear from you what you think, for concerning this sect it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere."

¹ James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Greetings!

¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen* who are residing temporarily in the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

¹⁶ Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had named* in the hearing of the Hittites:* four hundred shekels of silver _⌊at the merchants' current rate_⌋.*

²⁴ And when* he began to settle them,* someone was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents.

⁴² Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and put it on the finger of Joseph. And he clothed him with garments of fine linen, and he put a chain of gold around his neck.

² And the king removed his signet ring that he had taken away from Haman, and he gave it to Mordecai. So Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

⁸ Write _⌊as you see fit_⌋* concerning the Jews in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring cannot be revoked."

⁷ Their eye bulges from fat.* Imaginings overflow their heart.

¹⁴ But as for me, look, I am in your hand, do to me what is good and right in your eyes.

⁴ And so then look, I have released you _⌊today_⌋* from the chains that were on your hands.* If it is good in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, then come, and _⌊I will take care of you_⌋.* But if it is bad in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, then refrain. Look, the whole land is _⌊before you_⌋.* To wherever it is good and right in your eyes to go, then go there."

²⁵ And he released the one who had been thrown into prison because of insurrection and murder, whom they were asking for, but Jesus he handed over to their will.

⁸ So she wrote letters in the name of Ahab and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling with Naboth in his city.

³⁶ They delivered the customs of the king to the king's satraps and to the governor of the province Beyond the River. And they supported the people of the house of God.

²² And he sent letters to all the provinces of the king, to each province according to its own script, and to every people in their own _⌊language_⌋,* that every man should be the master of his house and who speaks in the _⌊language_⌋* of his people.

⁸ Write _⌊as you see fit_⌋* concerning the Jews in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring cannot be revoked." ⁹ And the secretaries of the king were summoned* at that time, in the third month, which is in the month of Sivan on the twenty-third day, and an edict was written according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews and to the governors and satraps and officials of the provinces from India to Cush*—one hundred and twenty-seven provinces*—each province according to its own script and to every people in their own _⌊language_⌋,* and to the Jews in their own script and language. ¹⁰ And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and he sealed the letters with the king's signet ring and sent them* by couriers on horses, riding on royal horses _⌊bred by_⌋* racing mares.* ¹¹ In them the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and _⌊defend their lives_⌋,* to destroy and kill and annihilate any army of any people or province attacking them, including women and children, and to plunder their spoil, ¹² in one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. ¹³ A copy of the _⌊edict_⌋* was to be given as law in each province to inform all the people, so that the Jews would be ready* on that day to avenge themselves from their enemies. ¹⁴ The mounted couriers on the royal horses went out without delay, urged by the king's word. The law was given in the citadel of Susa. ¹⁵ Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in _⌊royal clothing_⌋* of blue cloth and white linen, and a great crown of gold and a robe of fine white linen and purple, and the city of Susa was shouting and rejoicing. ¹⁶ For the Jews, there was light and gladness, joy and honor. ¹⁷ In every province and city, wherever the king's edict and his law came, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a banquet and a _⌊holiday_⌋,* and many of the people from the country were posing as Jews because the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

²⁷ the Jews established and adopted it for themselves and for their offspring, and for all who joined them. They did not neglect _⌊to observe_⌋* these two days every year as it was written and appointed to them.

⁸ Now, O king, establish the edict and you must sign the document so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked."

¹² Then they approached _⌊and spoke with the king_⌋* concerning the edict of the king, "_⌊Did you not sign an edict_⌋* that any person who would seek anything from any God or human within thirty days except from you, O king, would be thrown into _⌊the lion pit_⌋?"* The king answered and said, "The matter as you have just stated is certain according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked."

¹⁵ Then these men came as a group to the king and _⌊said_⌋,* "Recall, O king, that with respect to the law of* the Medes and Persians that _⌊any_⌋* decree or edict that the king establishes cannot be changed."

¹⁹ And _⌊he put to the sword_⌋* Nob, the city of the priests, from man to woman, from child to infant, and ox and donkey and sheep;* all _⌊to the sword_⌋.*

⁶ And the runners went with the letter from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah according to the command of the king, saying, "O sons of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.

⁴ I and my people have been sold to be destroyed and killed, to be annihilated. If we had been sold as male and female slaves I would have kept quiet, because this* is not a need sufficient to trouble the king."*

¹⁰ And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and he sealed the letters with the king's signet ring and sent them* by couriers on horses, riding on royal horses _⌊bred by_⌋* racing mares.* ¹¹ In them the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and _⌊defend their lives_⌋,* to destroy and kill and annihilate any army of any people or province attacking them, including women and children, and to plunder their spoil, ¹² in one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. ¹³ A copy of the _⌊edict_⌋* was to be given as law in each province to inform all the people, so that the Jews would be ready* on that day to avenge themselves from their enemies. ¹⁴ The mounted couriers on the royal horses went out without delay, urged by the king's word. The law was given in the citadel of Susa.

¹⁰ the ten sons of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews; but they did not _⌊touch_⌋* the plunder.

²⁵ "And my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they do not see good.

⁶ I send him against a godless nation, and I command him against the people of my wrath, to capture spoil and to carry off plunder, and to make them* a trampling place, like the clay of the streets.

³¹ one runner runs to meet another runner, and one messenger to meet another messenger, to tell the king of Babylon that his city has been captured, _⌊from end to end_⌋.*

¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹³ For judgment is merciless to the one who has not practiced mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

¹⁶ "Go, gather all the Jews that are found in Susa and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, both night and day. I and my young girls will fast likewise, and then I will go to the king, which is not according to the law; if I perish, I perish.

¹⁵ Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in _⌊royal clothing_⌋* of blue cloth and white linen, and a great crown of gold and a robe of fine white linen and purple, and the city of Susa was shouting and rejoicing.

¹⁶ for their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood,

¹⁶ For they will not sleep if they have not done wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep if they do not cause stumbling.

⁵ On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine;* he stretched out his hand with mockers.

⁶ Alas for those who drink from sprinkling bowls of wine and anoint themselves with the best of olive oils and are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.

²⁰ Truly, truly I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will change to joy.

¹⁰ And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them, and will celebrate and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.