He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family.

So the Lord sent a plague through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died.

Now I am sending you Huram Abi, a skilled and capable man,

All the men of Israel assembled before the king during the festival in the seventh month.

The builders to a man had their swords strapped to their sides while they were building. But the trumpeter remained with me.

And the rest of the Israelites, with the priests and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each on his own property.

So I purified them of everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to the priests and the Levites.

So Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king wishes to honor,

in whose hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all the human race.

If he tears down, it cannot be rebuilt; if he imprisons a person, there is no escape.

I will not show partiality to anyone, nor will I confer a title on any man.

For he does not still consider a person, that he should come before God in judgment.

Should he be informed that I want to speak? If a man speaks, surely he would be swallowed up!

to cause it to rain on an uninhabited land, a desert where there are no human beings,

You men, how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? How long will you love what is worthless and search for what is deceptive? (Selah)

You destroy liars; the Lord despises violent and deceitful people.

People lie to one another; they flatter and deceive.

But I am a worm, not a man; people insult me and despise me.

You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks of men; you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks.