Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray to him?’

then what will I do when God confronts me in judgment; when he intervenes, how will I respond to him?

Is it your opinion that God should recompense it, because you reject this? But you must choose, and not I, so tell us what you know.

A song of ascents, by David. Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together!

The Beloved to the Maidens: I admonish you, O maidens of Jerusalem: “Do not arouse or awaken love until it pleases!”

How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure; the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.

Each of you should merely ask the prophet, ‘What answer did the Lord give you? Or what did the Lord say?’

How precious and fair! Grain will make the young men flourish and new wine the young women.

and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or fortified cities,

As they approached Micah’s house, they recognized the accent of the young Levite. So they stopped there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”

Then the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman! What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? What is your request? It shall be given to you. What other petition do you have? It shall be done.”

For this reason these days are known as Purim, after the name of pur.

“When you tell these people about all this, they will undoubtedly ask you, ‘Why has the Lord threatened us with such great disaster? What wrong have we done? What sin have we done to offend the Lord our God?’

When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?”

He went on to say, “Why is my lord chasing his servant? What have I done? What wrong have I done?

The Lord will raise up a king over Israel who will cut off Jeroboam’s dynasty. It is ready to happen!

You may do whatever seems appropriate to you and your colleagues with the rest of the silver and the gold, in keeping with the will of your God.

And day after day Mordecai used to walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem in order to learn how Esther was doing and what might happen to her.

The king said to her, “What is on your mind, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even as much as half the kingdom will be given to you!”

While at the banquet of wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your request? It shall be given to you. What is your petition? Ask for as much as half the kingdom, and it shall be done!”