The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The Lord responded favorably to them as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.

And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who together with his colleagues was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.

Letters were sent to all the Jews in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the empire of Ahasuerus – words of true peace –

The roof of my mouth is as dry as a piece of pottery; my tongue sticks to my gums. You set me in the dust of death.

I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. I bowed down in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother.

A well-written song by David, when he was in the cave; a prayer. To the Lord I cry out; to the Lord I plead for mercy.

The one who leads the upright astray in an evil way will himself fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good.

“Bring a plan, make a decision! Provide some shade in the middle of the day! Hide the fugitives! Do not betray the one who tries to escape!

But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust, the horde of tyrants like chaff that is blown away. It will happen suddenly, in a flash.

He assigns them their allotment; he measures out their assigned place. They will live there permanently; they will settle in it through successive generations.

Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales. He lifts the coastlands as if they were dust.

“Listen to me in silence, you coastlands! Let the nations find renewed strength! Let them approach and then speak; let us come together for debate!

Like lions his enemies roar victoriously over him; they raise their voices in triumph. They have laid his land waste; his cities have been burned down and deserted.

ב (Bet) The precious sons of Zion were worth their weight in gold – Alas! – but now they are treated like broken clay pots, made by a potter.

Your altars will be ruined and your incense altars will be broken. I will throw down your slain in front of your idols.

and her daughters who are in the field will be slaughtered by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

They will know that I am the Lord when I ignite a fire in Egypt and all her allies are defeated.

The king commanded Ashpenaz, who was in charge of his court officials, to choose some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent –

You were watching as a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces.

They rush into the city; they scale its walls. They climb up into the houses; they go in through the windows like a thief.