Then Mordecai again sat at the king’s gate, while Haman hurried away to his home, mournful and with a veil over his head.

“For God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it.

By the Lord’s decree the heavens were made; by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created.

I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food.

Do not hand the life of your dove over to a wild animal! Do not continue to disregard the lives of your oppressed people!

before the Lord! For he comes to judge the earth! He judges the world fairly, and the nations in a just manner.

As a demonstration of your loyal love, destroy my enemies! Annihilate all who threaten my life, for I am your servant.

The happy sound of the tambourines stops, the revelry of those who celebrate comes to a halt, the happy sound of the harp ceases.

But the wicked are like a surging sea that is unable to be quiet; its waves toss up mud and sand.

Lord, do not be too angry! Do not hold our sins against us continually! Take a good look at your people, at all of us!

“My, how good you have become at chasing after your lovers! Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two!

If you stop doing these things, I will allow you to continue to live in this land which I gave to your ancestors as a lasting possession.

The Lord told me, “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Give him a message from me there.

I did not send those prophets. Yet they were in a hurry to give their message. I did not tell them anything. Yet they prophesied anyway.

I signed the deed of purchase, sealed it, and had some men serve as witnesses to the purchase. I weighed out the silver for him on a scale.

But if you refuse to surrender, the Lord has shown me a vision of what will happen. Here is what I saw:

Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish a lasting covenant with you.

so it would be a lowly kingdom which could not rise on its own but must keep its treaty with him in order to stand.

Then a wind lifted me up and brought me to the inner court; I watched the glory of the Lord filling the temple.

The more the priests increased in numbers, the more they rebelled against me. They have turned their glorious calling into a shameful disgrace!