and to bring silver and gold which the king and his advisers have freely contributed to the God of Israel, who resides in Jerusalem,

Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own head! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile!

There were those who said, “With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain grain in order to eat and stay alive.”

When the wall had been rebuilt and I had positioned the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,

What the rest of the people gave amounted to 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.

They discovered written in the law that the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month,

Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly admonished them.

So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking “Why is the temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions.

Drinks were served in golden containers, all of which differed from one another. Royal wine was available in abundance at the king’s expense.

And let the king’s decision which he will enact be disseminated throughout all his kingdom, vast though it is. Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the most prominent to the lowly.”

Esther was still not divulging her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed her. Esther continued to do whatever Mordecai said, just as she had done when he was raising her.

Some time later King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, exalting him and setting his position above that of all the officials who were with him.

You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, will the earth be abandoned for your sake? Or will a rock be moved from its place?

and if God is gracious to him and says, ‘Spare him from going down to the place of corruption, I have found a ransom for him,’

Rise up, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Yes, you will strike all my enemies on the jaw; you will break the teeth of the wicked.

How long must I worry, and suffer in broad daylight? How long will my enemy gloat over me?

For he did not despise or detest the suffering of the oppressed; he did not ignore him; when he cried out to him, he responded.

A psalm – a song used at the dedication of the temple; by David. I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up, and did not allow my enemies to gloat over me.

He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. May many see what God has done, so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord!

For the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song. O God, we have clearly heard; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in ancient times.