<p class="bodytext">Hezekiah took the letter<n id="1" /> from the messengers and read it.<n id="2" /> Then Hezekiah went up to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and spread it out before the <sc>Lordsc>.

Isaiah the prophet called out to the <sc>Lordsc>, and the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.<n id="2" />p>

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, &#8220;Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.&#8221; Shaphan read it out loud before the king.

<p class="bodytext">Maacah, Makir&#8217;s wife, gave birth to a son, whom she named Peresh. His brother was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.p>

He had sexual relations with his wife; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Ephraim<n id="1" /> named him Beriah because tragedy had come to his family.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">David was angry because the <sc>Lordsc> attacked Uzzah;<n id="1" /> so he called that place Perez Uzzah,<n id="2" /> which remains its name to this very day.

David built there an altar to the <sc>Lordsc> and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings.<n id="1" /> He called out to the <sc>Lordsc>, and the <sc>Lordsc><n id="2" /> responded by sending fire from the sky and consuming the burnt sacrifice on the altar.

He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left.<n id="1" /> He named the one on the right Jachin,<n id="2" /> and the one on the left Boaz.<n id="3" />p>

They called out loudly in the Judahite dialect to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying to scare and terrify them so they could seize the city.

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, &#8220;Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.&#8221; Shaphan read it out loud before the king.

<p class="bodytext">And from among<n id="1" /> the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that<n id="2" /> name).

<p class="bodytext">I called for a fast there by the Ahava Canal, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a safe journey<n id="1" /> for us, our children, and all our property.

<p class="bodytext">They replied, &#8220;We will return these things,<n id="1" /> and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.&#8221; Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials<n id="2" /> swear to do what had been promised.<n id="3" />

You have also established prophets to announce<n id="1" /> in Jerusalem<n id="2" /> on your behalf, &#8216;We have a king in Judah!&#8217; Now the king is going to hear about these rumors. So come on! Let&#8217;s talk about this.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a woman from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

For one-fourth of the day they stood in their place and read from the book of the law of the <sc>LORDsc> their God, and for another fourth they were confessing their sins<n id="1" /> and worshiping the <sc>LORDsc> their God.

So Esther called for Hathach, one of the king&#8217;s eunuchs who had been placed at her service,<n id="1" /> and instructed him to find out the cause and reason for Mordecai&#8217;s behavior.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Throughout that night the king was unable to sleep,<n id="1" /> so he asked for the book containing the historical records<n id="2" /> to be brought. As the records<n id="3" /> were being read in the king&#8217;s presence,

<p class="bodytext">Now his sons used to go<n id="1" /> and hold<n id="2" /> a feast in the house of each one in turn,<n id="3" /> and they would send and invite<n id="4" /> their three<n id="5" /> sisters to eat and to drink with them.

<t /><p class="psasuper">For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.p> <p class="poetry">When I call out, answer me,p> <p class="poetry">O God who vindicates me!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Have mercy on me<n id="4" /> and respond to<n id="5" /> my prayer!p>