Please recall the word you commanded your servant Moses: &#8216;If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the nations.<n id="1" />

So the king said to me, &#8220;Why do you appear to be depressed when you aren&#8217;t sick? What can this be other than sadness of heart?&#8221; This made me very fearful.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then I<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;The thing that you are doing is wrong!<n id="2" /> Should you not conduct yourselves<n id="3" /> in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?

This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest<n id="1" /> that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.&#8221;p>

<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" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;You are the <sc>LORDsc> God who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans. You changed his name to Abraham.

So I registered a complaint with the nobles of Judah, saying to them, &#8220;What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?

<p class="bodytext">Then the servants of the king who were at the king&#8217;s gate asked Mordecai, &#8220;Why are you violating the king&#8217;s commandment?&#8221;

Have you<n id="1" /> not made a hedge<n id="2" /> around him and his household and all that he has on every side? You have blessed<n id="3" /> the work of his hands, and his livestock<n id="4" /> have increased<n id="5" /> in the land.

<t /><p class="bodytext">So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I am young,<n id="2" /> but you are elderly;p> <p class="poetry">that is why I was fearful,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and afraid to explain<n id="4" /> to you what I know.p>

<p class="poetry">Even when I must walk through the darkest valley,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I fear<n id="2" /> no danger,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">for you are with me;p> <p class="poetry">your rod and your staff reassure me.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Then I confessed my sin;p> <p class="poetry">I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.p> <p class="poetry">I said, &#8220;I will confess<n id="1" /> my rebellious acts to the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">And then you forgave my sins.<n id="2" /> (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, my God, you have accomplished many things;p> <p class="poetry">you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No one can thwart you!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I want to declare them and talk about them,p> <p class="poetry">but they are too numerous to recount!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I am oppressed and needy!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">May the Lord pay attention to me!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You are my helper and my deliverer!p> <p class="poetry">O my God, do not delay!p>

<p class="poetry">But you, O God, will bring them<n id="1" /> down to the deep Pit.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Violent and deceitful people<n id="3" /> will not live even half a normal lifespan.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">But as for me, I trust in you.p>

<p class="poetry">You, O <sc>Lordsc> God, the invincible warrior,<n id="1" /> the God of Israel,p> <p class="poetry">rouse yourself and punish<n id="2" /> all the nations!p> <p class="poetry">Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">I am oppressed and needy!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">O God, hurry to me!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You are my helper and my deliverer!p> <p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="3" /> do not delay!p>

<p class="poetry">Even when my strength leaves me,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you watch my footsteps.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">In the path where I walkp> <p class="poetry">they have hidden a trap for me.p>

<p class="poetry">Whatever you find to do with your hands,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">do it with all your might,p> <p class="poetry">because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the place where you will eventually go.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> comes to pronounce judgmentp> <p class="poetry">on the leaders of his people and their officials.p> <p class="poetry">He says,<n id="1" /> &#8220;It is you<n id="2" /> who have ruined<n id="3" /> the vineyard!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.<n id="5" />p>