<p class="bodytext">The king asked, &#8220;What great honor<n id="1" /> was bestowed on Mordecai because of this?&#8221; The king&#8217;s attendants who served him responded, &#8220;Not a thing was done for him.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">While they were still speaking with him, the king&#8217;s eunuchs arrived. They quickly brought Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.p>

<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="poetry">&#8220;But now they mock me, those who are younger<n id="1" /> than I,p> <p class="poetry">whose fathers I disdained too much<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to put with my sheep dogs.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">By David.p> <p class="poetry">To you, O <sc>Lordsc>, I cry out!p> <p class="poetry">My protector,<n id="2" /> do not ignore me!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">If you do not respond to me,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">I will join<n id="5" /> those who are descending into the grave.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Hear my prayer, O <sc>Lordsc>!p> <p class="poetry">Listen to my cry for help!p> <p class="poetry">Do not ignore my sobbing!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;p> <p class="poetry">I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song<n id="2" /> by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: &#8220;David is hiding with us.&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">O God, deliver me by your name!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Vindicate me<n id="5" /> by your power!p>

<p class="poetry">Over here is the deep, wide sea,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">which teems with innumerable swimming creatures,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">living things both small and large.p>

<p class="poetry">At that time we laughed loudlyp> <p class="poetry">and shouted for joy.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">At that time the nations said,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has accomplished great things for these people.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Answer me quickly, <sc>Lordsc>!p> <p class="poetry">My strength is fading.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not reject me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">or I will join<n id="3" /> those descending into the grave.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">for he is<n id="1" /> like someone calculating the cost<n id="2" /> in his mind.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Eat and drink,&#8221; he says to you,p> <p class="poetry">but his heart is not with you;p>

<p class="poetry">No one remembers the former events,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">nor will anyone remember<n id="2" /> the events that are yet to happen;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">they will not be remembered by the future generations.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I considered all the living who walk on earth,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">as well as the successor<n id="2" /> who would arise<n id="3" /> in his place.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Whatever has happened was foreordained,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and what happens to a person<n id="2" /> was also foreknown.p> <p class="poetry">It is useless for him to argue with God about his fatep> <p class="poetry">because God is more powerful than he is.<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>

<p class="poetry">Look, I and the sons whom the <sc>Lordsc> has given me<n id="1" /> are reminders and object lessons<n id="2" /> in Israel, sent from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.p>

<p class="poetry">Judgment will come from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,p> <p class="poetry">by a strong gale, a windstorm, and a consuming flame of fire.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I thought,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will no longer see the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> in the land of the living,p> <p class="poetry">I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t be afraid, for I am with you!p> <p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t be frightened, for I am your God!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I strengthen you &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">yes, I help you &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand!<n id="2" />p>

&#8220;Find Jeremiah<n id="1" /> and look out for him.<n id="2" /> Do not do anything to harm him,<n id="3" /> but do with him whatever he tells you.&#8221;