He told them,<n id="1" /> &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> your God is with you!<n id="2" /> He has made you secure on every side,<n id="3" /> for he handed over to me the inhabitants of the region<n id="4" /> and the region<n id="5" /> is subdued before the <sc>Lordsc> and his people.

He said to the people of Judah:<n id="1" /> &#8220;Let&#8217;s build these cities and fortify them with walls, towers, and barred gates.<n id="2" /> The land remains ours because we have followed<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> our God and he has made us secure on all sides.&#8221;<n id="4" /> So they built the cities<n id="5" /> and prospered.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Then, when they were at rest again, they went back to doing evil before you. Then you abandoned them to<n id="1" /> their enemies, and they gained dominion over them. When they again cried out to you, in your compassion you heard from heaven and rescued them time and again.

<t /><p class="bodytext">But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, and rested on the fifteenth, making it a day for banqueting and happiness.

as the time when the Jews gave themselves rest from their enemies &#8211; the month when their trouble was turned to happiness and their mourning to a holiday. These were to be days of banqueting, happiness, sending gifts to one another, and providing for the poor.p>

The first of all the first fruits and all contributions of any kind<n id="1" /> will be for the priests; you will also give to the priest the first portion of your dough, so that a blessing may rest on your house.

until the <sc>Lordsc> gives your brothers a place like yours to settle and they conquer the land the <sc>Lordsc> your God is ready to hand over to them. Then you may go back to your allotted land and occupy the land Moses the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s servant assigned you east of the Jordan.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>