Hezekiah passed away<n id="1" /> and was buried on the ascent of the tombs of the descendants of David. All the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem buried him with great honor.<n id="2" /> His son Manasseh replaced him as king.p>

The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, manned their posts, as prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king&#8217;s prophet.<n id="1" /> The guards at the various gates did not need to leave their posts, for their fellow Levites made preparations for them.

When the builders established the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple, the priests, ceremonially attired and with their clarions,<n id="1" /> and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to praise the <sc>Lordsc> according to the instructions left by<n id="2" /> King David of Israel.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">The exiles who were returning from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel &#8211; twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the <sc>Lordsc>.

So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out<n id="1" /> by name men who were leaders in their family groups.<n id="2" /> They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month,

So all the assembly which had returned from the exile constructed temporary shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. Everyone experienced very great joy.<n id="1" />

The Levites &#8211; Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah &#8211; said, &#8220;Stand up and bless the <sc>LORDsc> your God!&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;May you be blessed, O <sc>LORDsc> our God, from age to age.<n id="1" /> May your glorious name<n id="2" /> be blessed; may it be lifted up above all blessing and praise.

The Israelites and the Levites will bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms where the utensils of the sanctuary are kept, and where the priests who minister stay, along with the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the temple of our God.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. He was one of Asaph&#8217;s descendants who were the singers responsible for the service of the temple of God.

Then the king said to Queen Esther, &#8220;In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman! What then have they done in the rest of the king&#8217;s provinces? What is your request? It shall be given to you. What other petition do you have? It shall be done.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Esther replied, &#8220;If the king is so inclined, let the Jews who are in Susa be permitted to act tomorrow also according to today&#8217;s law, and let them hang the ten sons of Haman on the gallows.&#8221;p>

His possessions<n id="1" /> included<n id="2" /> 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household.<n id="3" /> Thus he<n id="4" /> was the greatest of all the people in the east.<n id="5" />p>

When<n id="1" /> the days of their feasting were finished,<n id="2" /> Job would send<n id="3" /> for them and sanctify<n id="4" /> them; he would get up early<n id="5" /> in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to<n id="6" /> the number of them all. For Job thought, &#8220;Perhaps<n id="7" /> my children<n id="8" /> have sinned and cursed<n id="9" /> God in their hearts.&#8221; This was Job&#8217;s customary practice.<n id="10" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the fate of humans<n id="1" /> and the fate of animals are the same:p> <p class="poetry">As one dies, so dies the other; both have the same breath.p> <p class="poetry">There is no advantage for humans over animals,p> <p class="poetry">for both are fleeting.p>

<p class="poetry">This is the unfortunate fact<n id="1" /> about everything that happens on earth:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the same fate awaits<n id="3" /> everyone.p> <p class="poetry">In addition to this, the hearts of all people<n id="4" /> are full of evil,p> <p class="poetry">and there is folly in their hearts during their lives &#8211; then they die.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Surely, no one<n id="1" /> knows his appointed time!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Like fish that are caught in a deadly<n id="3" /> net, and like birds that are caught in a snare &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">just like them, all people<n id="4" /> are ensnared<n id="5" /> at an unfortunate<n id="6" /> time that falls upon them suddenly.p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> swears an oath by his right hand,p> <p class="poetry">by his strong arm:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will never again give your grainp> <p class="poetry">to your enemies as food,p> <p class="poetry">and foreigners will not drink your wine,p> <p class="poetry">which you worked hard to produce.p>

They will bring back all your countrymen<n id="1" /> from all the nations as an offering to the <sc>Lordsc>. They will bring them<n id="2" /> on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels<n id="3" /> to my holy hill Jerusalem,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;just as the Israelites bring offerings to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple in ritually pure containers.

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Run for safety, people of Benjamin!p> <p class="poetry">Get out of Jerusalem!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Sound the trumpet<n id="2" /> in Tekoa!p> <p class="poetry">Light the signal fires at Beth Hakkerem!p> <p class="poetry">For disaster lurks<n id="3" /> out of the north;p> <p class="poetry">it will bring great destruction.<n id="4" />p>

That is, I will punish the Egyptians, the Judeans, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples.<n id="1" /> I will do so because none of the people of those nations are really circumcised in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sight.<n id="2" /> Moreover, none of the people of Israel<n id="3" /> are circumcised when it comes to their hearts.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>