When Moses heard this explanation, he was satisfied.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials.<n id="1" />

So God treated the midwives well,<n id="1" /> and the people multiplied and became very strong.

I thought this was a good idea,<n id="1" /> so I sent<n id="2" /> twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

The Lord<n id="1" /> was pleased that Solomon made this request.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">The matter seemed appropriate to the king and the officials. So the king acted on the advice of Memucan.

<p class="bodytext">Now it was reported<n id="1" /> in the household of Pharaoh, &#8220;Joseph&#8217;s brothers have arrived.&#8221; It pleased<n id="2" /> Pharaoh and his servants.

The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group.<n id="1" />p>

When Boaz had finished his meal and was feeling satisfied, he lay down to sleep at the far end of the grain heap.<n id="1" /> Then Ruth<n id="2" /> crept up quietly,<n id="3" /> uncovered his legs,<n id="4" /> and lay down beside him.<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">All the people noticed this and it pleased them.<n id="1" /> In fact, everything the king did pleased all the people.

Let the young woman whom the king finds most attractive<n id="1" /> become queen in place of Vashti.&#8221; This seemed like a good idea to the king,<n id="2" /> so he acted accordingly.p>

Then Jeremiah answered, &#8220;You will not be handed over to them. Please obey the <sc>Lordsc> by doing what I have been telling you.<n id="1" /> Then all will go well with you and your life will be spared.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">When Phinehas the priest and the community leaders and clan leaders who accompanied him heard the defense of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the Manassehites,<n id="1" /> they were satisfied.<n id="2" />

The Israelites were satisfied with their report and gave thanks to God.<n id="1" /> They said nothing more about launching an attack to destroy the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites lived.<n id="2" />

When the man got ready to leave<n id="1" /> with his concubine and his servant,<n id="2" /> his father-in-law, the girl&#8217;s father, said to him, &#8220;Look! The day is almost over!<n id="3" /> Stay another night! Since the day is over,<n id="4" /> stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.&#8221;<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul&#8217;s servants.<n id="1" />p>

Then the king, with his consort<n id="1" /> sitting beside him, replied, &#8220;How long would your trip take, and when would you return?&#8221; Since the king was amenable to dispatching me,<n id="2" /> I gave him a time.

<p class="bodytext">Haman&#8217;s<n id="1" /> wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, &#8220;Have a gallows seventy-five feet<n id="2" /> high built, and in the morning tell the king that Mordecai should be hanged on it. Then go with the king to the banquet contented.&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="bodytext">It seemed like a good idea to Haman, so he had the gallows built.p>

Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, took an oath so as to give them and their troops some assurance of safety.<n id="1" /> &#8220;Do not be afraid to submit to the Babylonians.<n id="2" /> Settle down in the land and submit to the king of Babylon. Then things will go well for you.