¹ All your leaders ran away together – they fled to a distant place; all your refugees ²  were captured together – they were captured without a single arrow being shot. ³ 

And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?”

May all my enemies be humiliated ¹  and absolutely terrified! ²  May they turn back and be suddenly humiliated!

They did not keep their covenant with God, ¹  and they refused to obey ²  his law.

Destructive forces will come against her false prophets; ¹  they will be shown to be fools! ²  Destructive forces will come against her soldiers; they will be filled with terror! ³ 

But there are some Jews from the province of Asia ¹  who should be here before you and bring charges, ²  if they have anything against me.

But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, ¹  idol worshipers, ²  and all those who lie, their place ³  will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. ⁴  That ⁵  is the second death.”

The Jews assembled themselves in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to strike out against those who were seeking their harm. No one was able to stand before them, for dread of them fell on all the peoples.

The soldiers of Babylonia will stop fighting. They will remain in their fortified cities. They will lose their strength to do battle. ¹  They will be as frightened as women. ²  The houses in her cities will be set on fire. The gates of her cities will be broken down. ³ 

But ¹  he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked ²  the winds and the sea, ³  and it was dead calm.

Even her mercenaries ¹  will prove to be like pampered, ²  well-fed calves. For they too will turn and run away. They will not stand their ground when ³  the time for them to be destroyed comes, the time for them to be punished.