“You must not blaspheme ¹  God ²  or curse the ruler of your people.

Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah son of Judah, was an adviser to the king ¹  in every matter pertaining to the people.

Deliver me ¹  from the sword! Save ²  my life ³  from the claws ⁴  of the wild dogs!

O God, take notice of our shield! ¹  Show concern for your chosen king! ² 

May your priests be clothed with integrity! ¹  May your loyal followers shout for joy!

I will protect her priests, ¹  and her godly people will shout exuberantly. ² 

Let him offer his cheek to the one who hits him; ¹  let him have his fill of insults.

For such people are false apostles, deceitful ¹  workers, disguising themselves ²  as apostles of Christ.

They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt, and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria. ¹ 

If the thief is not caught, ¹  then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges ²  to see ³  whether he has laid ⁴  his hand on his neighbor’s goods.

Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. ¹  But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.”

Then Absalom sent spies through all the tribes of Israel who said, “When you hear the sound of the horn, you may assume ¹  that Absalom rules in Hebron.”

Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt ¹  and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que.

Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt ¹  and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que.

They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time ¹  of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius ²  of Persia. ³ 

I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat. ¹ 

All the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and those who performed the king’s business were assisting the Jews, for the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them.

Lament, ¹  you residents of the coast, you merchants of Sidon ²  who travel over the sea, whose agents sail over

“‘Tarshish ¹  was your trade partner because of your abundant wealth; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your products.

And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.