Ask your own servants; they can tell you! May my servants find favor in your sight, for we have come ¹  at the time of a holiday. Please provide us – your servants ²  and your son David – with whatever you can spare.” ³ 

For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment ¹  they are having a feast ²  in his presence, and they have declared, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ³ 

Do I eat the flesh of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? ¹ 

For no one ¹  can eat and drink ²  or experience joy ³  apart from him. ⁴ 

If you have a willing attitude and obey, ¹  then you will again eat the good crops of the land.

Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. ¹  Then we will give you the younger one ²  too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” ³ 

So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, ¹  and they rose up to play. ² 

He enabled him ¹  to travel over the high terrain of the land, and he ate of the produce of the fields. He provided honey for him from the cliffs, ²  and olive oil ³  from the hardest of ⁴  rocks, ⁵ 

I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword will devour flesh – the blood of the slaughtered and captured, the chief ¹  of the enemy’s leaders!’”

They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, ¹  squeezed out the juice, ²  and celebrated. They came to the temple ³  of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech.

Two years later Absalom’s sheepshearers were in Baal Hazor, ¹  near Ephraim. Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

Esther replied, “If the king is so inclined, ¹  let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

The king replied, “Find Haman quickly so that we can do as Esther requests.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived. They quickly brought Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Now the day ²  came when Job’s ³  sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

The womb ¹  forgets him, the worm feasts on him, no longer will he be remembered. Like a tree, wickedness will be broken down.

All of the thriving people ¹  of the earth will join the celebration and worship; ²  all those who are descending into the grave ³  will bow before him, including those who cannot preserve their lives. ⁴ 

You prepare a feast before me ¹  in plain sight of my enemies. You refresh ²  my head with oil; my cup is completely full. ³ 

You will fill up at my table with horses and charioteers, ¹  with warriors and all the soldiers,’ declares the sovereign Lord.

“As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals – I took them away from you; they became tribute and were a source of shame to you. ¹