“This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘Why are you so confident that you remain in Jerusalem while it is under siege? ¹ 

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 

For this reason these days are known as Purim, after the name of pur.

In a moment they die, in the middle of the night, ¹  people ²  are shaken ³  and they pass away. The mighty are removed effortlessly. ⁴ 

Condemn them, ¹  O God! May their own schemes be their downfall! ²  Drive them away ³  because of their many acts of insurrection, ⁴  for they have rebelled against you.

So I decided ¹  to discern the benefit of ²  wisdom and knowledge over ³  foolish behavior and ideas; ⁴  however, I concluded ⁵  that even ⁶  this endeavor ⁷  is like ⁸  trying to chase the wind! ⁹ 

You people of Israel should tell those nations this: ‘These gods did not make heaven and earth. They will disappear ¹  from the earth and from under the heavens.’ ² 

This is your fate, the destiny to which I have appointed you, because you have forgotten me and have trusted in false gods.

Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, ¹  took captive the rest of the people who were left in the city. He carried them off to Babylon along with the people who had deserted to him. ² 

So will it happen to you, O Bethel, ¹  because of your great wickedness! When that day dawns, ²  the king of Israel will be destroyed. ³ 

You will pick up your images ¹  of Sikkuth, ²  your king, ³  and Kiyyun, ⁴  your star god, which you made for yourselves,

When ¹  you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.

So after they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus ¹  Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?” ² 

Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” ¹  They all said, “Crucify him!” ² 

While the man ¹  was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway ²  called Solomon’s Portico. ³ 

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

if somehow I could provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them.

But you should be eager for the greater gifts. And now I will show you a way that is beyond comparison. ¹ 

When his brother came out with ¹  his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. ²  Isaac was sixty years old ³  when they were born.

Jair, son of Manasseh, took all the Argob region as far as the border with the Geshurites ¹  and Maacathites ²  (namely Bashan) and called it by his name, Havvoth-Jair, ³  which it retains to this very day.)