In the eighth month of Darius’ ¹  second year, ²  the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, ³  son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows:

The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ¹  There is no other commandment greater than these.”

On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph’s family ¹  became known to Pharaoh.

Dear friends, this is already the second letter I have written ¹  you, in which ²  I am trying to stir up ³  your pure mind by way of reminder:

Then ¹  the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain of burning fire was thrown into the sea. A ²  third of the sea became blood,

Next, ¹  the second angel ²  poured out his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died.

The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated ¹  with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, ²  the fourth emerald,

At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites once again.” ¹ 

Then the Lord spoke again to Haggai ¹  on the twenty-fourth day of the month: ² 

He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ¹ 

¹ When ²  they journeyed from Elim, the entire company ³  of Israelites came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their exodus ⁴  from the land of Egypt.

They may observe it on the fourteenth day of the second month ¹  at twilight; they are to eat it with bread made without yeast and with bitter herbs.

The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel and they ¹  captured it on the second day. They put the sword to all who lived there, just as they had done to Libnah.

In the fifty-second year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria ¹  for twenty years.

Obed-Edom’s sons: The firstborn Shemaiah, the second Jehozabad, the third Joah, the fourth Sakar, the fifth Nethanel,

They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord’s temple.

On the second day of the month the family leaders ¹  met with ²  Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law.

During all this time I was not in Jerusalem, ¹  for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After some time ²  I had requested leave of the king,

So Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew wrote with full authority to confirm this second ¹  letter about Purim.

He went away a second time and prayed, ¹  “My Father, if this cup ²  cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done.”