From Zebulun there were 50,000 warriors who were prepared for battle, equipped with all kinds of weapons, and ready to give their undivided loyalty. ¹ 

The high places were not eliminated from Israel, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord throughout his lifetime. ¹ 

They burned down the Lord’s temple and tore down the wall of Jerusalem. ¹  They burned all its fortified buildings and destroyed all its valuable items.

Please remember me for this, O my God, and do not wipe out the kindness that I have done for the temple of my God and for its services!

Then Mordecai again sat at the king’s gate, while Haman hurried away to his home, mournful and with a veil over his head.

The hungry ¹  eat up his harvest, ²  and take it even from behind the thorns, ³  and the thirsty ⁴  swallow up ⁵  their fortune. ⁶ 

“Indeed, I am completely unworthy ¹  – how could I reply to you? I put ²  my hand over my mouth to silence myself. ³ 

The one true God acts in a faithful manner; ¹  the Lord’s promise ²  is reliable; ³  he is a shield to all who take shelter ⁴  in him.

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 

For the music director; By David, a psalm. I relied completely ²  on the Lord, and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help.

Even my close friend ¹  whom I trusted, he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. ² 

I saw ¹  that thorns had grown up all over it, the ground ²  was covered with weeds, and its stone wall was broken down.

If the Lord who commands armies ¹  had not left us a few survivors, we would have quickly become like Sodom, ²  we would have become like Gomorrah.

He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” ¹ 

So Moab wails over its demise ¹  – they all wail! Completely devastated, they moan about what has happened to the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth. ² 

For the Lord is angry at all the nations and furious with all their armies. He will annihilate them and slaughter them.

He says, ¹  “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. ²  Look, it now descends on Edom, ³  on the people I will annihilate in judgment.”

For look, I am ready to create new heavens and a new earth! ¹  The former ones ²  will not be remembered; no one will think about them anymore. ³ 

That is why the rains have been withheld, and the spring rains have not come. Yet in spite of this you are obstinate as a prostitute. ¹  You refuse to be ashamed of what you have done.

We know our noisy worship of false gods on the hills and mountains did not help us. ¹  We know that the Lord our God is the only one who can deliver Israel. ²