The Jews assembled themselves in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to strike out against those who were seeking their harm. No one was able to stand before them, for dread of them fell on all the peoples.

Stop oppressing foreigners who live in your land, children who have lost their fathers, and women who have lost their husbands. ¹  Stop killing innocent people ²  in this land. Stop paying allegiance to ³  other gods. That will only bring about your ruin. ⁴ 

So my anger and my wrath were poured out and burned like a fire through the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. That is why they have become the desolate ruins that they are today.’

For I solemnly swear,” ¹  says the Lord, “that Bozrah ²  will become a pile of ruins. It will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example to be used in curses. ³  All the towns around it will lie in ruins forever.”

I am against ¹  you and your waterways. I will turn the land of Egypt into an utter desolate ruin from Migdol ²  to Syene, ³  as far as the border with Ethiopia.

By the swords of the mighty warriors I will cause your hordes to fall – all of them are the most terrifying among the nations. They will devastate the pride of Egypt, and all its hordes will be destroyed.

And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents ¹  the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It ²  pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence – and is set on fire by hell. ³ 

You must not round off the corners of the hair on your head or ruin the corners of your beard. ¹ 

His children are far ¹  from safety, and they are crushed ²  at the place where judgment is rendered, ³  nor is there anyone to deliver them. ⁴ 

For it is a fire that devours even to Destruction, ¹  and it would uproot ²  all my harvest.

Certainly ¹  the Lord guards the way of the godly, ²  but the way of the wicked ends in destruction. ³ 

The wild boars of the forest ruin it; ¹  the insects ²  of the field feed on it.

Is your loyal love proclaimed in the grave, or your faithfulness in the place of the dead? ¹ 

The one who heeds instruction ¹  is on the way to ²  life, but the one who rejects ³  rebuke goes astray.

The integrity of the upright guides them, ¹  but the crookedness of the unfaithful destroys them. ² 

The wicked person desires a stronghold, ¹  but the righteous root ²  endures. ³ 

Doing ¹  justice brings ²  joy to the righteous and terror ³  to those who do evil.

So do not be excessively righteous or excessively ¹  wise; ²  otherwise ³  you might ⁴  be disappointed. ⁵ 

The words of a wise person ¹  win him ²  favor, ³  but the words ⁴  of a fool are self-destructive. ⁵ 

Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring about your demise. ¹