The couriers who were riding the royal horses went forth with the king’s edict without delay. ¹  And the law was presented in Susa the citadel as well.

When ¹  the Lord heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up ²  against Israel,

But I will restore the flock of Israel to their own pasture. They will graze on Mount Carmel and the land of Bashan. They will eat until they are full ¹  on the hills of Ephraim and the land of Gilead. ² 

She lusted after the Assyrians – governors and officials, warriors in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.

Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan ¹  who live on Mount Samaria! You ²  oppress the poor; you crush the needy. You say to your ³  husbands, “Bring us more to drink!” ⁴ 

For you have not come to something that can be touched, ¹  to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind

He removed the foreign gods and images from the Lord’s temple and all the altars he had built on the hill of the Lord’s temple and in Jerusalem; he threw them outside the city.

I prayed, ¹  “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God! For our iniquities have climbed higher than our heads, and our guilt extends to the heavens.

Mordecai ¹  wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring. He then sent letters by couriers on horses, who rode royal horses that were very swift.

Why do you look with envy, ¹  O mountains ²  with many peaks, at the mountain where God has decided to live? ³  Indeed ⁴  the Lord will live there ⁵  permanently!

Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings, a nation will soar up and swoop down on Bozrah. At that time the soldiers of Edom will be as fearful as a woman in labor.” ¹ 

Their dwelling place was from Mesha all the way to ¹  Sephar in the eastern hills.

and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. ¹  They are to be enclosed in gold in their filigree settings.

The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.

Alammelech, Amad, and Mishal. Their border touched Carmel to the west and Shihor Libnath.

There was a man named Micah from the Ephraimite hill country.

From there they traveled through the Ephraimite hill country and arrived at Micah’s house.

These were their names: Ben-Hur was in charge of the hill country of Ephraim.

When Josiah turned around, he saw the tombs there on the hill. So he ordered the bones from the tombs to be brought; ¹  he burned them on the altar and defiled it. This fulfilled the Lord’s announcement made by the prophet while Jeroboam stood by the altar during a festival. King Josiah ²  turned and saw the grave of the prophet who had foretold this. ³ 

Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. ¹