The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men

One of them said, “Please come along with your servants.” He replied, “All right, I’ll come.”

The matter seemed appropriate to the king and the officials. So the king acted on the advice of Memucan.

The king’s servants who attended him said, “Let a search be conducted in the king’s behalf for attractive young women. ¹ 

So the Jews committed themselves to continue what they had begun to do and to what Mordecai had written to them.

The way of a fool ¹  is right ²  in his own opinion, ³  but the one who listens to advice is wise. ⁴ 

Listen to advice ¹  and receive discipline, that ²  you may become wise ³  by the end of your life. ⁴ 

The glory ¹  of young men is their strength, and the splendor ²  of old men is gray hair. ³ 

Ointment and incense make the heart rejoice, ¹  likewise the sweetness of one’s friend from sincere counsel. ² 

So do what ¹  we tell you: We have four men ²  who have taken ³  a vow; ⁴ 

They requested ¹  only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do.

I wrote something to the church, ¹  but Diotrephes, ²  who loves to be first among them, does not acknowledge us. ³ 

Then the king said, “Who is that in the courtyard?” Now Haman had come to the outer courtyard of the palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had constructed for him.

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. ¹  In fact, it would be better for me to die than – no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting! ² 

so that he may initiate a search of the records ¹  of his predecessors ²  and discover in those records ³  that this city is rebellious ⁴  and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts ⁵  from long ago. ⁶  It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed.

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” ¹  While they were in the field, Cain attacked ²  his brother ³  Abel and killed him.

that I must go down ¹  and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. ²  If not, ³  I want to know.”

She went on to say, ¹  “Who would ²  have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”

He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment! ¹  The one who has it will become my slave, ²  but the rest of ³  you will go free.” ⁴ 

The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work? ¹  Return to your labor!”