Jonathan ¹  said to him, “By no means are you going to die! My father does nothing ²  large or small without making me aware of it. ³  Why would my father hide this matter from me? It just won’t happen!”

That day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that is in front of the Lord’s temple. He offered there burnt sacrifices, grain offerings, and the fat from the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that stood before the Lord was too small to hold all these offerings. ¹ 

Anyone who would not seek the Lord God of Israel would be executed, whether they were young or old, ¹  male or female.

Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways! ¹  How faint is the whisper ²  we hear of him! But who can understand the thunder of his power?”

But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust, the horde of tyrants ¹  like chaff that is blown away. It will happen suddenly, in a flash.

Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales. He lifts ¹  the coastlands ²  as if they were dust.

Out of those places you will hear songs of thanksgiving ¹  and the sounds of laughter and merriment. I will increase their number and they will not dwindle away. ²  I will bring them honor and they will no longer be despised.

It will be the most insignificant of the kingdoms; it will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations.

“Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good ¹  are these for so many people?”

Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair.

I grind them as fine as the dust of the ground; I crush them and stomp on them like clay ¹  in the streets.

After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. ¹ 

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

I grind them as fine windblown dust; ¹  I beat them underfoot ²  like clay ³  in the streets.

Our affection for you is not restricted, ¹  but you are restricted in your affections for us.

They will judge ¹  the people under normal circumstances, ²  and every difficult case ³  they will bring to you, but every small case ⁴  they themselves will judge, so that ⁵  you may make it easier for yourself, ⁶  and they will bear the burden ⁷  with you.

To a larger group you will give a larger inheritance, ¹  and to a smaller group you will give a smaller inheritance. ²  To each one its inheritance must be given according to the number of people in it. ³ 

When those days ¹  were completed, the king then provided a seven-day ²  banquet for all the people who were present ³  in Susa the citadel, for those of highest standing to the most lowly. ⁴  It was held in the court located in the garden of the royal palace.

You say, “When will the new moon festival ¹  be over, ²  so we can sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, ³  so we can open up the grain bins? ⁴  We’re eager ⁵  to sell less for a higher price, ⁶  and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales! ⁷ 

They ¹  must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly ²  and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.