May the Lord God of Israel be praised, in the future and forevermore. ¹  Then all the people said, “We agree! ²  Praise the Lord!”

They solemnly agreed ¹  to seek the Lord God of their ancestors ²  with their whole heart and being.

The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month.

So the king issued orders for this to be done. A law was passed in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.

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

Which of all these ¹  does not know that the hand of the Lord ²  has done ³  this,

“Is not God on high in heaven? ¹  And see ²  the lofty stars, ³  how high they are!

I will never ¹  declare that you three ²  are in the right; until I die, I will not set aside my integrity!

Men of understanding say to me – any wise man listening to me says –

For the stones in the walls will cry out, and the wooden rafters will answer back. ¹ 

It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. ¹ 

So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another.

Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?

Yet ¹  not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek.

Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. ¹  They conquered ²  Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all the territory of Naphtali, including the region of Kinnereth. ³ 

Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. ¹  They conquered ²  Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, ³  and all the storage cities of Naphtali.

Therefore, because of the account found in this letter and what they had faced in this regard and what had happened to them, the Jews established as binding on themselves, their descendants, and all who joined their company that they should observe these two days without fail, just as written and at the appropriate time on an annual basis.

Reach agreement ¹  quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, ²  or he ³  may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison.

The king of Israel summoned all the leaders ¹  of the land and said, “Notice how this man is looking for trouble. ²  Indeed, he demanded my wives, sons, silver, and gold, and I did not resist him.”

So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Say this to my master, the king, ‘I will give you everything you demanded at first from your servant, but I am unable to agree to this latest demand.’” ¹  So the messengers went back and gave their report.