David said, “I will express my loyalty ¹  to Hanun son of Nahash, for his father was loyal ²  to me.” So David sent messengers to express his sympathy over his father’s death. ³  When David’s servants entered Ammonite territory to visit Hanun and express the king’s sympathy, ⁴ 

Messengers ¹  came and told David what had happened to the men, so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho ²  until your beards grow again; then you may come back.”

Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, ¹  ‘With my many chariots ²  I climbed up the high mountains, the slopes of Lebanon. I cut down its tall cedars, and its best evergreens. I invaded its most remote regions, ³  its thickest woods.

Look, ambassadors ¹  cry out in the streets; messengers sent to make peace ²  weep bitterly.

I first decreed to Zion, ‘Look, here’s what will happen!’ ¹  I sent a herald to Jerusalem. ² 

The Lord then addressed good, comforting words to the angelic messenger who was speaking to me.

The angelic messenger ¹  who had been speaking with me then returned and woke me, as a person is wakened from sleep.

The ¹  rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them.

So ¹  when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave ²  well.

So when they were dismissed, ¹  they went down to Antioch, ²  and after gathering the entire group ³  together, they delivered the letter.

And he says ¹  of the angels, “He makes ²  his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire,” ³ 

While this one was still speaking, ¹  another messenger arrived ²  and said, “The fire of God ³  has fallen from heaven ⁴  and has burned up the sheep and the servants – it has consumed them! And I – only I alone – escaped to tell you!”

The vision ¹  that Obadiah ²  saw. ³  The Lord God ⁴  says this concerning ⁵  Edom: ⁶ We have heard a report from the Lord. An envoy was sent among the nations, saying, ⁷  “Arise! Let us make war against Edom!” ⁸ 

What follows is divine revelation. ¹  The word of the Lord came to Israel through Malachi: ² 

(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ¹ ) ² 

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them. ¹ 

The messengers ¹  scurried forth ²  with the king’s order. ³  The edict was issued in Susa the citadel. While the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in an uproar! ⁴ 

Lament, ¹  you residents of the coast, you merchants of Sidon ²  who travel over the sea, whose agents sail over

I said, ¹  “I have heard a message from the Lord. A messenger has been sent among the nations to say, ‘Gather your armies and march out against her! Prepare to do battle with her!’” ²