1 And so the king and Haman went to eat with Esther 2 for a second time. Over the wine the king asked her again, “Now, Queen Esther, what do you want? Tell me and you shall have it. I’ll even give you half the empire.” 3 Queen Esther answered, “If it please Your Majesty […]
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Esther 8
The Jews Are Told to Fight Back 1 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther all the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Esther told the king that Mordecai was related to her, and from then on Mordecai was allowed to enter the king’s presence. 2 The king took off his ring […]
Esther 9
The Jews Destroy Their Enemies 1 The thirteenth day of Adar came, the day on which the royal proclamation was to take effect, the day when the enemies of the Jews were hoping to get them in their power. But instead, the Jews triumphed over them. 2 In the Jewish quarter of every cityin the […]
Esther 10
The Greatness of Xerxes and Mordecai 1 King Xerxes imposed forced labor on the people of the coastal regions of his empire as well as on those of the interior. 2 All the great and wonderful things he did, as well as the whole story of how he promoted Mordecai to high office, are recorded […]
Nehemiah 1
1 This is the account of what Nehemiah son of Hacaliah accomplished. Nehemiah’s Concern for Jerusalem In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, I, Nehemiah, was in Susa, the capital city. 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived from Judah with another group, and I asked them […]
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah Goes to Jerusalem 1 One day four months later, when Emperor Artaxerxes was dining, I took the wine to him. He had never seen me look sad before, 2 so he asked, “Why are you looking so sad? You aren’t sick, so it must be that you’re unhappy.” I was startled 3 and answered, […]
Nehemiah 3
Rebuilding the Wall of Jerusalem 1 This is how the city wall was rebuilt.The High Priest Eliashib and his fellow priests rebuilt the Sheep Gate, dedicated it, and put the gates in place. They dedicated the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 2 The men of Jericho […]
Nehemiah 4
Nehemiah Overcomes Opposition to His Work 1 When Sanballat heard that we Jews had begun rebuilding the wall, he became furious and began to ridicule us. 2 In front of his companions and the Samaritan troops he said, “What do these miserable Jews think they’re doing? Do they intend to rebuild the city? Do they […]
Nehemiah 5
Oppression of the Poor 1 Some time later many of the people, both men and women, began to complain against the other Jews. 2 Some said, “We have large families, we need grain to keep us alive.” 3 Others said, “We have had to mortgage our fields and vineyards and houses to get enough grain […]
Nehemiah 6
Plots against Nehemiah 1 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and the rest of our enemies heard that we had finished building the wall and that there were no gaps left in it, although we still had not set up the gates in the gateways. 2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message, suggesting that I meet […]