Esther 5:14

Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;

Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight.

Yahweh brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.

If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king has said.”

“For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”

What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, even their best, and give them to his servants.

Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”

The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king’s house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were with the king said, “Behold, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, is standing at Haman’s house.” The king said, “Hang him on it!”

The trouble he causes shall return to his own head. His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.

If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lay in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.

for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

I have spread out my hands all day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts;

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.

that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.

but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”

They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.

Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight.

Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel to sin.

He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, but not like his father, and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.

Then he returned, and walked in the house once back and forth; and went up, and stretched himself out on him. Then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

When he had come in, he ate and drank. Then he said, “See now to this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.”

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcass, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

“All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, know, that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, a good day, and a day of sending presents of food to one another.

For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he wanders into its mesh.

Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.

Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.

They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down. They dig a pit before me. They fall into the middle of it themselves.

that you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked.

those who devise mischief in their hearts. They continually gather themselves together for war.

a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked; but those who keep the law contend with them.

For the ruthless is brought to nothing, and the scoffer ceases, and all those who are alert to do evil are cut off—

“ ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “It will happen in that day that things will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.

They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.

Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.

It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’

Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people. Your eyes will look, and fail with longing for them all day long. There will be no power in your hand.

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

You must strike your master Ahab’s house, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Yahweh, at the hand of Jezebel.

Now on the third day, Esther put on her royal clothing, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, next to the king’s house. The king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, next to the entrance of the house.

He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision.

For, behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrows on the strings, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth.

The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to kill those who are upright on the path.

The wicked watch the righteous, and seek to kill him.

When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have participated with adulterers.

Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.

You who love Yahweh, hate evil! He preserves the souls of his saints. He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Let the wicked fall together into their own nets while I pass by.

Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips, but the righteous shall come out of trouble.

A dishonest man detests the righteous, and the upright in their ways detest the wicked.

The ways of the scoundrel are evil. He devises wicked plans to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.

There is one gone out of you, who devises evil against Yahweh, who counsels wickedness.

So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs.

Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Therefore since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness,

Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”

The report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his friend.

Saul said, “You are blessed by Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me.

But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man.

The saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

As he was telling the king how he had restored to life him who was dead, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, begged the king for her house and for her land. Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”

This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan:

While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made. In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.

He plots iniquity on his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He doesn’t abhor evil.

As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

Have you forgotten Yahweh your Maker, who stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth? Do you live in fear continually all day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he prepares to destroy? Where is the fury of the oppressor?

Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.

who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

“Their feet are swift to shed blood.

Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Yahweh preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but he turns the way of the wicked upside down.