Esther 5:8

Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.

There are many plans in a man’s heart, but Yahweh’s counsel will prevail.

A man’s steps are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

The king’s heart is in Yahweh’s hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires.

A man’s steps are from Yahweh; how then can man understand his way?

Yahweh, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his steps.

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

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.

I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please.

Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting. No musical instruments were brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.

When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.

Esther said, “If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

Then Esther the queen answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.

All the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

For Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’ ”

Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh Will Provide”. As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.”

Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it is so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.”

“If it pleases the king, let a royal commandment go from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be altered, that Vashti may never again come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another who is better than she.

Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that it may be done as Esther has said.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh.

A fool vents all of his anger, but a wise man brings himself under control.

The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

Those who will be of you will build the old waste places. You will raise up the foundations of many generations. You will be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Paths with Dwellings.

Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?

but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name.

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink.

After these things, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.

They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cup bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.

At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river.

but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you have said.”

Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

You will father sons and daughters, but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity.

But his wife said to him, “If Yahweh were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he wouldn’t have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time.”

He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; for no man will prevail by strength.

He went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then God’s Spirit came on him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

He said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”

Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail. This woman was intelligent and had a beautiful face; but the man was surly and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.

So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head; and they went away: and no man saw it, or knew it, nor did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.

Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”

The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he fought, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

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.”

At the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

All the assembly said that they would do so; for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

I have also made a decree that whoever alters this message, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may build it.”

Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was beautiful.

Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth; but he didn’t receive it.

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!”

Write also to the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may not be reversed by any man.”

All the princes of the provinces, the local governors, the governors, and those who did the king’s business helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.

My days are past. My plans are broken off, as are the thoughts of my heart.

You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can’t speak.

There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.

A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

By patience a ruler is persuaded. A soft tongue breaks the bone.

She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue.

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.

My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places of the mountainside, let me see your face. let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.

Your lips are like scarlet thread. Your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.

Your lips, my bride, drip like the honeycomb. Honey and milk are under your tongue. The smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me.

Therefore I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of Armies.

Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive; and the feasting and lounging will end.

Therefore Yahweh says: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you yourself shall die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’ ”

For entangled like thorns, and drunken as with their drink, they are consumed utterly like dry stubble.

The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity.

Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” The angel departed from her.

They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word,

Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.”

On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.