And in those times there was no peace for the one going out and the one coming in, for great tumults [were] upon all the inhabitants of the lands.

And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those sojourning with them, from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for many had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that Yahweh his God [was] with him.

For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout all the earth to strengthen those whose heart is fully devoted to him. You have been foolish in this, for from now on you will have wars."

These were serving the king, besides [those] whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

And Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. And he said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you [be] a help to the wicked and love those who hate Yahweh? On account of this, wrath [has come] against you from Yahweh.

And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of Yahweh. And they hired stonemasons and skilled craftsmen to restore the house of Yahweh, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of Yahweh.

So those doing the work labored, and the restoration for the work made progress under their hand. And they restored the house of God to its position and strengthened it.

Then men from the heads of Ephraim--Azariah the son of Jehohanan, Berekiah the son of Meshillemoth, Hezekiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai--stood against those returning from the fight.

Then the men designated by name arose and took the captives and from the plunder clothed all their nakedness. So they clothed them, gave them sandals, gave them food to eat, gave them water to drink, anointed them, and guided them with the donkeys [provided] for all those who stumbled, and brought them to Jericho, the city of the palm trees, next to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

And the whole assembly of Judah, the priests and the Levites, all the assembly who had come from the land of Israel, and those living in Judah rejoiced.

Who among all the gods of those nations whom my ancestors utterly destroyed was able to save his people from my hand, that your God will be able to save you from my hand?

In those days Hezekiah fell ill unto death, and he prayed to Yahweh. And he answered him and gave him a sign.

And he destroyed before him the altars for the Baals, and he cut down the incense stands above them. And the Asherahs, the idols, and the images he smashed. And he ground [them] to powder and sprinkled [the dust] over the burial sites of those who sacrificed to them.

And they delivered [it] into the hand of the workmen who were appointed in the house of Yahweh, and they [in turn] gave it to those doing the work who [were] at work in the house of Yahweh, to repair [and] restore the house.

They have dispensed the money which was found in the house of Yahweh and have put it into the hand of the overseers and those doing the work."

"Go! Seek Yahweh on my behalf and on behalf of those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words of the scroll that was found, for the anger of Yahweh that [was] poured out on us [is] great, because our ancestors have not kept the word of Yahweh, to do all that is written in this scroll."

Then Hilkiah and those whom the king [had sent] went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, son of Tikvath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the garments. (Now she was living in Jerusalem in the second district.) And they spoke to her concerning this.

And he took {those who escaped the sword} to Babylon. And they became servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,

Then we asked those elders and said this to them, 'Who issued forth to you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?'

The {Israelites} who returned from the exile and all those who separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the earth to seek Yahweh the God of Israel, ate.

"You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges who can judge all of the people [in the province] Beyond the River who know the laws of your God. And you will teach those who do not know.

These were the heads of their {families} and the register of those returnees from Babylonia who [came up] with me in the reign of King Artaxerxes:

From the descendants of Adonikam, those who came last, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, Shemaiah, and with them sixty males.

So now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all of these women and their offspring, according to the advice of my lord and those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law.

There was found from the sons of the priests those who had married foreign women, from the sons of Jeshua son of Jehozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

I said, "O Yahweh God of the heavens, the great and awesome one who keeps the covenant and loyal love for the ones who love him and for those who keep his commands.

Then he said before his brothers and the army of Samaria, "What are the feeble Jews doing? Will they restore [these things] for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the piles of rubble--even those burned up?"

There were those who were saying, "Our sons and daughters, we are many. We must get grain so that we may eat and live."

There were also those saying, "We have pledged our fields and our vineyards and our houses so that we can get grain in the famine."

And there were those who were saying, "We have borrowed money on our fields and our vineyards for the tax of the king.

One hundred and fifty men, prefects and Jews, and those who came to us from the nations around us, [were] at my table.

Also, in those days the nobles of Judah increasingly sent their letters to Tobiah, and [letters] from Tobiah returned to them.

Then my God put into my heart to assemble the nobles, the prefects, and the people to be enrolled. I found the book of the genealogy of those who first came back, and I found [this] written upon it:

These sought their record among those enrolled in the genealogy, but it was not found there, so they were excluded as unclean from the priesthood.

He read from it facing the public square before the Water Gate from dawn until noon that day, opposite the men, women, and those with understanding. The ears of all the people [were attentive] to the book of the law.

Then he said to them, "Go, eat festive food and drink sweet drinks, and send a share to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our lord. Do not be grieved because the joy of Yahweh is your refuge."

And all of the assembly of those who returned from captivity made booths and lived in the booths because the {Israelites} had not done it from the days of Jeshua son of Nun until that day. And there was very great joy.

Those of the seed of Israel separated themselves from all of the foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.

In those days I saw in Judah [people] treading the wine press on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps [of grain] and loading them on donkeys along with wine, grapes and figs, and every kind of burden and bringing [it all] to Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. And I warned them at that time against selling food.

Also in those days I saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

In those days as King Ahasuerus was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which [was] in the citadel of Susa,

And when those days were completed, the king gave for all the people that were present at the citadel of Susa, both great and small, a banquet in the courtyard of the king's palace garden that lasted seven days.

And the king said to the wise men, {the ones who know the times}--for it [was] the procedure of the king before all those who knew law and rights;

and those next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who {had access to the king} and sat first in the kingdom--

In those days Mordecai [was] sitting at the gate of the king. Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs from the keepers of the threshold, became angry and they conspired {to assassinate} King Ahasuerus.

If it pleases the king, let a [decree] be issued to destroy them, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to those who do the job, to bring to the treasury of the king."

the Jews gathered in their cities in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus {to strike against} those who sought their destruction, and no one could withstand them, as the fear of them fell on all the people.

All the officials of the provinces, the satraps, governors, and {those who did the work of the king} [were] supporting the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.

The Jews struck down all their enemies with {the sword}, killing and destroying [them]; and they did as they pleased with those that hated them.

On that day the number of those being killed in the citadel of Susa {was reported to} the king.

The rest of the Jews who [were] in the king's provinces gathered and {defended their lives} and {found repose} from their enemies. And they killed seventy-five thousand of those that hated them, but they did not {touch} the plunder.

Let those who curse the day curse it, those who are skilled at rousing Leviathan.

"Why does he give light to one in misery and life to [those] bitter of soul,

to set [the] lowly on high, and [those] mourning are lifted to safety.

[Those] who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked {will be no more}."

For he knows {those who are worthless}; {when he sees} iniquity, {he will not consider it}.

{Those at ease have contempt} for [the] thought of {disaster}, [but it is] ready for those unstable of foot.

[The] tents of [the] destroyers are at peace, and [there is] security for those who provoke God, [for those] whom God brings into his hand.

Both [the] gray-haired and [the] old [are] among us-- {those older than your father}.

for [the] company of [the] godless [is] barren, and fire consumes the tents of those who accept bribes.

[Those of the] west are appalled over {his fate}, and [those of the] east {are seized with horror}.

he will perish forever like his dung; [those who] have seen him will say, 'Where [is] he?'

Do you not ask [those] traveling [the] roads, and do you not take notice of their accounts?

[Those] who said to God, 'Turn away from us,' and 'What can Shaddai do to us?'

"Why are not times kept by Shaddai, and [why] do not [those who] know him see his days?

"Those are among [the ones] rebelling [against the] light; they do not recognize his ways, and they do not stay in his paths.

Drought and heat snatch away [the] snow waters, [like] Sheol [snatches away] those [who have] sinned.

He breaks open a mine shaft {away from where people dwell}; [those] who are forgotten {by travelers}, they dangle, they sway [far away] from human beings.

"But now [those] younger than I, as far as days, laugh at me, whose fathers I rejected for setting with the dogs of my sheep and goats.

So my lyre came to be [used] for mourning, and my flute [for the] voice of [those who] weep.

so that godless human beings should not reign, nor those who ensnare [the] people.

{Those who have sense} say to me, and [the] wise man hearing me [says]:

Would that Job were tested up to [the] end because [his] answers [are] like [those from] men of mischief,

So all his brothers and all his sisters and all [those who] had known him {before} came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house and showed sympathy to him and comforted him for all the disaster that Yahweh had brought upon him. Then each one gave to him one piece of money, and each one [gave to him] one ornamental ring of gold.

But let all who take shelter in you rejoice. Let them ever sing for joy, {because} you spread protection over them; And let those [who] love your name exult in you.

And those who know your name will trust in you, for you do not forsake those [who] seek you, O Yahweh.

Be gracious to me, O Yahweh. See my suffering from [those who] hate me, [you who] lift me up from the gates of death,

[those] who say, "With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips [are] on our side. Who [is] master over us?"

In his eyes a rejected one [is] contemptible, but he honors those who respect Yahweh. He takes an oath to [his own] injury and does not retract it.

Those [who] hurry [after] another [god] increase their sorrows. I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, nor take up their names on my lips.

Show wondrously your acts of loyal love, O Savior of those who take refuge at your right hand from those who rise up against [them].

from [the] {presence} of [the] wicked who destroy me, [those] enemies against my life, [they that] surround me.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from [those who] hated me because they were stronger than I.

This God--his way [is] blameless. The word of Yahweh [is] flawless. He [is] a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

And you girded me [with] strength for the battle; [those] rising against me you made to kneel under me.

And you {made my enemies turn their backs}, then I destroyed those [who] hated me.

who delivered me from my enemies. Indeed, you exalted me higher than [those who] rose against me. You delivered me from the man of violence.

Your hand will find all your enemies; your right hand will find those who hate you.

From you [is] my praise. In [the] great assembly, I will pay my vows before those who revere him.

[The] afflicted will eat and will be satisfied. Those who seek him will praise Yahweh. May your heart live forever.

All [the] {healthy ones} of [the] earth will eat and worship. Before him all [of] those descending [into the] dust will kneel, even he [who] cannot keep his soul alive.

The earth is Yahweh's, with its fullness, [the] world and those who live in it,

Such [is the] sort of those who seek him, those who seek your face, even Jacob. Selah

Indeed, none who wait for you should be put to shame. Those who betray without cause should be put to shame.

All the paths of Yahweh [are] loyal love and faithfulness for those who keep his covenant and statutes.

Intimate fellowship with Yahweh [is] for those who fear him, and [he] makes known his covenant to them.

To you, O Yahweh, I call. O my rock, do not be deaf to me. Or else, if you are silent to me, then I will become like those descending to [the] pit.

O Yahweh, you have brought my life up from Sheol. You preserved me alive from among those going down to [the] pit.

I hate those devoted to useless idols, but I trust Yahweh.

Because of all my adversaries I have become a disgrace, especially to my neighbors, and a dread to my acquaintances. [Those who] see me in the street flee from me.