Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?

And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up your son.

Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

And she said unto her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would cure him of his leprosy.

And the king said unto her, What ails you? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.

So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give your son, that we may eat him: and she has hid her son.

And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

And when Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and adorned her head, and looked out at a window.

And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

And when he had come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter.

And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs.

And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.

And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.

And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by which the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain.

Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter;) and they talked with her.

And she said unto them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.

Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah,

Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.

And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bore him Segub.

Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban, and Molid.

And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as his wife; and she bore him Attai.

She bore also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.

The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bore: (but his concubine the Aramitess bore Machir the father of Gilead:

And Maachah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bore a son, and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy came to his house.

And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, You have shed blood abundantly, and have made great wars: you shall not build a house unto my name, because you have shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

But God said unto me, You shall not build a house for my name, because you have been a man of war, and have shed blood.

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she had come to Solomon, she spoke with him of all that was in her heart.

And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom:

And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones: neither were there any such spices as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.

And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, more than that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an abominable image on an idol pole: and Asa cut down her idol, and crushed it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal descendants of the house of Judah.

But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons that were being slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD:

And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entrance, and the leaders and the trumpeters by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of music, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.

So they laid hands on her; and when she had come to the entrance of the horse gate by the king's house, they killed her there.

And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter:) and they spoke to her to that effect.

And she answered them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look upon.

What shall we do unto queen Vashti according to law, because she has not obeyed the commandment of king Ahasuerus by the eunuchs?

For this deed of the queen shall become known to all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be said, King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.

If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.

After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was abated, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

And he had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took as his own daughter.

And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her beautifying ointments, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, who were suitable to be given her, out of the king's house: and he moved her and her maidens unto the best place of the house of the women.

Esther had not revealed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it.

Now when every maiden's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after she had been there twelve months, according to the regulations for the women, (for so were the days of their beautification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes, and with other preparations for beautifying women;)

Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house.

In the evening she went, and the next day she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

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

Esther had not yet made known her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai, just as when she was brought up with him.

So Esther's maids and her eunuchs came and told it to her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.

Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.

And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter.

Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow I am invited unto her also with the king.

She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labor is in vain without concern;

When she lifts up herself high, she scorns the horse and his rider.

She dwells and abides on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the stronghold.

From there she seeks the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.

She shall be brought unto the king in robes of needlework: the virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought unto you.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

Kings of armies did flee in haste: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

Why should the nations say, Where is their God? let him be known among the nations in our sight by the revenging of the blood of your servants which is shed.

Yea, the sparrow has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.

And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

Wisdom cries aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open square:

She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying,

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things you can desire are not to be compared unto her.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is everyone that retains her.

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve you: love her, and she shall keep you.

Exalt her, and she shall promote you: she shall bring you to honor, when you do embrace her.

She shall give to your head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is your life.

A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

Now is she outside, now in the streets, and lies in wait at every corner.)

So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she seduced him.

For she has cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

She stands in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance at the doors.

Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars:

She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also furnished her table.

She has sent forth her maidens: she cries upon the highest places of the city,

Whosoever is simple, let him turn in here: as for him that lacks understanding, she says to him,

A foolish woman is boisterous: she is simple, and knows nothing.