^6 (A)folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.

Haman Plots Against the Jews

3 After these things King Ahasuerus ^(A)promoted Haman ^(B)the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, ^(C)and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him.

¹³ And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, ¹⁴ he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, ^(A)“My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

¹⁴ Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’ ¹⁵ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and ^(A)take refuge in my shade, but if not, ^(B)let fire come out of the bramble and devour ^(C)the cedars of Lebanon.’

¹⁶ “Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with ^(D)Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him ^(E)as his deeds deserved— ¹⁷ for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian, ¹⁸ and you have risen up against my father's house this day ^(F)and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made ^(G)Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, ^(H)because he is your relative— ¹⁹ if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then ^(I)rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. ²⁰ But if not, ^(J)let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.”

³ and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” ^(A)while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” ⁴ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become ^(B)judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers, ^(C)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be ^(D)rich in faith and heirs of ^(E)the kingdom, ^(F)which he has promised to those who love him?