⁴ Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”^(A)

⁶ On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much

⁹ If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents^[a] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”^(A)

¹⁰ So the king took his signet ring^(B) from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

²¹ The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed.

⁴ This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

²¹ Ahithophel answered, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” ²² So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.^(A)

²³ Now in those days the advice^(B) Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David^(C) and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.

⁴ He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?”

Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

⁵ “Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.’”

⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.”

¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”^(A)