¹⁴ So the couriers, mounted on their ^(A)swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.

² And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in ^(A)Susa the citadel, which is in the province of ^(B)Elam. And ^(C)I saw in the vision, ^(D)and I was at the ^(E)Ulai canal.

^15 (A)The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, ^(B)but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, ^(A)do it with your might,^{[a] (B)}for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

³ And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of ^(A)Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. ^(B)Let their cosmetics be given them.

² in those days when King Ahasuerus ^(A)sat on his royal throne in ^(B)Susa, the citadel,

Report from Jerusalem

1 The words of ^(A)Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month of ^(B)Chislev, ^(C)in the twentieth year, as I was in ^(D)Susa the citadel,

⁸ Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.”