⁶ But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod

²¹ But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee.^{(A) 22} When his daughter Herodias^[a] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” ²³ And he swore^[b] to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.”^(B)

⁵ On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”^(A)

⁶ She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah,^[a] for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them.^(B)

²⁰ On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.^(A)

¹⁹ But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done,^(A)

¹⁹ And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not,

¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod^[a] had married her.

²⁴ “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’^(A)

Belshazzar’s Feast

5 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.^(A)

² Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.^{(B) 3} So they brought in the vessels of gold that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.^(C)

¹⁸ Then the king gave a great banquet to all his officials and ministers: “Esther’s banquet.” He also granted a holiday^[a] to the provinces and gave gifts with royal liberality.^(A)