¹⁵ So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of ^[a]blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and ^(A)the city of ^[b]Shushan rejoiced and was glad. ¹⁶ The Jews had ^(B)light and gladness, joy and honor.

So the land had rest for forty years.

²¹ And Miriam ^(A)answered them:

Heaven Exults over Babylon

19 After these things ^(A)I ^[a]heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! ^(B)Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to ^[b]the Lord our God! ² For ^(C)true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He ^(D)has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” ³ Again they said, “Alleluia! ^(E)Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” ⁴ And ^(F)the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, ^(G)“Amen! Alleluia!” ⁵ Then a voice came from the throne, saying, ^(H)“Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, ^(I)both^[c] small and great!”

^6 (J)And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For ^(K)the^[d] Lord God Omnipotent reigns! ⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for ^(L)the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”