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26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
    so honor is not fitting for a fool.(A)

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10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
    much less for a slave to rule over princes.(A)

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16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
    but one who hates unjust gain will enjoy a long life.

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On every side the wicked prowl,
    as vileness is exalted among humankind.(A)

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There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as great an error as if it proceeded from the ruler: folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.(A) I have seen slaves on horseback and princes walking on the ground like slaves.

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It is like binding a stone in a sling
    to give honor to a fool.(A)

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Excess speech is not becoming to a fool;
    still less is false speech to a ruler.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 17.7 Or a noble

Psalm 52

Judgment on the Deceitful

To the leader. A Maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came to Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

Why do you boast, O mighty one,
    of mischief done against the godly?[a]
    All day long(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 52.1 Cn Compare Syr: Heb the kindness of God

in whose eyes the wicked are despised
    but who honor those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;(A)

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Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said.

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Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate,

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Haman Undertakes to Destroy the Jews

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite and advanced him and set his seat above all the officials who were with him. And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and did obeisance to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance.(A) Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”(B) When they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance to him, Haman was infuriated.(C) But he thought it beneath him to kill[a] only Mordecai. So, having been told who Mordecai’s people were, Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.(D)

In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur—which means “the lot”—before Haman for the day and for the month, and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of[b] the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.(E) Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them.(F) If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued for their destruction, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, so that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.” 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.(G) 11 The king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, and the people as well, to do with them as it seems good to you.”

12 Then the king’s secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king’s satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language; it was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s ring.(H) 13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, giving orders to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, children and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.(I) 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation, calling on all the peoples to be ready for that day.(J) 15 The couriers went quickly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 3.6 Heb lay hands on
  2. 3.7 Cn Compare Gk and 3.13 below: Heb lacks the thirteenth day of

17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain, and you shall know and see that the wickedness that you have done in the sight of the Lord is great in demanding a king for yourselves.”(A) 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.(B)

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56 Thus God repaid Abimelech for the crime he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers;(A) 57 and God also made all the wickedness of the people of Shechem fall back on their heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal.(B)

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20 but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let fire come out from the lords of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.”

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The Parable of the Trees

When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you lords of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.(A)

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A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and a rod for the back of fools.(A)

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