¹² Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(A) and murdered his brother.^(B) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^(C)

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven^(A) times hotter than usual

⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.^{(A) 6} Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way^(B) to destroy^(C) all Mordecai’s people, the Jews,^(D) throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

¹⁸ The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.”^(A) So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.^{(B) 19} He also put to the sword^(C) Nob,^(D) the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

²⁵ Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,^(A) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon^(B) and Levi,^(C) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords^(D) and attacked the unsuspecting city,^(E) killing every male.^{(F) 26} They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword^(G) and took Dinah^(H) from Shechem’s house and left.