¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

¹⁹ When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing^(A) on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,”^(B) they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.

³ One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.^(A) The whole world was filled with wonder^(B) and followed the beast. ⁴ People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like^(C) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

²⁰ He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon;^(A) they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.^(B)

²¹ On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. ²² They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”

² All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

⁶ Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health^(A) to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!^(B)