Study Desk

But You, in Your great loving-kindness, did not leave them in the desert. The pillar of cloud which led them on their way during the day did not leave them. And the pillar of fire which gave light to the way they were to go during the night did not leave them.

"But they would not obey and they turned against You. They put Your Law behind their backs. They killed the men who tell what will happen who had spoken sharp words to them telling them to return to You. The people spoke very sinful words against You.

So You gave them into the hand of those who made it hard for them. But when they cried to You in the time of their trouble, You heard from heaven. And by Your great loving-kindness You sent men to save them from those who made it hard for them.

But as soon as they had rest, they sinned against You again. So You left them in the hand of those who hated them, so that they ruled over them. When they cried again to You, You heard from heaven. And many times You took them away from trouble because of Your loving-kindness.

You spoke sharp words to them to turn them back to Your Law. Yet they acted in pride and did not listen to Your Words, but sinned against Your Laws, by which if a man obeys them he will live. They were strong-willed and made their hearts hard against You, and would not listen.

But You did not give up taking care of them for many years. You spoke sharp words to them by Your Spirit through the men who tell what will happen. Yet they would not listen. So You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

But in Your great loving-kindness, You did not make an end of them or leave them for You are a kind and loving God.

Yet You have been right and fair in all that has come upon us. For You have been faithful, but we have sinned.

Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. But the rest of the people drew names to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths stayed in the other cities.

These are the leaders of the lands who lived in Jerusalem but in the cities of Judah every one lived on his own land there: Israel, the religious leaders, the Levites, the servants in the house of God, and the children of Solomon's servants.

But the servants of the house of God were living in Ophel. Ziha and Gishpa were over the servants of the house of God.

It was because they did not meet the sons of Israel with food and water, but paid Balaam to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into good.

But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem. For in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I had gone to the king. Then after some time, I asked the king to let me go,

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod. They could not speak the language of Judah, but the language of their own people.

Did not King Solomon of Israel sin because of these women? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. But the women from other nations caused even him to sin.

But Queen Vashti would not come when the king sent his servants to bring her. So the king became very angry and his anger burned within him.

Then Memucan said in front of the king and the princes, "Queen Vashti has done wrong not only to the king, but to all the princes and all the people in the lands of King Ahasuerus.

For what the queen has done will become known to all the women, and will make them hate their husbands. They will say, ‘King Ahasuerus told Queen Vashti to be brought to him, but she would not come.'

But their plan became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther. And Esther told the king what Mordecai had heard.

All the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and gave honor to Haman, for the king had said that this should be done. But Mordecai did not bow down or give him honor.