Their kings will become like fathers to you. Their queens will be like mothers who nurse you. They will bow down to you with their faces toward the ground. They will kiss the dust at your feet to show you their respect. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who put their hope in me will not be ashamed.”

列王必作你的养父；王后必作你的乳母。他们必将脸伏地，向你下拜，并舔你脚上的尘土。你便知道我是耶和华；等候我的必不致羞愧。”

列王必作你的养父，王后必作你的乳母。他们必以脸伏地，向你下拜，并舔你脚上的尘土。你就知道我是耶和华，等候我的必不致羞愧。”

列王必作你的养父，王后必作你的乳母。他们必以脸伏地，向你下拜，并舔你脚上的尘土。你就知道我是耶和华，等候我的必不致羞愧。”

列王必做你的养父，王后必做你的褓姆。他们必向你俯伏下拜，舔你脚上的尘土。那时你便知道我是耶和华，信靠我的必不致失望。”

列国的君王要作你的养父，他们的王后必作你的保姆；他们必脸伏于地向你下拜，舐你脚上的尘土。那么，你就知道我是耶和华，那些仰望我的决不会羞愧。”

君王们必作你儿女的抚养人，王后们必作你儿女的乳母；他们必脸伏于地，向你下拜，舔你脚上的尘土。那时，你就知道：我是耶和华，等候我的必不致蒙羞。”

列王必作你的養父；王后必作你的乳母。他們必將臉伏地，向你下拜，並舔你腳上的塵土。你便知道我是耶和華；等候我的必不致羞愧。

列王必作你的養父，王后必作你的乳母。他們必以臉伏地，向你下拜，並舔你腳上的塵土。你就知道我是耶和華，等候我的必不致羞愧。」

列王必作你的養父，王后必作你的乳母。他們必以臉伏地，向你下拜，並舔你腳上的塵土。你就知道我是耶和華，等候我的必不致羞愧。」

列王必做你的養父，王后必做你的褓姆。他們必向你俯伏下拜，舔你腳上的塵土。那時你便知道我是耶和華，信靠我的必不致失望。」

列國的君王要作你的養父，他們的王后必作你的保姆；他們必臉伏於地向你下拜，舐你腳上的塵土。那麼，你就知道我是耶和華，那些仰望我的決不會羞愧。”

列王必做你的養父，他們的王后必做你的奶媽；他們必將臉伏地，向你下拜，餂你腳上的塵土；你便知道我乃是永恆主，等候我的必不至於失望。』

君王們必作你兒女的撫養人，王后們必作你兒女的乳母；他們必臉伏於地，向你下拜，舔你腳上的塵土。那時，你就知道：我是耶和華，等候我的必不致蒙羞。」

王為養父、后為乳母、面伏於地、拜於爾前、舐爾足塵、爾則知我乃耶和華、凡仰望我者、不致愧怍、

王為父、后為母、撫育爾子、俯伏拜跪爾前、舐爾足塵、使爾知我乃耶和華、凡恃我者、永不愧怍。

君王必為爾為養父、后妃必為爾為乳母、俯伏在地、拜於爾前、餂爾足塵、使爾知我乃主、凡仰望我者、不至羞愧、

Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”

Kings and queens will serve you and care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth before you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”

Kings will be your guardians and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who put their hope in me will not be put to shame.

Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground And lick the dust from your feet; And you will know that I am the Lord; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame.

Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.”

And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah; and they that wait for me shall not be put to shame.

Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground, and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; those who put their hope in Me will not be put to shame.

And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with[ their] face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I[ am] the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Kings will be your children’s guardians; their princesses will nurse your children. With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you and they will lick the dirt on your feet. Then you will recognize that I am the LORD; those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.

Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed.”

“ People from other lands will rebuild your walls. Their kings will serve you. When I was angry with you, I struck you. But now I will show you my tender love.Your gates will always stand open. They will never be shut, day or night. Then people can bring you the wealth of the nations. Their kings will come along with them.

The children of those who crush you will come and bow down to you. All those who hate you will kneel down at your feet. Jerusalem, they will call you the City of the Lord. They will name you Zion, the City of the Holy One of Israel.

You will get everything you need from kings and nations. You will be like children who are nursing at their mother’s breasts. Then you will know that I am the one who saves you. I am the Lord. I set you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob.

Nations will come to your light. Kings will come to the brightness of your new day.

They’ll be forced to eat dust like a snake. They’ll be like creatures that have to crawl on the ground. They’ll come out of their dens trembling with fear. They’ll show respect for the Lord our God. They will also have respect for his people.

Scripture says,“ The one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”( Isaiah 28:16)

The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem,“ You will get everything Egypt produces. You will receive everything the people of Cush and the tall Sabeans get in trade. All of it will belong to you. And all these people will walk behind you as slaves. They will be put in chains and come over to you. They will bow down to you. They will admit,‘ God is with you. There is no other God.’ ”

Those who put their hope in you will never be put to shame. But those who lie to other people for no reason will be put to shame.

At that time they will say,“ He is our God. We trusted in him, and he saved us. He is the Lord. We trusted in him. Let us be filled with joy because he saved us.”

The Lord will save those who serve him. No one who goes to him for safety will be found guilty.

And hope will never bring us shame. That’s because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. This happened through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther everything Haman had owned. Haman had been the enemy of the Jews. Esther had told the king that Mordecai was her cousin. So Mordecai came to see the king.The king took his ring off. It had his royal mark on it. He had taken it back from Haman. Now he gave it to Mordecai. And Esther put Mordecai in charge of everything Haman had owned.Esther made another appeal to the king. She fell at his feet and wept. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman, the Agagite. He had decided to kill the Jews.The king reached out his gold scepter toward Esther. She got up and stood in front of him.She said,“ King Xerxes, I hope you will think what I’m asking is the right thing to do. I hope you are pleased with me. If you are, and if it pleases you, let an order be written. Let it take the place of the messages Haman wrote. Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite. He planned to kill the Jews. He wrote orders to destroy us in all your territories.I couldn’t stand by and see the horrible trouble that would fall on my people! I couldn’t stand to see my family destroyed!”King Xerxes gave a reply to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew. He said,“ Haman attacked the Jews. So I’ve given Esther everything he owned. My men have stuck a pole through his dead body. And they’ve set it up where everyone can see it.Now write another order in my name. Do it for the benefit of the Jews. Do what seems best to you. Stamp the order with my royal mark. Nothing that is written in my name and stamped with my mark can ever be changed.”Right away the king sent for the royal secretaries. It was the 23rd day of the third month. That was the month of Sivan. They wrote down all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews. They also wrote them to the royal officials, the governors and the nobles of the 127 territories in his kingdom. The territories reached from India all the way to Cush. The orders were written down in the writing of each territory. They were written in the language of each nation. They were also written to the Jews in their own writing and language.Mordecai wrote the orders in the name of King Xerxes. He stamped them with the king’s royal mark. He sent them by messengers on horseback. They rode fast horses that were raised just for the king.

No one’s ears have ever heard of a God like you. No one’s eyes have ever seen a God who is greater than you. No God but you acts for the good of those who trust in him.

May the desert tribes bow down to him. May his enemies lick the dust.May the kings of Tarshish and of places far away bring him gifts. May the kings of Sheba and Seba give him presents.May all kings bow down to him. May all nations serve him.

Some people claim they are Jews but are not. They are liars. Their worship comes from Satan. I will make them come and fall down at your feet. I will make them say in public that I have loved you.

Messengers will come from Egypt. The people of Cush will be quick to bring gifts to you.

You will know that I am with you in Israel. I am the Lord your God. There is no other God. So my people will never again be put to shame.

Lord, you are the Lord who rules over all. May those who put their hope in you not be dishonored because of me. You are the God of Israel. May those who worship you not be put to shame because of me.

The Lord sets his people free. He is the Holy One of Israel. He speaks to his servant, who is looked down on and hated by the nations. He speaks to the servant of rulers. He says to him,“ Kings will see you and stand up to honor you. Princes will see you and bow down to show you their respect. I am the Lord. I am faithful. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have chosen you.”

Am I like a mother to them? Are they my children? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms? Do I have to carry them the way a nurse carries a baby? Do I have to carry them to the land you promised? You promised the land to their people of long ago.

Don’t try to stop the work on the temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and their elders rebuild the house of their God. Let them build it in the same place where it stood before.Here is what I want you to do for the elders of the Jews. Here is how you must help them to build the house of their God. Pay all their expenses from the royal treasures. Use the money you collect from the people who live west of the Euphrates. Don’t let the work on the temple stop.Don’t fail to give the priests in Jerusalem what they ask for each day. Give them what they need. Give them young bulls, rams and male lambs. The priests can use them to sacrifice burnt offerings to the God of heaven. Also give them wheat, salt, wine and olive oil.Give them those things so they can offer sacrifices that please the God of heaven. And I want them to pray that things will go well for me and my sons.Don’t change this order. If anyone tries to change it, they must be put to death. A pole must be pulled from their house. The pole must be stuck through their body. Because that person tried to change my royal order, their house must be broken to pieces.God has chosen to put his Name in the temple at Jerusalem. May he wipe out any king or nation that lifts a hand to change this order. May he also wipe out anyone who tries to destroy the temple in Jerusalem. That’s what I have ordered. I am King Darius. Make sure you carry out my order.

Lord, may all the kings on earth praise you when they hear about what you have decided.

It is written,“ Look! In Zion I am laying a stone that causes people to trip. It is a rock that makes them fall. The one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”( Isaiah 8:14; 28:16)

The nations will walk by the light of the city. The kings of the world will bring their glory into it.Its gates will never be shut, because there will be no night there.The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

In Scripture it says,“ Look! I am placing a stone in Zion. It is a chosen and very valuable stone. It is the most important stone in the building. The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”( Isaiah 28:16)

Kings, be wise! Rulers of the earth, be warned!Serve the Lord and have respect for him. Celebrate his rule with trembling.Obey the son completely, or he will be angry. Your way of life will lead to your death. His anger can blaze out at any moment. Blessed are all those who go to him for safety.

Jerusalem, the nations will see that I have made everything right for you. All their kings will see your glory. You will be called by a new name. I myself will give it to you.

But many nations will be surprised when they see what he has done. Kings will be so amazed that they will not be able to say anything. They will understand things they were never told. They will know the meaning of things they never heard.”

When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought into the house. They bowed down low in front of him.

“ Cyrus, the king of Persia, says,“‘ The Lord is the God of heaven. He has given me all the kingdoms on earth. He has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem and build the Lord’ s temple. He is the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. And may their God be with them.The people still left alive in every place must bring gifts to the people going. They must provide silver and gold to the people going up to Jerusalem. The people must bring goods and livestock. They should also bring any offerings they choose to. All those gifts will be for God’s temple in Jerusalem.’ ”

Ezra was a priest and teacher of the Law. He was an educated man. He knew the Lord’ s commands and rules for Israel very well. Here is a copy of a letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra. It said,I, Artaxerxes, am writing this letter. I am the greatest king of all. I have given it to Ezra the priest. He is the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven. I give you my greetings.Ezra, I am giving an order about the Israelites in my kingdom. Any of them who want to go to Jerusalem with you may go. The order also allows priests and Levites to go with you.I and my seven advisers are sending you to see how things are going in Judah and Jerusalem. Find out whether the people there are obeying the Law of your God. You have a copy of that law with you.I and my advisers have freely given some silver and gold to the God of Israel. He is the God who lives in Jerusalem. Take that silver and gold with you.Also take any other silver and gold you can get from the land of Babylon. And take the offerings the people and priests choose to give for the temple of their God in Jerusalem.Make sure you use the money to buy bulls, rams and male lambs. Also buy their grain offerings and drink offerings. Then sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.You and the other Jews can do what you think is best with the rest of the silver and gold. Do what your God wants you to do.Give to the God of Jerusalem all the things you are responsible for. Use them for worshiping your God in his temple.You might need to supply some other things for the temple of your God. If you do, take them from among the royal treasures.I, King Artaxerxes, also give this order. It applies to all those who are in charge of the treasures west of the Euphrates River. Make sure you provide anything Ezra the priest might ask you to give. He is the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven.Give Ezra up to three and three- fourths tons of silver. Give him up to 18 tons of wheat. Give him up to 600 gallons of wine and up to 600 gallons of olive oil. And give him as much salt as he needs.Work hard for the temple of the God of heaven. Do everything he has required. I don’t want him to be angry with my kingdom and the kingdom of my sons.Here is something else I want you to know. You have no authority to collect taxes, gifts or fees from these people. You may not collect them from the priests, Levites or musicians. You may not collect them from those who guard the temple gates. You may not collect them from the temple servants. And you may not collect them from other workers at the house of God in Jerusalem.Ezra, appoint judges and other court officials. When you do it, use the wisdom your God gives you. Those you appoint should do what is right and fair when they judge people. They should do it for everyone who lives west of the Euphrates River. They should do it for everyone who knows the laws of your God. And I want you to teach the people who don’t know those laws.Anyone who doesn’t obey the law of your God must be punished. The same thing applies to anyone who doesn’t obey my law. The people must be punished in keeping with the laws they have broken. Some of them must be put to death. Others must be forced to leave the places where they live. Others must have their property taken away from them. Still others must be put in prison.So here is what I, Ezra, say to you people of Israel.“ Give praise to the Lord. He is the God of our people who lived long ago. He has put it in the king’s heart to bring honor to the Lord’ s temple in Jerusalem. The king has honored the Lord in his letter.The Lord has been kind to me. He has caused the king and his advisers to be kind to me. In fact, all the king’s powerful officials have been kind to me. The strong hand of the Lord my God helped me. That gave me new strength. So I gathered together leaders from Israel to go up to Jerusalem with me.”

The queen was sitting beside the king. He turned and asked me,“ How long will your journey take? When will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me. So I chose a certain time.I also said to him,“ If it pleases you, may I take some letters with me? I want to give them to the governors of the land west of the Euphrates River. Then they’ll help me travel safely through their territory until I arrive in Judah.May I also have a letter to Asaph? He takes care of the royal park. I want him to give me some logs so I can make beams out of them. I want to use them for the gates of the fort that is by the temple. Some of the logs will also be used in the city wall. And I’ll need some for the house I’m going to live in.” God was kind to me and helped me. So the king gave me what I asked for.Then I went to the governors of the land west of the Euphrates River. I gave them the king’s letters. He had also sent army officers and horsemen along with me.Sanballat and Tobiah heard about what was happening. Sanballat was a Horonite. Tobiah was an official from Ammon. They were very upset that someone had come to help the Israelites.