By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

城因正直人祝福便高举，却因邪恶人的口就倾覆。

因正直人的祝福，城必升高；因邪恶人的口，它必倾覆。

因正直人的祝福，城必升高；因邪恶人的口，它必倾覆。

城因正直人的祝福而兴盛，因恶人的口舌而倾覆。

因正直人的祝福，城的地位就提高；因恶人的口，城就倾覆。

因正直人的祝福，城就被高举；因恶人的口，城就被倾覆。

城因正直人祝福便高舉，卻因邪惡人的口就傾覆。

因正直人的祝福，城必升高；因邪惡人的口，它必傾覆。

因正直人的祝福，城必升高；因邪惡人的口，它必傾覆。

城因正直人的祝福而興盛，因惡人的口舌而傾覆。

因正直人的祝福，城的地位就提高；因惡人的口，城就傾覆。

因正直人的祝福、城就被捧得很高；因惡人的口所說的、城便傾覆。

因正直人的祝福，城就被高舉；因惡人的口，城就被傾覆。

維彼城邑、以正直者之祝而振興、因邪惡者之口而傾覆、

惟彼城邑、義者頌祝則鞏固、惡者謗讟則傾圮。

城因正直人祝福則高堅、因惡者妄言則傾圮、

Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

The blessing of honest people builds up a city. But the words of sinners destroy it.

By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.

Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.

A city is built up by the blessing of the upright, but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked.

By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked, it is torn down.

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted; But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

A city is built up by the blessing of the upright, but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked.

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

A city is exalted by the blessing provided from the upright, but it is destroyed by the counsel of the wicked.

By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

Scoffers set a city aflame, But wise men turn away wrath.

Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.

Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven.Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

He will even deliver one who is not innocent; Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus,“ There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.And the king said to Haman,“ The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded— to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring.And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day.The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.

And there happened to be there a rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said:“ We have no share in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!”

And Pharaoh said to his servants,“ Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,“ Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”And Pharaoh said to Joseph,“ See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people.And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent.Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha—the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews— they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.On that day the number of those who were killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to the king.And the king said to Queen Esther,“ The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done.”Then Esther said,“ If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.And the Jews who were in Shushan gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.The remainder of the Jews in the king’s provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.