-
Proverbs 28:16
A ruler who is mean to his people takes money from them by force. But one who hates money gained in the wrong way will rule a long time.
-
Ecclesiastes 10:5-7
Here’s something evil I’ve seen on this earth. And it’s the kind of mistake that rulers make.Foolish people are given many important jobs. Rich people are given unimportant ones.I’ve seen slaves on horseback. I’ve also seen princes who were forced to walk as if they were slaves.
-
Proverbs 26:8
Giving honor to a foolish person is like tying a stone in a slingshot.
-
Psalms 12:8
Proud and sinful people walk around openly when the evil they do is praised by the human race.
-
Proverbs 19:10
It isn’t proper for a foolish person to live in great comfort. And it is much worse when a slave rules over princes!
-
Psalms 15:4
They hate evil people. But they honor those who have respect for the Lord. They keep their promises even when it hurts. They do not change their mind.
-
Proverbs 17:7
Fancy words don’t belong in the mouths of ungodly fools. And lies certainly don’t belong in the mouths of rulers!
-
Psalms 52:1
You think you are such a big, strong man! Why do you brag about the evil things you’ve done? You are a dishonor to God all the time.
-
Judges 9:7
Jotham was told about it. So he climbed up on top of Mount Gerizim. He shouted down to them,“ Citizens of Shechem! Listen to me! Then God will listen to you.
-
1 Samuel 12 17-1 Samuel 12 18
It’s time to gather in the wheat, isn’t it? I’ll call out to the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what an evil thing you did in the sight of the Lord. You shouldn’t have asked for a king.”Samuel called out to the Lord. That same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people had great respect for the Lord and for Samuel.
-
Judges 9:56-57
That’s how God punished Abimelek for the evil thing he had done to his father. He had murdered his 70 brothers.God also made the people of Shechem pay for all the evil things they had done. The curse of Jotham came down on them. He was the son of Jerub- Baal.
-
Esther 4:6
So Hathak went out to see Mordecai. He was in the open area in front of the palace gate.
-
Esther 4:9
Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.
-
Esther 3:1-15
After those events, King Xerxes honored Haman. Haman was the son of Hammedatha. He was from the family line of Agag. The king gave Haman a higher position than he had before. He gave him a seat of honor. It was higher than the positions any of the other nobles had.All the royal officials at the palace gate got down on their knees. They gave honor to Haman. That’s because the king had commanded them to do it. But Mordecai refused to get down on his knees. He wouldn’t give Haman any honor at all.The royal officials at the palace gate asked Mordecai a question. They said,“ Why don’t you obey the king’s command?”Day after day they spoke to him. But he still refused to obey. So they told Haman about it. They wanted to see whether he would let Mordecai get away with what he was doing. Mordecai had told them he was a Jew.Haman noticed that Mordecai wouldn’t get down on his knees. He wouldn’t give Haman any honor. So Haman was very angry.But he had found out who Mordecai’s people were. So he didn’t want to kill only Mordecai. He also looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people. They were Jews. He wanted to kill all of them everywhere in the kingdom of Xerxes.The lot was cast in front of Haman. The lot was called Pur. It was cast in the first month of the 12th year that Xerxes was king. That month was called Nisan. The lot was cast to choose a day and a month. The month chosen was the 12th month. That month was called Adar.Then Haman said to King Xerxes,“ Certain people are scattered among the nations. They live in all the territories in your kingdom. They keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their practices are different from the practices of all other people. They don’t obey your laws. It really isn’t good for you to put up with them.If it pleases you, give the order to destroy them. I’ll even add 375 tons of silver to the king’s officials for the royal treasures.”So the king took his ring off his finger. The ring had his royal seal on it. He gave the ring to Haman. Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite. Haman was the enemy of the Jews.“ Keep the money,” the king said to Haman.“ Do what you want to with those people.”The king sent for the royal secretaries. It was the 13th day of the first month. The secretaries wrote down all Haman’s orders. They wrote them down in the writing of each territory in the kingdom. They also wrote them in the language of each nation. The orders were sent to the royal officials and to the governors of the territories. And the orders were also sent to the nobles of the nations. The orders were written in the name of King Xerxes himself. And they were stamped with his own official mark.They were carried by messengers. They were sent to all the king’s territories. The orders commanded people to destroy, kill and wipe out all the Jews. That included young people and old people alike. It included women and children. All the Jews were supposed to be killed on a single day. That day was the 13th day of the 12th month. It was the month of Adar. The orders also commanded people to take everything that belonged to the Jews.A copy of the order had to be sent out as law. It had to be sent to every territory in the kingdom. It had to be announced to the people of every nation. Then they would be ready for that day.The king commanded the messengers to go out. So they did. The order was sent out from the fort of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink wine. But the people in the city were bewildered.
-
Judges 9:20
But if you haven’t, let fire come out from Abimelek and burn you up! And let fire come out from you and burn Abimelek up!”
-
Proverbs 26:3
A whip is for a horse, and a harness is for a donkey. And a beating is for the backs of foolish people.
