Proud and sinful people walk around openly when the evil they do is praised by the human race.

下流人在世人中升高，就有恶人到处游行。

卑鄙的人在世人中高升时，就有恶人四处横行。

卑鄙的人在世人中高升时，就有恶人四处横行。

众人若抑善扬恶，恶人必横行无忌。

恶人到处横行，邪恶在世人中被高举。

卑劣的事在世人中受尊崇时，恶人就四处横行。

下流人在世人中升高，就有惡人到處遊行。

卑鄙的人在世人中高升時，就有惡人四處橫行。

卑鄙的人在世人中高升時，就有惡人四處橫行。

眾人若抑善揚惡，惡人必橫行無忌。

惡人到處橫行，邪惡在世人中被高舉。

雖有惡人到處橫行，你卻輕蔑下流人像蛆蟲。

卑劣的事在世人中受尊崇時，惡人就四處橫行。

庸劣居於人上、惡者隨在而遨遊兮、

維彼惡人、以遨以遊、若狂風之驟起兮。

卑陋人升居高位、各處有惡人傲然而行、

主必濟窮民。莫隨斯世溺。

who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.

On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.

The wicked prowl all around, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.

The wicked strut about on every side When vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.

The wicked prowl on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

The wicked walk on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.

The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

for the wicked seem to be everywhere, when people promote evil.

The wicked walk on every side, when what is vile is exalted among the sons of men.

“ After him, another king will take his place. Many people will hate him. He will not be honored as a king should be. He will lead an army into the kingdom when its people feel secure. He will make clever plans to capture it.

They were so foolish that no one respected them. They were driven out of the land.

The high priest tore his clothes.“ Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked.“ You have heard him say a very evil thing against God. What do you think?” They all found him guilty and said he must die.Then some began to spit at him. They blindfolded him. They hit him with their fists. They said,“ Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

People who are afraid will know and understand. Tongues that stutter will speak clearly.Foolish people won’t be considered noble anymore. Those who are worthless won’t be highly respected.Foolish people say foolish things. Their minds are set on doing evil things. They don’t do what is right. They tell lies about the Lord. They don’t give hungry people any food. They don’t let thirsty people have any water.

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.

Ephraim will soon be crushed. The Assyrians will stomp all over them. It will happen because they have made up their minds to chase after other gods.

You have followed the evil practices of King Omri of Israel. You have done what the family of King Ahab did. You have followed their bad example. So I will let you be destroyed. Others will make fun of you. The nations will laugh at you.”

If rulers listen to lies, all their officials become evil.

Day and night they prowl around on top of its walls. The city is full of crime and trouble.Forces that destroy are at work inside it. Its streets are full of people who cheat others and take advantage of them.

Saul said to David,“ Here is my older daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you to be your wife. Just serve me bravely and fight the Lord’ s battles.” Saul said to himself,“ I won’t have to lift my hand to strike him down. The Philistines will do that!”But David said to Saul,“ Who am I? Is anyone in my whole family that important in Israel? Am I worthy to become the king’s son- in- law?”

But today you have turned against my father’s family. You have murdered his 70 sons on a big rock. Abimelek is only the son of my father’s female slave. But you have made him king over the citizens of Shechem. You have done that because he’s related to you.Have you citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo acted in an honest way toward Jerub- Baal? Have you done the right thing to his family today? If you have, may you be happy with Abimelek! And may he be happy with you!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!”Then Jotham ran away. He escaped to a town named Beer. He lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.Abimelek ruled over Israel for three years.Then God stirred up trouble between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem. So they turned against Abimelek. They decided not to follow him anymore.God made that happen because of what Abimelek had done to Jerub- Baal’s 70 sons. He had spilled their blood. God wanted to punish their brother Abimelek for doing that. He also wanted to punish the citizens of Shechem. They had helped Abimelek murder his brothers.The citizens of Shechem didn’t want Abimelek to be their ruler anymore. So they hid some men on top of the hills. They wanted them to attack and rob everyone who passed by. Abimelek was told about it.Gaal and his relatives moved into Shechem. Gaal was the son of Ebed. The citizens of Shechem put their trust in Gaal.The people of Shechem went out into the fields. They gathered the grapes. They pressed the juice out of them by stomping on them. Then they held a feast in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek.Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, said,“ Who is Abimelek? And who is Shechem? Why should we citizens of Shechem be under Abimelek’s rule? Isn’t he Jerub- Baal’s son? Isn’t Zebul his helper? It would be better to serve the family of Hamor. He was the father of Shechem. So why should we serve Abimelek?I wish these people were under my command. Then I would get rid of Abimelek. I would say to him,‘ Call out your whole army!’ ”Zebul was the governor of Shechem. He heard about what Gaal, the son of Ebed, had said. So he was very angry.Zebul secretly sent messengers to Abimelek. They said,“ Gaal, the son of Ebed, has come to Shechem. His relatives have come with him. They are stirring up the city against you.So come with your men during the night. Hide in the fields and wait.In the morning at sunrise, attack the city. Gaal and his men will come out against you. Then take that opportunity to attack them.”So Abimelek and all his troops started out at night. They went into their hiding places near Shechem. Abimelek had separated them into four fighting groups.Gaal, the son of Ebed, had already gone out. He was standing at the entrance of the city gate. He had arrived there just as Abimelek and his troops came out of their hiding places.Gaal saw them. He said to Zebul,“ Look! People are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” Zebul replied,“ You are wrong. Those aren’t people. They are just the shadows of the mountains.”But Gaal spoke up again. He said,“ Look! People are coming down from the central hill. Another group is coming from the direction of the fortune tellers’ tree.”Then Zebul said to Gaal,“ Where is your big talk now? You said,‘ Who is Abimelek? Why should we be under his rule?’ Aren’t these the people you made fun of? Go out and fight against them!”So Gaal led the citizens out of Shechem. They fought against Abimelek.He chased Gaal from the field of battle. Abimelek chased them all the way to the entrance of the city gate. Many men were killed as they ran away.Abimelek stayed in Arumah. And Zebul drove Gaal and his relatives out of Shechem.The next day the people of Shechem went out to work in the fields. Abimelek was told about it.So he gathered his men together. He separated them into three fighting groups. Then he hid them in the fields and told them to wait. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he got up to attack them.Abimelek and the men with him ran forward. They placed themselves at the entrance of the city gate. Then the other two groups attacked the people in the fields. There they struck them down.Abimelek kept up his attack against the city all day long. He didn’t stop until he had captured it. Then he killed its people. He destroyed the city. He scattered salt on it to make sure that nothing would be able to grow there.The citizens in the tower of Shechem heard about what was happening. So they went to the safest place in the temple of the god named El- Berith.Abimelek heard that they had gathered together there.He and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He got an ax and cut off some branches. He carried them on his shoulders. He ordered the men with him to do the same thing.“ Quick!” he said.“ Do what you have seen me do!”So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the place where the people had gone for safety. Then they set the place on fire with the people still inside. There were about 1,000 men and women in the tower of Shechem. All of them died.Next, Abimelek went to Thebez. He surrounded it. Then he attacked it and captured it.But inside the city there was a strong tower. All the people in the city had run to it for safety. All the men and women had gone into it. They had locked themselves in. They had climbed up on the roof of the tower.Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. He approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire.But a woman dropped a large millstone on him. It broke his head open.He quickly called out to the man carrying his armor. He said,“ Pull out your sword and kill me. Then people can’t say,‘ A woman killed him.’ ” So his servant stuck his sword through him. And Abimelek died.When the Israelites saw he was dead, they went home.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.