Can you have anything to do with rulers who aren’t fair? Can those who make laws that cause suffering be friends of yours?

那藉着律例架弄残害、在位上行奸恶的，岂能与你相交吗？

那藉着律例玩弄奸恶、以权位肆行残害的，岂能与你交往呢？

那藉着律例玩弄奸恶、以权位肆行残害的，岂能与你交往呢？

借律例制造不幸的首领，岂能与你联盟？

凭着律例制造奸恶，藉着权位行毁灭的，怎能和你相交呢？

那些坐在奸恶王位上的，就是藉着律例制造祸患的，难道能成为你的盟友吗？

那藉着律例架弄殘害、在位上行奸惡的，豈能與你相交嗎？

那藉着律例玩弄奸惡、以權位肆行殘害的，豈能與你交往呢？

那藉着律例玩弄奸惡、以權位肆行殘害的，豈能與你交往呢？

藉律例製造不幸的首領，豈能與你聯盟？

憑著律例製造奸惡，藉著權位行毀滅的，怎能和你相交呢？

那肆行毁滅而居權位者，憑着律例架弄奸惡、

那些坐在奸惡王位上的，就是藉著律例製造禍患的，難道能成為你的盟友嗎？

奸惡在位、藉律作慝、豈能與爾交通乎、

惡人在位、立法不善、爾豈佑之兮、

惡人在位抗逆律法、肆行殘害、豈能與主聯合、

兇逆居上位。弄法施暴虐。

Can a corrupt throne be allied with you— a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?

Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?

Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side— leaders whose decrees permit injustice?

Can a corrupt throne be your ally, a throne that makes evil laws?

Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, One which devises mischief by decree?

Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, Have fellowship with You?

Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with thee, Which frameth mischief by statute?

Can a corrupt throne— one that creates trouble by law— become Your ally?

Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?

Cruel rulers are not your allies, those who make oppressive laws.

Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute?

No, in your hearts you plan to be unfair. With your hands you do terrible things on the earth.

How terrible it will be for you who make laws that aren’t fair! How terrible for you who write laws that make life hard for others!

“ Do you think I need any more of your sacrifices?” asks the Lord.“ I have more than enough of your burnt offerings. I have more than enough of rams and the fat of your fattest animals. I do not find any pleasure in the blood of your bulls, lambs and goats.Who asked you to bring all these animals when you come to worship me? Who asked you and your animals to walk all over my courtyards?Stop bringing offerings that do not mean anything to me! I hate your incense. I can’t stand your worthless gatherings. I can’t stand the way you celebrate your New Moon feasts, Sabbath days and special services.Your New Moon feasts and your other appointed feasts I hate with my whole being. They have become a heavy load to me. I am tired of carrying it.You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray. But I do not look at you. You might even offer many prayers. But I am not listening to them. Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered.So wash and make yourselves clean. Get your evil actions out of my sight! Stop doing what is wrong!Learn to do what is right! Treat people fairly. Help those who are treated badly. Stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. And do the same thing for widows.“ Come. Let us settle this matter,” says the Lord.“ Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are deep red, they will be white like wool.But you have to be willing to change and obey me. If you are, you will eat the good things that grow on the land.But if you are not willing to obey me, you will be killed by swords.” The Lord has spoken.

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The leaders had already made this decision about Jesus. Anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.

The second beast was allowed to give breath to this statue so it could speak. The statue could kill all who refused to worship it.It also forced everyone to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. People great or small, rich or poor, free or slave had to receive the mark.They could not buy or sell anything unless they had the mark. The mark is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

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.”

Do not trust in lies. Do not say,‘ This is the temple of the Lord! This is the temple of the Lord! This is the temple of the Lord!’You must really change the way you live and act. Treat one another fairly.Do not treat outsiders or widows badly in this place. Do not take advantage of children whose fathers have died. Do not kill those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. Do not worship other gods. That will only bring harm to you.If you obey me, I will let you live in this place. It is the land I gave your people of long ago. It was promised to them for ever and ever.But look! You are trusting in worthless lies.“‘ “You continue to steal and commit murder. You commit adultery. You tell lies in court. You burn incense to Baal. You worship other gods you didn’t know before.Then you come and stand in front of me. You keep coming to this house where I have put my Name. You say,‘ We are safe.’ You think you are safe when you do so many things I hate.My Name is in this house. But you have made it a den for robbers! I have been watching you!” announces the Lord.

Suppose you see poor people being mistreated somewhere. And what is being done to them isn’t right or fair. Don’t be surprised by that. One official is watched by a higher one. Officials who are even higher are watching both of them.

But here is what God says to a sinful person.“ What right do you have to speak the words of my laws? How dare you speak the words of my covenant!

Then a messenger called out loudly,“ Listen, you people who come from every nation! Pay attention, you who speak other languages! Here is what the king commands you to do.You will soon hear the sound of horns and flutes. You will hear zithers, lyres, harps and pipes. In fact, you will hear all kinds of music. When you do, you must fall down and worship the gold statue. That is the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.If you don’t, you will be thrown into a blazing furnace right away.”All the people heard the sound of the horns and flutes. They heard the zithers, lyres, harps and other musical instruments. As soon as they did, they fell down and worshiped Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. They were people from all nations no matter what language they spoke.

But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders. They had commanded anyone who found out where Jesus was staying to report it. Then they could arrest him.

You are trying to avoid the time when trouble will come. But you are only bringing closer the Assyrian rule of terror.

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.

Here’s something else I saw on earth. Where people should be treated right, they are treated wrong. Where people should be treated fairly, they are treated unfairly.

All the royal leaders, high officials, royal rulers, advisers and governors want to make a suggestion. We’ve agreed that you should give an order. And you should make sure it’s obeyed. Your Majesty, here is the command you should make your people obey for the next 30 days. Don’t let any of your people pray to any god or human being except to you. If they do, throw them into the lions’ den.Now give the order. Write it down in the law of the Medes and Persians. Then it can’t be changed.”So King Darius put the order in writing.

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.

He said,“ Lord, you are the God of Israel. There is no God like you in heaven or on earth. You keep the covenant you made with us. You show us your love. You do that when we follow you with all our hearts.You have kept your promise to my father David. He was your servant. With your mouth you made a promise. With your powerful hand you have made it come true. And today we can see it.“ Lord, you are the God of Israel. Keep the promises you made to my father David. Do it for him. He was your servant. You said to him,‘ You will always have a son from your family line to sit on Israel’s throne. He will sit in front of the Most Holy Room, where my own throne is. That will be true only if your children after you are careful in everything they do. They must live the way my law tells them to. That is the way you have lived.’

Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning. The Jewish leaders did not want to be made“ unclean.” They wanted to be able to eat the Passover meal. So they did not enter the palace.

He established a feast. It was on the 15th day of the eighth month. He wanted to make it like the Feast of Booths that was held in Judah. Jeroboam built an altar at Bethel. He offered sacrifices on it. He sacrificed to the calves he had made. He also put priests in Bethel. He did it at the high places he had made.

Saul said,“ Son of Ahitub, listen to me.”“ Yes, master,” he answered.

God takes his place at the head of a large gathering of leaders. He announces his decisions among them.