But after Xerxes' anger had subsided, he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made.So his personal attendants suggested, "Let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint agents in each province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal harem at the fortress of Susa. Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the ha...  Read More

"According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?" he asked, "She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her."Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, "Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. For the Queen's conduct will become known to a...  Read More

This is what happened during the time of Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. At that time, King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials…For a full 180 days, he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty…Wine was served in ...  Read More

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD;Look to the Rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth.When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many."The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins;He will make her deserts like E...  Read More

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.It is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new.See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.The wild animals in the field will thank Me, the jackals and the owls, too, for giving them water in the desert.Yes, I will make ri...  Read More

That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron . . . And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.". . . Joshua son of Nun and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed t...  Read More