The Last of the Terrible Troubles

Revelation 15 After this, I looked at the sky and saw something else that was strange and important. Seven angels were bringing the last seven terrible troubles. When these are ended, God will no longer be angry.
²Then I saw something that looked like a glass sea mixed with fire, and people were standing on it. They were the ones who had defeated the beast and the idol and the number that tells the name of the beast. God had given them harps, ³and they were singing the song that his servant Moses and the Lamb had sung. They were singing,
"Lord God All-Powerful,
you have done great and marvelous things.
You are the ruler of all nations,
and you do what is right and fair.
⁴Lord, who doesn't honor and praise your name?
You alone are holy,
and all nations will come and worship you,
because you have shown that you judge with fairness."
⁵After this, I noticed something else in heaven. The sacred tent used for a temple was open. ⁶And the seven angels who were bringing the terrible troubles were coming out of it. They were dressed in robes of pure white linen and wore belts made of pure gold. ⁷One of the four living creatures gave each of the seven angels a bowl made of gold. These bowls were filled with the anger of God who lives forever and ever. ⁸The temple quickly filled with smoke from the glory and power of God. No one could enter it until the seven angels had finished pouring out the seven last troubles.

Haman Is Punished

Esther 7 The king and Haman were dining with Esther ²and drinking wine during the second dinner, when the king again said, "Esther, what can I do for you? Just ask, and I will give you as much as half of my kingdom!"
³Esther answered, "Your Majesty, if you really care for me and are willing to help, you can save me and my people. That's what I really want, ⁴because a reward has been promised to anyone who kills my people. Your Majesty, if we were merely going to be sold as slaves, I would not have bothered you."
⁵"Who would dare to do such a thing?" the king asked.
⁶Esther replied, "That evil Haman is the one out to get us!"
Haman was terrified, as he looked at the king and the queen.
⁷The king was so angry that he got up, left his wine, and went out into the palace garden.
Haman realized that the king had already decided what to do with him, and he stayed and begged Esther to save his life.
⁸Just as the king came back into the room, Haman got down on his knees beside Esther, who was lying on the couch. The king shouted, "Now you're even trying to rape my queen here in my own palace!"
As soon as the king said this, his servants covered Haman's head. ⁹Then Harbona, one of the king's personal servants, said, "Your Majesty, Haman built a tower seventy-five feet high beside his house, so he could hang Mordecai on it. And Mordecai is the very one who spoke up and saved your life."
"Hang Haman from his own tower!" the king commanded. ¹⁰Right away, Haman was hanged on the tower he had built to hang Mordecai, and the king calmed down.

A Happy Ending for the Jews

Esther 8 Before the end of the day, King Xerxes gave Esther everything that had belonged to Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Esther told the king that Mordecai was her cousin. So the king made Mordecai one of his highest officials ²and gave him the royal ring that Haman had worn. Then Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's property.
³Once again Esther went to speak to the king. This time she fell down at his feet, crying and begging, "Please stop Haman's evil plan to have the Jews killed!" ⁴King Xerxes held out the golden scepter to Esther, ⁵and she got up and said, "Your Majesty, I know that you will do the right thing and that you really love me. Please stop what Haman has planned. He has already sent letters demanding that the Jews in all your provinces be killed, ⁶and I can't bear to see my people and my own relatives destroyed."
⁷King Xerxes then said to Esther and Mordecai, "I have already ordered Haman to be hanged and his house given to Esther, because of his evil plans to kill the Jews. ⁸I now give you permission to make a law that will save the lives of your people. You may use my ring to seal the law, so that it can never be changed."
⁹On the twenty-third day of Sivan, the third month, the king's secretaries wrote the law. They obeyed Mordecai and wrote to the Jews, the rulers, the governors, and the officials of all one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia. The letters were written in every language used in the kingdom, including the Jewish language. ¹⁰They were written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with his ring. Then they were taken by messengers who rode the king's finest and fastest horses.
^11-13In these letters the king said:

On the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month, the Jews in every city and province will be allowed to get together and defend themselves. They may destroy any army that attacks them, and they may kill all of their enemies, including women and children. They may also take everything that belongs to their enemies.

A copy of this law is to be posted in every province and read by everyone.
^14-15Then the king ordered his messengers to take their fastest horses and deliver the law as quickly as possible to every province. When Mordecai left, he was wearing clothes fit for a king. He wore blue and white robes, a large gold crown, and a cape made of fine linen and purple cloth.
After the law was announced in Susa, everyone shouted and cheered, ¹⁶and the Jews were no longer afraid. In fact, they were very happy and felt that they had won a victory.
¹⁷In every province and city where the law was sent, the Jews had parties and celebrated. Many of the people in the provinces accepted the Jewish religion, because they were now afraid of the Jews.

BOOK V
(Psalms 107--150)

Psalm 107
The LORD Is Good to His People

¹Shout praises to the LORD!
He is good to us, and his love never fails.
²Everyone the LORD has rescued from trouble
should praise him,
³everyone he has brought from the east and the west,
the north and the south.

⁴Some of you were lost in the scorching desert,
far from a town.
⁵You were hungry and thirsty and about to give up.
⁶You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD, and he rescued you.
⁷Right away he brought you to a town.
⁸You should praise the LORD for his love
and for the wonderful things he does for all of us.
⁹To everyone who is thirsty, he gives something to drink;
to everyone who is hungry,
he gives good things to eat.

¹⁰Some of you were prisoners
suffering in deepest darkness and bound by chains,
¹¹because you had rebelled against God Most High
and refused his advice.
¹²You were worn out from working like slaves,
and no one came to help.
¹³You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD, and he rescued you.
¹⁴He brought you out of the deepest darkness
and broke your chains.

¹⁵You should praise the LORD for his love
and for the wonderful things he does for all of us.
¹⁶He breaks down bronze gates and shatters iron locks.

¹⁷Some of you had foolishly committed a lot of sins
and were in terrible pain.
¹⁸The very thought of food was disgusting to you,
and you were almost dead.
¹⁹You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD, and he rescued you.
²⁰By the power of his own word, he healed you
and saved you from destruction.

²¹You should praise the LORD for his love
and for the wonderful things he does for all of us.
²²You should celebrate by offering sacrifices
and singing joyful songs to tell what he has done.