Psalm 140

New International Version

Psalm 140^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Rescue me,^(A) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,^(B)
²who devise evil plans^(C) in their hearts
    and stir up war^(D) every day.
³They make their tongues as sharp as^(E) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers^(F) is on their lips.^[b]

⁴Keep me safe,^(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;^(H)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
⁵The arrogant have hidden a snare^(I) for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net^(J)
    and have set traps^(K) for me along my path.

⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”^(L)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.^(M)
⁷Sovereign Lord,^(N) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
⁸Do not grant the wicked^(O) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

⁹Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.^(P)
¹⁰May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,^(Q)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
¹¹May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.^(R)

¹²I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor^(S)
and upholds the cause^(T) of the needy.^(U)
¹³Surely the righteous will praise your name,^(V)
and the upright will live^(W) in your presence.^(X)

Footnotes

Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.

Esther 5

New International Version

Esther’s Request to the King

5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes^(A) and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s^(B) hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. ²When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.^(C)

³Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,^(D) it will be given you.”

⁴“If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”

⁵“Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”

So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. ⁶As they were drinking wine,^(E) the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,^(F) it will be granted.”^(G)

⁷Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: ⁸If the king regards me with favor^(H) and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet^(I) I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

Haman’s Rage Against Mordecai

⁹Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage^(J) against Mordecai.^(K) ¹⁰Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.

Calling together his friends and Zeresh,^(L) his wife, ¹¹Haman boasted^(M) to them about his vast wealth, his many sons,^(N) and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. ¹²“And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person^(O) Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. ¹³But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.^(P)”

¹⁴His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits,^[a]^(Q) and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled^(R) on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.

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Footnotes

Esther 5:14 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters

1 John 2:18-25

New International Version

Warnings Against Denying the Son

¹⁸Dear children, this is the last hour;^(A) and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,^(B) even now many antichrists have come.^(C) This is how we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹They went out from us,^(D) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.^(E)

²⁰But you have an anointing^(F) from the Holy One,^(G) and all of you know the truth.^[a]^(H) ²¹I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it^(I) and because no lie comes from the truth. ²²Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.^(J) ²³No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.^(K)

²⁴As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning^(L) remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.^(M) ²⁵And this is what he promised us—eternal life.^(N)

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