16 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy,(A) gladness and honor.(B)

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11 Light shines[a](A) on the righteous(B)
    and joy on the upright in heart.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 97:11 One Hebrew manuscript and ancient versions (see also 112:4); most Hebrew manuscripts Light is sown

10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;(A)
    when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.(B)

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For his anger(A) lasts only a moment,(B)
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;(C)
weeping(D) may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.(E)

When I felt secure, I said,
    “I will never be shaken.”(F)
Lord, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain[a] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,(G)
    I was dismayed.

To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
“What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?(H)
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?(I)
10 Hear,(J) Lord, and be merciful to me;(K)
    Lord, be my help.(L)

11 You turned my wailing(M) into dancing;(N)
    you removed my sackcloth(O) and clothed me with joy,(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 30:7 That is, Mount Zion

Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help

When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes,(A) put on sackcloth and ashes,(B) and went out into the city, wailing(C) loudly and bitterly. But he went only as far as the king’s gate,(D) because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

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10     and those the Lord has rescued(A) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;(B)
    everlasting joy(C) will crown their heads.
Gladness(D) and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.(E)

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29 And you will sing
    as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;(A)
your hearts will rejoice(B)
    as when people playing pipes(C) go up
to the mountain(D) of the Lord,
    to the Rock(E) of Israel.
30 The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voice(F)
    and will make them see his arm(G) coming down
with raging anger(H) and consuming fire,(I)
    with cloudburst, thunderstorm(J) and hail.(K)

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18 The path of the righteous(A) is like the morning sun,(B)
    shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(C)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(D)
    they do not know what makes them stumble.(E)

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Even in darkness light dawns(A) for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.(B)

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28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(A) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.(B)

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17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting(A) and joy.

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16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast(A) for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”(B)

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