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So the king and Haman went to Queen Ester’s banquet; and the king again said to Ester at the wine banquet, “Whatever your request, Queen Ester, you will be granted it; whatever you want, up to half the kingdom, it will be done.” Ester the queen answered, “If I have won your favor, king, and if it pleases the king, then what I ask be given me is my own life and the lives of my people. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed, exterminated. If we had only been sold as men- and women-slaves, I would have remained quiet; since then [our] trouble would not have been worth the damage it would have caused the king [to alter the situation].” King Achashverosh asked Ester the queen, “Who is he? Where is the man who dared to do such a thing?” Ester said, “A ruthless enemy — it’s this wicked Haman!” Haman stood aghast, terrified before the king and queen.

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Haman Impaled

So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet,(A) and as they were drinking wine(B) on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,(C) it will be granted.(D)

Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor(E) with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated.(F) If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.[a]

King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 7:4 Or quiet, but the compensation our adversary offers cannot be compared with the loss the king would suffer

Harvonah, one of the king’s attendants, said, “Look! The gallows seventy-five feet high that Haman made for Mordekhai, who spoke only good for the king, is standing at Haman’s house.” The king said, “Hang him on it.” 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordekhai. Then the king’s anger subsided.

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Then Harbona,(A) one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits[a](B) stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

The king said, “Impale him on it!”(C) 10 So they impaled(D) Haman(E) on the pole(F) he had set up for Mordecai.(G) Then the king’s fury subsided.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 7:9 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters

20 Mordekhai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Achashverosh, both near and far, 21 instructing them to observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day, every year, 22 [to commemorate] the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and the month which for them was turned from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; they were to make them days of celebrating and rejoicing, sending portions [of food] to each other and giving gifts to the poor.

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Purim Established

20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the time when the Jews got relief(A) from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration.(B) He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food(C) to one another and gifts to the poor.(D)

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124 (0) A song of ascents. By David:

(1) If Adonai hadn’t been for us —
let Isra’el repeat it —
If Adonai hadn’t been for us
when people rose to attack us,
then, when their anger blazed against us,
they would have swallowed us alive!
Then the water would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us.
Yes, the raging water
would have swept right over us.

Blessed be Adonai, who did not leave us
to be a prey for their teeth!
We escaped like a bird from the hunter’s trap;
the trap is broken, and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of Adonai,
the maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say(A)
if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
    when their anger flared against us;
the flood(B) would have engulfed us,
    the torrent(C) would have swept over us,
the raging waters
    would have swept us away.

Praise be to the Lord,
    who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
    from the fowler’s snare;(D)
the snare has been broken,(E)
    and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name(F) of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(G) and earth.

13 Is someone among you in trouble? He should pray. Is someone feeling good? He should sing songs of praise.

14 Is someone among you ill? He should call for the elders of the congregation. They will pray for him and rub olive oil on him in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer offered with trust will heal the one who is ill — the Lord will restore his health; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, openly acknowledge your sins to one another, and pray for each other, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 17 Eliyahu was only a human being like us; yet he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and no rain fell on the Land for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the Land produced its crops.

19 My brothers, if one of you wanders from the truth, and someone causes him to return, 20 you should know that whoever turns a sinner from his wandering path will save him from death and cover many sins.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. James 5:20 Proverbs 10:12

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.(A) Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.(B) 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders(C) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil(D) in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith(E) will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins(F) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.(G) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.(H)

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are.(I) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.(J) 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.(K)

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth(L) and someone should bring that person back,(M) 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save(N) them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.(O)

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38 Yochanan said to him, “Rabbi, we saw a man expelling demons in your name; and because he wasn’t one of us, we told him to stop.” 39 But Yeshua said, “Don’t stop him, because no one who works a miracle in my name will soon after be able to say something bad about me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Indeed, whoever gives you even a cup of water to drink because you come in the name of the Messiah — yes! I tell you that he will certainly not lose his reward.

42 “Whoever ensnares one of these little ones who trust me — it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and be thrown in the sea. 43 If your hand makes you sin, cut it off! Better that you should be maimed but obtain eternal life, rather than keep both hands and go to Gei-Hinnom, to unquenchable fire! 44 [a] 45 And if your foot makes you sin, cut it off! Better that you should be lame but obtain eternal life, rather than keep both feet and be thrown into Gei-Hinnom! 46 [b] 47 And if your eye makes you sin, pluck it out! Better that you should be one-eyed but enter the Kingdom of God, rather than keep both eyes and be thrown into Gei-Hinnom,

48 where their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.[c]

49 Indeed, everyone is going to be salted with fire. 50 Salt is excellent, but if it loses its saltiness, how will you season it? So have salt in yourselves — that is, be at peace with each other.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 9:44 Some manuscripts include identical verses 9:44, 46: where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. (Isaiah 66:24)
  2. Mark 9:46 Some manuscripts include identical verses 9:44, 46: where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. (Isaiah 66:24)
  3. Mark 9:48 Isaiah 66:24

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us(A)

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”(B)

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.(C) 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.(D)

Causing to Stumble

42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble,(E) it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.(F) 43 If your hand causes you to stumble,(G) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell,(H) where the fire never goes out.(I) [44] [a] 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble,(J) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.(K) [46] [b] 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble,(L) pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,(M) 48 where

“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
    and the fire is not quenched.’[c](N)

49 Everyone will be salted(O) with fire.

50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?(P) Have salt among yourselves,(Q) and be at peace with each other.”(R)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 9:44 Some manuscripts include here the words of verse 48.
  2. Mark 9:46 Some manuscripts include here the words of verse 48.
  3. Mark 9:48 Isaiah 66:24