Psalm 138

New International Version

Psalm 138

Of David.

¹I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods”^(A) I will sing^(B) your praise.
²I will bow down toward your holy temple^(C)
    and will praise your name^(D)
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,^(E)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.^(F)
³When I called,^(G) you answered me;^(H)
    you greatly emboldened^(I) me.

⁴May all the kings of the earth^(J) praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵May they sing^(K) of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord^(L) is great.

⁶Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;^(M)
    though lofty, he sees them^(N) from afar.
⁷Though I walk^(O) in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.^(P)
You stretch out your hand^(Q) against the anger of my foes;^(R)
    with your right hand^(S) you save me.^(T)
⁸The Lord will vindicate^(U) me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever^(V)—
    do not abandon^(W) the works of your hands.^(X)

Esther 2:19-3:6

New International Version

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

¹⁹When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.^(A) ²⁰But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.^(B)

²¹During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana^[a] and Teresh, two of the king’s officers^(C) who guarded the doorway, became angry^(D) and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. ²²But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. ²³And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled^(E) on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals^(F) in the presence of the king.^(G)

Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews

3 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,^(H) elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. ²All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

³Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”^(I) ⁴Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply.^(J) Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.

⁵When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.^(K) ⁶Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way^(L) to destroy^(M) all Mordecai’s people, the Jews,^(N) throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

Footnotes

Esther 2:21 Hebrew Bigthan, a variant of Bigthana

Acts 1:15-20

New International Version

¹⁵In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶and said, “Brothers and sisters,^[a]^(A) the Scripture had to be fulfilled^(B) in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,^(C) who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷He was one of our number^(D) and shared in our ministry.”^(E)

¹⁸(With the payment^(F) he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;^(G) there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language^(H) Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

“‘May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,’^[b]^(I)

and,

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’^[c]^(J)

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Footnotes

Acts 1:16 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 6:3; 11:29; 12:17; 16:40; 18:18, 27; 21:7, 17; 28:14, 15.
Acts 1:20 Psalm 69:25
Acts 1:20 Psalm 109:8