In You Do I Take Refuge

A ^(A)Shiggaion^[a] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.

The King Honors Mordecai

6 On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring ^(A)the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. ² And it was found written how ^(B)Mordecai had told about ^(C)Bigthana^[a] and ^(D)Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ³ And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king's young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” ⁴ And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered ^(E)the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on ^(F)the gallows^[b] that he had prepared for him. ⁵ And the king's young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” ⁶ So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man ^(G)whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” ⁷ And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, ⁸ let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, ^(H)and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head ^(I)a royal crown^[c] is set. ⁹ And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, ^(J)proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” ¹⁰ Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits ^(K)at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” ¹¹ So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

¹² Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning ^(L)and with his head covered. ¹³ And Haman told ^(M)his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”

Esther Reveals Haman's Plot

¹⁴ While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman ^(N)to the feast that Esther had prepared.

¹⁸ This charge ^(A)I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with ^(B)the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may ^(C)wage the good warfare, ^19 (D)holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have ^(E)made shipwreck of their faith, ²⁰ among whom are ^(F)Hymenaeus and ^(G)Alexander, whom I ^(H)have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to ^(I)blaspheme.

Pray for All People

2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ^2 (A)for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and ^(B)dignified in every way. ³ This is good, and ^(C)it is pleasing in the sight of ^(D)God our Savior, ⁴ who desires ^(E)all people to be saved and ^(F)to come to ^(G)the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For ^(H)there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man^[a] Christ Jesus, ^6 (I)who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is ^(J)the testimony given ^(K)at the proper time. ^7 (L)For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (^(M)I am telling the truth, I am not lying), ^(N)a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸ I desire then that ^(O)in every place the men should pray, ^(P)lifting ^(Q)holy hands without anger or quarreling; ⁹ likewise also ^(R)that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, ^10 (S)but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. ¹¹ Let a woman learn quietly ^(T)with all submissiveness. ^12 (U)I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. ^13 (V)For Adam was formed first, ^(W)then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but ^(X)the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. ¹⁵ Yet she will be saved through ^(Y)childbearing—if they continue in ^(Z)faith and love and holiness, with self-control.