Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 93[a]
93 The Lord reigns.
He is robed in majesty.
The Lord is robed;
he wears strength around his waist.[b]
Indeed, the world is established; it cannot be moved.
2 Your throne has been secure from ancient times;
you have always been king.[c]
3 The waves[d] roar, O Lord,
the waves roar,
the waves roar and crash.[e]
4 Above the sound of the surging water,[f]
and the mighty waves of the sea,
the Lord sits enthroned in majesty.[g]
5 The rules you set down[h] are completely reliable.[i]
Holiness[j] aptly adorns your house, O Lord, forever.[k]
Psalm 96[a]
96 Sing to the Lord a new song.[b]
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord. Praise his name.
Announce every day how he delivers.[c]
3 Tell the nations about his splendor.
Tell[d] all the nations about his amazing deeds.
4 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise;
he is more awesome than all gods.[e]
5 For all the gods of the nations are worthless,[f]
but the Lord made the sky.
6 Majestic splendor emanates from him;[g]
his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful.[h]
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves.[i]
Bring an offering and enter his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in holy attire.[j]
Tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
The world is established; it cannot be moved.
He judges the nations fairly.”
11 Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy.
Let the sea and everything in it shout.
12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate.
Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy
13 before the Lord, for he comes.
For he comes to judge the earth.
He judges the world fairly,[k]
and the nations in accordance with his justice.[l]
Psalm 34[a]
By David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away.[b]
34 I will praise[c] the Lord at all times;
my mouth will continually praise him.[d]
2 I will boast[e] in the Lord;
let the oppressed hear and rejoice.[f]
3 Magnify the Lord with me.
Let us praise[g] his name together.
4 I sought the Lord’s help[h] and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Look to him and be radiant;
do not let your faces be ashamed.[i]
6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard;
he saved him[j] from all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord camps around
the Lord’s[k] loyal followers[l] and delivers them.[m]
8 Taste[n] and see that the Lord is good.
How blessed[o] is the one[p] who takes shelter in him.[q]
9 Fear the Lord, you chosen people of his,[r]
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 Come children. Listen to me.
I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord.[s]
12 Do you want to really live?[t]
Would you love to live a long, happy life?[u]
13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words[v]
or use deceptive speech.[w]
14 Turn away from evil and do what is right.[x]
Strive for peace and promote it.[y]
15 The Lord pays attention to the godly
and hears their cry for help.[z]
16 But the Lord opposes evildoers
and wipes out all memory of them from the earth.[aa]
17 The godly[ab] cry out and the Lord hears;
he saves them from all their troubles.[ac]
18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
he delivers[ad] those who are discouraged.[ae]
19 The godly[af] face many dangers,[ag]
but the Lord saves[ah] them[ai] from each one of them.
20 He protects[aj] all his bones;[ak]
not one of them is broken.[al]
21 Evil people self-destruct;[am]
those who hate the godly are punished.[an]
22 The Lord rescues his servants;[ao]
all who take shelter in him escape punishment.[ap]
Haman Conspires to Destroy the Jews
3 Some time later[a] King Ahasuerus promoted[b] Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, exalting him and setting his position[c] above that of all the officials who were with him. 2 As a result,[d] all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate were bowing and paying homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded. However, Mordecai did not bow,[e] nor did he pay him homage.
3 Then the servants of the king who were at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you violating the king’s commandment?” 4 And after they had spoken to him day after day[f] without his paying any attention to them, they informed Haman to see whether this attitude on Mordecai’s part would be permitted.[g] Furthermore, he had disclosed to them that he was a Jew.[h]
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing or paying homage to him, he[i] was filled with rage. 6 But the thought of striking out against[j] Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed[k] of the identity of Mordecai’s people.[l] So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai)[m] who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7 In the first month (that is, the month of Nisan), in the twelfth year[n] of King Ahasuerus’ reign, pur[o] (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman in order to determine a day and a month.[p] It turned out to be the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar).[q]
8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a particular people[r] that is dispersed and spread among the inhabitants[s] throughout all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of all other peoples. Furthermore, they do not observe the king’s laws. It is not appropriate for the king to provide a haven for them.[t] 9 If the king is so inclined,[u] let an edict be issued[v] to destroy them. I will pay 10,000 talents of silver[w] to be conveyed to the king’s treasuries for the officials who carry out this business.”
10 So the king removed his signet ring[x] from his hand and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, who was hostile toward the Jews. 11 The king replied to Haman, “Keep your money,[y] and do with those people whatever you wish.”[z]
12 So the royal scribes[aa] were summoned in the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month. Everything Haman commanded was written to the king’s satraps[ab] and governors who were in every province and to the officials of every people, province by province according to its script and people by people according to their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 Letters were sent by the runners to all the king’s provinces stating that[ac] they should destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, from youth to elderly, both women and children,[ad] on a particular day, namely the thirteenth day[ae] of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), and to loot and plunder their possessions. 14 A copy of this edict was to be presented as law throughout every province; it was to be made known to all the inhabitants,[af] so that they would be prepared for this day. 15 The messengers[ag] scurried forth[ah] with the king’s order.[ai] The edict was issued in Susa the citadel. While the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in an uproar.[aj]
Esther Decides to Risk Everything in order to Help Her People
4 Now when Mordecai became aware of all that had been done, he[ak] tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the city, crying out in a loud[al] and bitter voice. 2 But he went no farther than the king’s gate, for no one was permitted to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 Throughout each and every province where the king’s edict and law were announced[am] there was considerable[an] mourning among the Jews, along with fasting, weeping, and sorrow.[ao] Sackcloth and ashes were characteristic[ap] of many.
Living Out the Message
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters![a] Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. 20 For human[b] anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.[c] 21 So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly[d] welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. 23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone[e] who gazes at his own face[f] in a mirror. 24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets[g] what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there,[h] and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he[i] will be blessed in what he does.[j] 26 If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before[k] God the Father[l] is this: to care for orphans and widows in their adversity[m] and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Pure-hearted Giving
6 “Be[a] careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people.[b] Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving,[c] do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues[d] and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth,[e] they have their reward! 3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.[f]
Private Prayer
5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues[g] and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward! 6 But whenever you pray, go into your inner room,[h] close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.[i]
Proper Fasting
16 “When[a] you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive[b] so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth,[c] they have their reward! 17 When[d] you fast, anoint your head[e] and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
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