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Esther Helps the Jews
4 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went as far as the king’s gate because no one was allowed to enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 In each and every province where the king’s command and his decree came there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 So the young women of Esther and her eunuchs came and told her of it. The queen was then seized by anguish. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he could remove his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 So Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs appointed to attend her, and commanded him concerning Mordecai to learn what this was about and why.
6 So Hathak went out to where Mordecai was in the area of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him about all that had happened to him and about the sum of silver that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa concerning their destruction so he could show Esther, tell her about it, and then charge her to go to the king in order to gain him favor with the king and to make requests in the presence of the king for her people.
9 Hathak returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai. 10 Again Esther spoke to Hathak and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, wishes to come to the king at the inner court but has not been summoned, there is one law—to put him to death—unless for some reason the king should hold out the golden scepter so that he might live. I, however, have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.”
12 So all the words of Esther were told to Mordecai. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will be more likely to escape than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, protection and deliverance for the Jews will be ordained from some other place, but you and your father’s house shall be destroyed. And who knows if you may have attained royal position for such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther replied, sending back to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who can be found in Susa, then fast for me. Stop eating and drinking for three days, night or day. I and my young women will fast likewise. Only then would I dare go to the king since it is not allowed by law, and if I perish, I perish.”
17 So Mordecai went away and did exactly as Esther had commanded him.
Queen Esther’s Banquet
5 On the third day, Esther put on her royal apparel and positioned herself in the king’s palace courtyard so that she would be directly in line with the part of the king’s throne room where the king sat facing the entrance of the room on his royal throne in the royal hall. 2 When the king saw Queen Esther standing quietly out in the courtyard, she gained favor in his sight, so the king held out the golden scepter in his hand to Esther. Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter.
3 And the king said to her, “Queen Esther, what do you want? What is your request? Even if it is up to half of the kingdom, it will be given to you.”
4 Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for him.”
5 Then the king said, “Quickly bring Haman so that we may accept the invitation of Esther.”
So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 6 While drinking wine the king said to Esther, “For whatever you ask, it shall be granted you. So, what is your request? Even if it is for as much as half of the kingdom, it shall be done.”
7 Then Esther replied and said, “This is my petition and request. 8 If I have won the king’s favor, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do what the king says.”
Haman’s Plan to Destroy Mordecai
9 Haman left that day joyfully and with a glad heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai at the king’s gate, that he neither stood up nor trembled because of him, then Haman was full of indignation against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself, and when he came to his home, he sent for his friends and for his wife Zeresh.
11 Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, his many children, and everything about him the king had praised, and how he had promoted him over the princes and servants of the king. 12 Then Haman continued, “Indeed, Queen Esther brought to the banquet she had prepared no one but the king and me, and tomorrow I am again invited by her with the king. 13 Yet for all this, I am not satisfied whenever I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends suggested to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits[a] tall be constructed, and in the morning ask the king if Mordecai can be hanged on it. Then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the suggestion pleased Haman, so he had the gallows constructed.
The King Honors Mordecai
6 During that night the king could not sleep, so he ordered that the book of memorable acts (the chronicles) be brought, and they were read before the king. 2 It was found written that Mordecai had informed on Bigthana and Teresh, the two eunuchs of the king serving as the keepers of the door, who had sought to assault King Ahasuerus.
3 So the king said, “What honor or dignity has been done for Mordecai as a result of this?”
Then the king’s servants attending him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
4 So the king said, “Who is out in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just then entered from across the palace courtyard in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 The king’s attendants said to him, “Haman is waiting in the court.”
So the king said, “Let him enter.”
6 And Haman entered. Now the king said to him, “What should be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?”
Haman thought in his heart, “Who more than me would the king desire to honor?” 7 So Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let royal apparel be brought that the king himself has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal insignia on its head. 9 Let the apparel and horse for this man be handled by one of the king’s noble officials in order to dress the man whom the king delights to honor, as well as to lead him on horseback throughout the city. Finally, let him proclaim before him, ‘Like this it shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor.’ ”
10 Then the king said to Haman, “Quickly take the apparel and the horse, as you have said, and do so for Mordecai, the Jew sitting at the king’s gate. Of everything you have spoken, do not fall short of any of it.”
11 So Haman took the apparel and the horse, arrayed Mordecai, led him on horseback throughout the city, and proclaimed before him, “Like this it shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor.”
12 As Mordecai returned again to the king’s gate, Haman hurried to his house, mourning with his head covered. 13 Haman recounted to his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him.
Then his wise friends and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish lineage, then you will not be victorious over him. Rather, you will surely fall before him.” 14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and rushed Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
Haman Executed
7 So the king and Haman entered to feast and drink with Queen Esther. 2 The king repeated to Esther what he had said on the previous day while drinking wine, “For what are you asking, Queen Esther? It shall be granted to you. Now, what is your request? Even if it is half of the kingdom, it will be done!”
3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, at my petition, let my life be given me, and my people at my request. 4 For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to be annihilated. If only we had been sold as male and female slaves, I could have kept quiet, for that distress would not be sufficient to trouble the king.”
5 Then King Ahasuerus answered and demanded of Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do so?”
6 Esther said, “This wicked Haman is the adversary and enemy!”
Then Haman was seized with terror before the king and the queen. 7 And the king arose from the banquet of wine in his wrath and went into the palace garden. But Haman remained to plead for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king.
8 Now the king returned from the palace garden back to the hall of the banquet as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was.
Then the king said, “Will he also violate the queen while I am in the room?”
As the shout erupted from the king’s mouth, they covered the face of Haman. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in the king’s presence, said, “The gallows, fifty cubits[b] high, which Haman had constructed for Mordecai (who had spoken good on behalf of the king), stands at the house of Haman.”
10 Then the king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was pacified.
Spiritual Gifts
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed!” And no one can say, “Jesus is the Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are various gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 There are various operations, but it is the same God who operates all of them in all people.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for the common good. 8 To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But that one and very same Spirit works all these, dividing to each one individually as He will.
One Body With Many Members
12 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the many parts of that one body are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are slaves or free, and we have all been made to drink of one Spirit. 14 The body is not one part, but many.
15 If the foot says, “Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has established the parts, every one of them, in the body as it has pleased Him. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 So there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, those parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those parts of the body which we think are less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor. And our less respectable parts are treated with much more respect, 24 whereas our more respectable parts have no need of this. But God has composed the body, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacks it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that the parts should have the same care for one another. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.
Psalm 36
For the Music Director. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.
1 An oracle within my heart
about the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.
2 For they flatter themselves in their own eyes,
that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of their mouth are wickedness and deceit;
they have ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 They devise mischief on their bed;
they set themselves on a path that is not good;
they do not reject evil.
5 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens,
and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains,
Your judgments like the great deep;
O Lord, You preserve man and beast.
7 How excellent is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore mankind
seeks refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
8 They will drink their fill from the abundance of Your house,
and You will cause them to drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light we see light.
10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant come against me,
and do not let the hand of the wicked cause me to wander.
12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
they are cast down and not able to rise.
21 He who follows after righteousness and mercy
finds life, righteousness, and honor.
22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty,
and casts down the strength of its confidence.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.