Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

7 O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust. Save me from all them that persecute me; and deliver me,

² lest they tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces while there is none to deliver.

³ O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity on my hands,

⁴ if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy),

⁵ let the enemy persecute my soul and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honor in the dust. Selah

⁶ Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger; lift up Thyself against the rage of mine enemies, and awaken for me the judgment that Thou hast commanded.

⁷ So shall the congregation of the people compass Thee about; for their sakes, therefore, return Thou on high.

⁸ The Lord shall judge the people: Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me.

⁹ O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

¹⁰ My defense is of God, who saveth the upright in heart.

¹¹ God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

¹² If he turn not, He will whet His sword; He hath bent His bow and made it ready.

¹³ He hath also prepared for Him the instruments of death; He ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors.

¹⁴ Behold, the wicked travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood.

¹⁵ He made a pit and dug it, and has fallen into the ditch which he hath made.

¹⁶ His mischief shall return upon his own head; and his violent dealings shall come down upon his own pate.

¹⁷ I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

³ And Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet and besought him with tears to put away the wickedness of Haman the Agagite and his plot that he had devised against the Jews.

⁴ Then the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king,

⁵ and said, “If it please the king and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

⁶ For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?”

⁷ Then King Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows because he laid his hand upon the Jews.

⁸ Write ye also for the Jews, as it pleaseth you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s ring may no man reverse.”

⁹ Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month (that is, the month of Sivan), on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded, unto the Jews and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, a hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof and unto every people in their language, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language.

¹⁰ And he wrote in King Ahasuerus’ name and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries.

¹¹ Therein the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together and to stand for their life” to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey

¹² upon one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

¹³ The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

¹⁴ So the posts who rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. And the decree was given at the palace at Shushan.

¹⁵ And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold and with a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

¹⁶ The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor.

¹⁷ And in every province and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

19 And after these things I heard a great voice of a multitude of people in Heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power, unto the Lord our God,

² for true and righteous are His judgments: He hath judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.”

³ And again they said, “Alleluia!” And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

⁴ And the four and twenty elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”

⁵ And a voice came out of the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.”

⁶ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and the voice of many waters, and the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.”

⁸ And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

⁹ And he said unto me, “Write: ‘Blessed are they that are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said unto me, “These are the true sayings of God.”