Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
7 O LORD my God, in You I put my trust. Save me from all who persecute me, and deliver me,
2 lest he devour my soul like a lion, and tear it in pieces, while there is no one to help.
3 O LORD, my God, if I have done this thing, if there is any wickedness in my hands,
4 if I have rewarded evil to him who had peace with me (indeed, I have delivered him without cause),
5 let the enemies persecute my soul and take it. Indeed, let him tread my life down upon the Earth, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah.
6 Arise, O LORD, in Your wrath, and lift up Yourself against the rage of my enemies. Awaken me to the judgment You have appointed.
7 So shall the congregation of the people surround You. For their sakes, therefore, return on High.
8 The LORD shall judge the people. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to my innocence in me.
9 Oh, let the malice of the wicked come to an end. But guide the just. For the righteous God tries the hearts and reins.
10 My defense is in God, Who preserves the upright in heart.
11 God judges the righteous, and he who denounces God, every day.
12 Unless he turns, He has sharpened His sword. He has bent His bow and made it ready.
13 He has also prepared deadly weapons. He will ordain His arrows for those who persecute.
14 Behold, he shall work with wickedness, for he has conceived mischief. But he shall bring forth a lie.
15 He has made a pit, and dug it, and has fallen into the pit he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his cruelty shall fall upon his own head.
17 I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the Name of the LORD Most High. To him who excels on Gittith: A Psalm of David.
3 And Esther spoke to the king again and fell down at his feet, weeping, and begged him to reverse the wickedness of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had imagined against the Jews.
4 And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. Then 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 is acceptable before the king, and I please him —let it be written that 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, may be revoked.
6 “For how can I suffer and see the evil that shall come to my people? Or how can I suffer and see the destruction of my kindred?”
7 And King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, whom they have hanged upon the tree, because he laid hands upon the Jews.
8 “Also, write for the Jews as you like, in the King’s name; and seal it with the King’s ring.” (for the writings written in the King’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may not be revoked)
9 At that same time, the king’s scribes were called, on the twenty-third day of the third month (that is, the month Sivan). And it was written according to all as Mordecai commanded, to the Jews and to the princes, and captains and rulers of the provinces which were from India to Ethiopia (a hundred and twenty-seven provinces), to every province according to its writing and to every people according to their speech, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language.
10 And he wrote in King Ahasuerus’s name, and sealed it with the king’s ring. And he sent letters, by couriers on horseback and by riders of royal steeds.
11 In these, the king granted the Jews (in whatever cities they were) to gather themselves together and to stand for their life —to root out, to slay and to destroy all the power of the people and of the province that attacked them, both children and women, and to plunder their goods —
12 upon one day, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month Adar).
13 The copy of the writing was to be given as a decree in all and every province, and published among all the people, so that the Jews would be ready for that day, to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 So the couriers rode upon royal steeds and went forth with speed to execute the king’s commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan, the palace.
15 And Mordecai went out from 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 And to the Jews came light and joy and gladness, and honor.
17 Also, in all and every province, and in all and every city and place where the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was joy and gladness to the Jews, a feast and a holiday. 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 great multitude in Heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and honor and power be to the Lord our God!
2 “For true and righteous are His judgments! For He has condemned the great whore who corrupted the Earth with her fornication; and has avenged the blood of His servants, shed by her hand!”
3 And again they said, “Hallelujah! And her smoke rises up for evermore!”
4 And the 24 elders, and the four beasts, fell down and worshipped God Who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Hallelujah!”
5 Then a voice came out of the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all his servants; and you who fear Him, both small and great!”
6 And I heard a voice like that of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of strong thunderings, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord God Almighty has reigned!
7 “Let us be glad and rejoice and give glory to Him! For the marriage of the Lamb has come! And his wife has made herself ready!
8 “And to her it was granted that she should be arrayed with pure fine linen and shining!” For fine linen is the righteousness of saints!”
9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the Lamb’s supper.’” And he said to me, “These words of God are true.”
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