Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 138^[a]

Thanksgiving for God’s Favor

¹ Of David.

Edict against the Jews.^{[a] 7} In the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, in the first month, Nisan, they cast the pur,^[b] (that is, the lot) in the presence of Haman. And the lot fell on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar.

⁸ Then Haman said to Ahasuerus, “There is a certain race of people scattered among the nations all over your empire who keep themselves separate. They observe customs that are not like those of any other people. Moreover, they do not obey the king’s laws, and it is not in the king’s best interests to tolerate them. ⁹ If it pleases the king, issue a decree to put them all to death, and I will deposit ten thousand talents into the royal treasury for those who bring it to pass.”

¹⁰ Therefore, the king removed the signet ring^[c] from his finger and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ The king told him, “Keep the money, and do whatever you want with this race of people.”

¹² So on the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal secretaries were summoned, and at the dictation of Haman they wrote out—in the script of each province and in the language of each people^[d]—an order to the king’s satraps, the governors of every province, and the nobles of the various peoples. This order was written in the name of King Ahasuerus himself and sealed with the royal signet ring. ¹³ This order was sent by couriers^[e] to all the provinces to the effect that all Jews, young and old, including women and children, should be put to death, destroyed, wiped out in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, and their goods seized as spoil.

Chapter B

A Copy of the Edict.^[f]1 This is the copy of the edict:

“King Ahasuerus the Great writes the following to the governors of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces extending from India to Ethiopia and to their subordinate officials:² Having been established as the ruler of many nations and master of the entire world, it has always been my policy never to be overwhelmed with the arrogance of power but always to rule with fairness and kindness, so as to ensure for my subjects a life of tranquillity in this kingdom, with the assurance of safe passage for everyone within its borders and the restoration of the peace desired by all.

³ “When I sought the counsel of my advisors as to how this goal might be achieved, Haman, whose sound judgment, unfailing devotion, and steadfast loyalty have enabled him to achieve a rank second only to mine in the kingdom, spoke up.⁴ He informed us that, mingled among all the races of the world, there is one hostile people whose laws are opposed to those of all other nations and who continually act in defiance of royal ordinances, so that the unification of the empire that we envision cannot be accomplished.

⁵ “In the realization that this people stands uniquely alone in its continual hostility to all other nations, observes laws that are at complete variance with ours, and commits the most grievous of crimes, thereby undermining the stability of our government,⁶ we hereby decree that all the persons designated to you in the letters written by Haman, who was appointed to safeguard our interests and who is a second father to us, shall, with their wives and children, be totally destroyed by the swords of their enemies, without any sign of mercy or pardon, on the fourteenth day^[g] of the twelfth month, Adar, of the present year.⁷ In this way, when these people, whose treacherous opposition to us has been of long duration, have descended into the netherworld by a violent death in a single day, our kingdom will once again enjoy perpetual stability and peace.”

(Chapter 3)

¹⁴ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that they might be ready for that day. ¹⁵ The couriers went quickly by order of the king, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to feast, but the city of Susa was perplexed.

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth was a man commended to you by God by means of miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him, as you yourselves know. ²³ By the set plan and foreknowledge of God, he was handed over into the hands of lawless men. Crucifying him, you killed him. ²⁴ However, God raised him up, releasing him from the pangs of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. ²⁵ For David says of him:

²⁹ “Brethren, I can say to you boldly that our ancestor David both died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this very day. ³⁰ But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that one of his descendants would sit on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, saying that he was not abandoned to the netherworld and that his flesh did not suffer corruption.

³² “God raised this Jesus to life. Of that we are all witnesses. ³³ Exalted at God’s right hand, he received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

³⁶ “Therefore, let the whole house of Israel know with complete certitude that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”