Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

138 I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will praise You.

² I will worship toward Your Holy Temple, and praise Your Name, because of Your lovingkindness and for Your Truth; for You have magnified Your Name by Your Word above all things.

³ When I called, then You heard me and increased strength in my soul.

⁴ All the kings of the Earth shall praise You, O LORD; for they have heard the words of Your mouth.

⁵ And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, because the Glory of the LORD is great.

⁶ For the LORD is high, yet He beholds the lowly; but He knows the proud afar off.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me. You will stretch forth Your hand upon the wrath of my enemies; and Your right hand shall save me.

⁸ The LORD will perform toward me. O LORD, Your mercy endures forever! Do not forsake the works of Your hands. To him who excels: A Psalm of David

4 Now when Mordecai perceived all that was done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city and cried with a great and bitter cry.

² And he came as far as the king’s gate; but he could not enter, being clothed with sackcloth.

³ And in every province and place where the king’s charge and his commission came, there was great sorrow among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and mourning. And many lay in sackcloth and in ashes.

⁴ Then, Esther’s maids and her eunuchs came and told it to her. Therefore, the queen was very troubled; and she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so he could remove his sackcloth. But he refused it.

⁵ Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to serve her and gave him a commandment to go and ask Mordecai what this was and why it was.

⁶ So, Hathach went out to Mordecai, into the street which was before the king’s gate.

⁷ And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and of the sum of the silver that Haman had promised to pay into the King’s treasuries, to destroy the Jews.

⁸ Also, he gave him the copy of the edict that was given at Shushan (to destroy them), so that he might show it to Esther and inform her, and to charge her that she should go and petition the king and make supplication for her people before him.

⁹ So, when Hathach came, he told Esther the words of Mordecai.

¹⁰ Then, Esther said to Hathach, and commanded him to say to Mordecai,

¹¹ “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know of the king’s law stating that whoever, man or woman, comes to the king (into the inner court) who has not been called there, shall die. The only exception is him to whom the king holds out the golden rod. He may live. Now I have not been called to come to the king in the last thirty days.”

¹² And they told Mordecai of Esther’s words.

¹³ And Mordecai sent word to Esther, saying, “Don’t think you shall escape any more than the rest of the Jews just because you live in the king’s house.

¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, comfort and deliverance shall appear to the Jews out of another place. And you and your father’s house shall perish. And who knows whether you have come to power for such a time as this?”

¹⁵ Then, Esther commanded an answer to Mordecai,

¹⁶ “Go and assemble all the Jews who are found in Shushan, and fast for me. And do not eat or drink for three days and nights. I and my maids will also fast. Then I will go in to the King, which is not according to the law. And if I die, I die.”

¹⁷ So, Mordecai went his way and did everything that Esther had commanded him.

²² And it happened that on a certain day, He went into a ship with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched forth.

²³ And as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake. And they were filling with water and were in danger.

²⁴ Then they went to Him, and awoke Him, saying, “Master! Master! We are going to die!” And He arose and rebuked the wind and the waves. And they ceased. And it was calm.

²⁵ Then He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they feared, and wondered among themselves, saying, “Who is this Who commands both the winds and water? And they obey Him!”