Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
16 As for me, I shall (A)call upon God,
And the Lord will save me.
17 (B)Evening and (C)morning and at (D)noon, I will complain and murmur,
And He will hear my voice.
18 He will (E)redeem my soul in peace [a]from the battle which is against me,
For they are (F)many who strive with me.
19 God will (G)hear and [b]answer them—
Even the one (H)who [c]sits enthroned from of old— Selah.
With whom there [d]is no change,
And who (I)do not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against (J)those who were at peace with him;
He has [e](K)violated his covenant.
21 His [f]speech was (L)smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were (M)softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn (N)swords.
Haman Is Hanged
7 The king arose (A)in his anger from [a]drinking wine and went into (B)the palace garden; but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him by the king. 8 Now when the king returned from the palace garden into the [b]place where they were drinking wine, Haman was falling on (C)the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen with me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were before the king said, “Behold indeed, (D)the gallows standing at Haman’s house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai (E)who spoke good on behalf of the king!” And the king said, “Hang him on it.” 10 (F)So they hanged Haman on the [c]gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, (G)and the king’s anger subsided.
Mordecai Promoted
8 On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, (H)the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed (I)what he was to her. 2 (J)The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
3 Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews. 4 (K)The king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king. 5 Then she said, “(L)If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the (M)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 (N)how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, (O)I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had stretched out his hands against the Jews.
The King’s Decree Avenges the Jews
8 Now you write to the Jews [d]as you see fit, in the king’s name, and (P)seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring (Q)may not be revoked.”
9 (R)So the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third [e]day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinces which extended (S)from India to [f]Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to (T)every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language. 10 He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on (U)horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud. 11 [g]In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right (V)to assemble and to defend their lives, (W)to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and (X)to plunder their spoil, 12 on (Y)one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar). 13 (Z)A copy of the edict to be [h]issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers, hastened and impelled by the king’s command, went out, riding on the royal steeds; and the decree was given out at the citadel in Susa.
15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king (AA)in royal robes of [i]blue and white, with a large crown of gold and (AB)a garment of fine linen and purple; and (AC)the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 For the Jews there was (AD)light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a [j](AE)holiday. And (AF)many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.
43 “(A)You have heard that it was said, ‘(B)You shall love your neighbor (C)and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, (D)love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may [a]be (E)sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For (F)if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore [b](G)you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.