Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
16 I will call to God and the LORD will save me.
17 Evening and morning, and at noon, I will pray and make a noise; and He will hear my voice.
18 He has delivered my soul in peace from the battle against me, for many were with me.
19 God shall hear and afflict them, even He Who reigns of old. Selah. Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God.
20 He laid his hand upon such who are at peace with Him. He broke His Covenant.
21 The words of his mouth were softer than butter; yet war was in his heart. His words were more gentle than oil; yet they were swords.
22 Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He shall nourish you. He will not allow the righteous to fall forever.
23 And You, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of corruption. The bloody and deceitful men shall not live half their days. But I will trust in You. To him who excels: A Psalm of David on Michtam, concerning the dumb dove in a far country, when the Philistines took him in Gath
7 And the king arose from the banquet of wine in his wrath and went into the palace garden. But Haman stood up to beg Queen Esther for his life. For he saw that the king intended to do him harm.
8 And when the king came out of the palace garden into the house again, where they had been drinking wine, Haman had fallen upon the bed where Esther sat. Therefore, the King said, “Will he also force himself on the queen before me in the house?!” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9 And Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said in the presence of the king, “Behold, a hanging tree still stands at Haman’s house, 75 feet high, which Haman had prepared for Mordecai, who spoke well of the king.” Then the King said, “Hang him on it.”
10 So they hanged Haman on the tree that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the King’s wrath was pacified.
8 That same day, King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the adversary of the Jews, to Queen Esther. And Mordecai came before the king (for Esther had told him what he was to her).
2 And the king took off his ring which he had taken from Haman and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
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.
43 “You have heard that it has been said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy’.
44 “But I say to you love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who hurt you and persecute you,
45 “so that you may be the children of your Father, Who is in Heaven. For He makes His Sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and unjust.
46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward shall you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 “And if you are only friendly to your brothers, what singular thing do you do? Do not even the tax collectors do likewise?
48 “You shall therefore be perfect, as your Father, Who is in Heaven, is perfect.”
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