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 moan,
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 are aggressive toward me.
19 God will (G)hear and humiliate them—
Even the one (H)who [b]sits enthroned from ancient times— Selah
With whom there [c]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 [d](K)violated his covenant.
21 His [e]speech was (L)smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were (M)softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn (N)swords.
The King Plans to Honor Mordecai
6 During that night [a]the king (A)could not sleep, so he gave an order to bring (B)the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written what (C)Mordecai had reported about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to [b]attack King Ahasuerus. 3 Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4 So the king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just (D)entered the outer courtyard of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about (E)hanging Mordecai on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for him. 5 So the king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the courtyard.” And the king said, “Have him come in.” 6 Haman then came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man (F)whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said [c]to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” 7 Therefore Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and (G)the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head (H)a royal turban has been placed; 9 then order them to hand the robe and the horse over to one of the king’s noble officials, and have them dress the man whom the king desires to honor, and lead him on horseback through the city square, (I)and proclaim before him, ‘So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.’”
Haman Must Honor Mordecai
10 Then the king said to Haman, “Quickly, take the robe and the horse just as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fail to do anything of all that you have said.” 11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, and dressed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.”
12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, while Haman hurried home, mourning, (J)with his head covered. 13 And Haman informed (K)Zeresh his wife and all his friends of everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is [d]of Jewish origin, you will not prevail over him, but will certainly fall before him.”
14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly (L)brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.
Esther’s Plea
7 Now the king and Haman came to drink wine with Esther the queen. 2 And the king said to Esther on the second day also [e]as they drank their wine at the banquet, “(M)What is your request, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your wish? (N)Up to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 3 Then Queen Esther replied, “(O)If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my request, and my people as my wish; 4 for (P)we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, (Q)killed, and eliminated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have kept silent, because the distress would not be sufficient reason to burden the king.” 5 Then King Ahasuerus [f]asked Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, [g]who would presume to do such a thing?” 6 And Esther said, “(R)A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!” Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.
30 (A)What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but (B)the righteousness that is [a]by faith; 31 however, Israel, (C)pursuing a law of righteousness, did not (D)arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it [b]by faith, but as though they could [c]by works. They stumbled over (E)the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written:
“(F)Behold, I am laying in Zion (G)a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
(H)And the one who believes in Him (I)will not be [d]put to shame.”
The Word of Faith Brings Salvation
10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have (J)a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about (K)God’s righteousness and (L)seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For (M)Christ is the [e]end of the Law for righteousness to (N)everyone who believes.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.