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.
Haman Is Hanged
7 The king then got up (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 had been 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 stood before the king, said, “Indeed, behold, (D)the wooden gallows standing at Haman’s house [c]fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai (E)who spoke good in behalf of the king!” And the king said, “Hang him on it.” 10 (F)So they hanged Haman on the wooden 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, because Esther had disclosed (I)what he was to her. 2 Then (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 [d]to the king, fell at his feet, wept, and pleaded for his compassion to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews. 4 And (K)the king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther got up 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 eliminate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. 6 For (N)how can I endure to see the disaster which will happen to 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 they have hanged him on the wooden gallows because he had reached out with his hand against the Jews.
The King’s Decree Avenges the Jews
8 Now you write to the Jews [e]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 summoned at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third [f]day; and it was written in accordance with everything that Mordecai commanded the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the officials of the provinces which extended (S)from India to [g]Cush, 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 royal relay horses, offspring of racing mares. 11 [h]In the letters 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, kill, and eliminate the entire army of any people or province which was going to attack them, including children and women, and (X)to plunder their spoils, 12 on (Y)one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar). 13 (Z)A copy of the edict to be [i]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, hurrying and speeded by the king’s command, left, riding on the royal relay horses; and the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa.
15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king (AA)in a royal robe of violet 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, joy, jubilation, 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 joy and jubilation for the Jews, a feast and a [j](AE)holiday. And (AF)many among the peoples of the land [k]became Jews, because 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 prove yourselves to 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? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? 48 Therefore (G)you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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