Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Give Thanks to the Lord
Of David.
138 (A)I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before (B)the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down (C)toward your (D)holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.[a]
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.[b]
4 (E)All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of (F)the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 (G)For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 (H)Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you (I)preserve my life;
you (J)stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your (K)right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will (L)fulfill his purpose for me;
(M)your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake (N)the work of your hands.
Mordecai Discovers a Plot
19 Now when the virgins were gathered together (A)the second time, Mordecai was sitting (B)at the king's gate. 20 (C)Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just (D)as when she was brought up by him. 21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, (E)Bigthan and (F)Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, (G)and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows.[a] And it was recorded in (H)the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
Haman Plots Against the Jews
3 After these things King Ahasuerus (I)promoted Haman (J)the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, (K)and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. (L)But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. 3 Then the king's servants who were (M)at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress (N)the king's command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that (O)Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was (P)filled with fury. 6 But he disdained[b] to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy[c] all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
15 In those days Peter stood up among (A)the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, (B)the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, (C)who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For (D)he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in (E)this ministry.” 18 (Now this man (F)acquired a field with (G)the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong[a] he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called (H)in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
(I)“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
(J)“‘Let another take his office.’
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.