Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
16 As for me, I shall (A)call upon God,
And Yahweh will save me.
17 (B)Evening and (C)morning and at (D)noon, I will bring my complaint 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 strive with me.
19 God will (G)hear and [b]answer them—
Even the one (H)who [c]sits enthroned from of old— Selah.
Because they [d]do not change,
And (I)do not fear God.
20 [e]My companion has put forth his hands against (J)those who were at peace with him;
He has [f](K)violated his covenant.
21 His [g]speech was (L)smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were (M)softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn (N)swords.
Esther Prepares a Feast
5 Now it happened (A)on the third day, that Esther put on her royal robes and stood (B)in the inner court of the king’s house in front of the king’s [a]rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the [b]throne room, opposite the entrance to his house. 2 Now it happened that when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, (C)she advanced in favor in his eyes; and (D)the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and [c]reached out and touched the top of the scepter. 3 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is [d]your request? (E)Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4 And Esther said, “If it seems good to the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the feast that I have prepared for him.”
5 Then the king said, “(F)Bring Haman quickly that we may do the word of Esther.” So the king and Haman came to the feast which Esther had prepared. 6 Then, [e]as they drank their wine at the feast, (G)the king said to Esther, “(H)What is [f]your petition? For it shall be given to you. And what is [g]your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 7 So Esther answered and said, “[h]My petition and [i]my request is: 8 (I)if I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it seems good to the king to give heed to [j]my petition and to do [k]my request, may the king and Haman come to (J)the feast which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king.”
Haman Recounts His Glory
9 Then Haman went out that day glad and merry of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai (K)in the king’s gate and (L)that he did not stand up or [l]tremble before him, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai. 10 But Haman controlled himself, went to his house, and sent for and brought his friends and his wife (M)Zeresh. 11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches and the [m](N)number of his sons and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had [n](O)advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. 12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the feast which she had prepared; and (P)tomorrow also I am called to come to her with the king. 13 Yet all of this is worth nothing to me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at (Q)the king’s gate.” 14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “(R)Have a [o]gallows [p]fifty cubits high made and in the morning say to the king that Mordecai should be hanged on it; then go gladly with the king to the feast.” And the word was good to Haman, so he had the gallows made.
16 Therefore, no one is to (A)judge you in (B)food and (C)drink, or in respect to a (D)festival or a (E)new moon or a (F)Sabbath [a]day— 17 things which are only a (G)shadow of what is to come; but the [b]substance [c]belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one keep [d](H)defrauding you of your prize by (I)delighting in [e]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, going into detail about visions he has seen, (J)being puffed up for nothing by his (K)fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to (L)the head, from whom (M)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and [f]ligaments, grows with a growth [g]that is from God.
20 (N)If you have died with Christ [h]to the (O)elementary principles of the world, (P)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to (Q)decrees: 21 “Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”? 22 Which [i]deal with everything (R)destined to perish [j]with use, which are in accordance with the (S)commands and teachings of men; 23 which are matters having, to be sure, a [k]word of wisdom in [l](T)self-made religion and self-abasement and (U)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against (V)fleshly indulgence.
Put On the New Man
3 Therefore, if you have been (W)raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, (X)seated at the right hand of God.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.