Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
124 The people of God, escaping a great peril, do acknowledge themselves to be delivered, not by their own force, but by the power of God. 4 They declare the greatness of the peril. 6 And praise the Name of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 If the Lord had not been [a]on our side, (may Israel now say)
2 If the Lord had [not] been on our side, when men rose up against us,
3 They had then swallowed us up [b]quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.
4 Then the [c]waters had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul:
5 Then had the swelling waters gone over our soul.
6 Praised be the Lord, which hath not given us as a prey unto their teeth.
7 Our soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the [d]snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are delivered.
8 Our help is in the Name of the Lord, which hath made heaven and earth.
3 1 Haman, after he was exalted, obtained of the King, that all the Jews should be put to death, because Mordecai had not done him worship as others had.
1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and exalted him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
2 And all the king’s servants that were at the king’s gate, bowed their knees, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him: but Mordecai [a]bowed not the knee, neither did reverence.
3 Then the king’s servants which were at the king’s gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king’s commandment?
4 And albeit they spake daily unto him, yet he would not hear them: therefore they [b]told Haman, that they might see how Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them, that he was a Jew.
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not the knee unto him, nor did reverence unto him, then Haman was full of wrath.
6 Now he [c]thought it too little to lay hands only on Mordecai: and because they had showed him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7 In the first month (that is the month [d]Nisan) in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is a lot) [e]before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month unto the twelfth month, that is the month [f]Adar.
8 Then Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a people scattered, and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws are divers from all people, and they do not observe the [g]King’s laws: therefore it is not the king’s profit to suffer them.
9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will [h]pay ten thousand talents of silver by the hands of them that have the charge of this business to bring it into the king’s treasury.
10 Then the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite the Jews’ adversary.
11 And the king said unto Haman, Let the silver be thine, and the people to do with them as it pleaseth thee.
12 Then were the king’s [i]Scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written (according to all that Haman commanded) unto the king’s officers, and to the captains that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people, and to every province, according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language: in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.
13 And the letters were sent [j]by posts into all the king’s provinces, to root out, to kill and to destroy all the Jews, both young and old, children and women, in one day upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month Adar) and to spoil them as a prey.
14 The contents of the writing was, that there should be given a commandment in all provinces, and published unto all people, that they should be ready against the same day.
15 And the posts compelled by the King’s commandment went forth, and the commandment was given in the palace at Shushan: and the king and Haman sat drinking, but the [k]city of Shushan was in perplexity.
13 (A)Ye [a]are the salt of the [b]earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be [c]salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the [d]light of the world. A city that is set on an hill, cannot be hid.
15 (B)Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 (C)Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.
17 [e]Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets. I am not come to destroy them, but to [f]fulfill them.
18 (D)For truly I say unto you, Till heaven and earth perish, one jot or one tittle of the Law shall not escape, till all things be fulfilled.
19 (E)[g]Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and teach men so, he shall be called the [h]least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall observe and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, except your righteousness (F)exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.