Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man; preserve me from the man of violence.

² Who devise evil in their heart; they are continually gathered together for war.

³ They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.

⁴ Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the man of violence, who have purposed to overthrow my steps.

⁵ The proud have hid a snare for me and cords; they have spread a net; on the path they have set snares for me. Selah.

⁶ I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.

⁷ O GOD the Lord, the strength of my saving health, cover thou my head in the day of battle.

⁸ ¶ Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not further his wicked thought lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

⁹ As for the head of those that compass me about, let the perversion of their own lips cover them.

¹⁰ Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they not rise up again.

¹¹ The man with an evil tongue shall not be established in the earth; evil shall hunt the man of violence to overthrow him.

¹² I know that the LORD will effect the judgment of the poor and the judgment of the destitute.

¹³ Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

4 ¶ When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud and a bitter cry

² and came before the king’s gate; for no one was allowed to enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

³ And in each province, wherever the king’s commandment and his law came, there was great mourning among the Jews and fasting and weeping and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ So Esther’s maids and her eunuchs came and told her. Then the queen was grieved exceedingly, and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai and to take away his sackcloth from him; but he did not receive it.

⁵ ¶ Then Esther called for Hatach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and sent him to Mordecai, to know what it was and why it was.

⁶ So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the plaza of the city, which was before the king’s gate.

⁷ And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

⁸ Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther and to declare it unto her and to charge her that she should go in unto the king to make supplication unto him and to make request before him for her people.

⁹ And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

¹⁰ Again Esther spoke unto Hatach and sent him to say unto Mordecai,

¹¹ All the king’s slaves and the people of the king’s provinces do know that anyone, whether man or woman, who shall come unto the king into the inner court without being called, by one law shall be put to death, unless the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that they may live; but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

¹² And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.

¹³ Then Mordecai told them to answer Esther, Do not think in thy soul that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.

¹⁴ For if thou art silent at this time, then enlargement and deliverance shall arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed; and who knows whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

¹⁵ Then Esther told them to return Mordecai this answer,

¹⁶ Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day; I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so I will go in unto the king, even though this is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.

¹⁷ So Mordecai went and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

³ ¶ Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Christ, who according to his great mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, from the dead,

⁴ unto the incorruptible inheritance that cannot be defiled and that does not fade away, conserved in the heavens for you,

⁵ who are kept in the virtue of God by faith, to attain unto the saving health which is made ready to be manifested in the last time.

⁶ ¶ In which ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are afflicted in diverse temptations,

⁷ that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold (which perishes, nevertheless it is tried with fire), might be found unto praise and glory and honour when Jesus, the Christ, is made manifest;

⁸ whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though at present ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;

⁹ receiving the end of your faith, even the saving health of your souls.