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.

8 ¶ On that same day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews’ enemy, unto Esther, the queen. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was unto her.

² And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

³ ¶ And Esther spoke yet again before the king and fell down at his feet and besought him with tears to put away the evil of Haman, the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

⁴ Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king,

⁵ And said, If it pleases the king and if I have found grace in his sight and if the thing is right before the king and if I am good in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

⁶ For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? How can I endure to see the destruction of my nation?

⁷ Then King Ahasuerus said unto Esther, the queen, and to Mordecai, the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him upon the gallows because he extended his hand against the Jews.

⁸ Write ye also for the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s ring may not be revoked.

⁹ Then the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews and to the lieutenants and the captains and the princes of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, unto each province according to the writing thereof, and unto each people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.

¹⁰ And he wrote in King Ahasuerus’s name and sealed it with the king’s ring and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, mules that were born of mares,

¹¹ that the king granted power to the Jews who were in all the cities to gather themselves together and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish any army of the people or province that would assault them, and even their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

¹² upon the same day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

¹³ The copy of the writing which was to be given as law in each province was published unto all people and said that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves of their enemies.

¹⁴ So the posts rode upon mules, they went out on mules, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. And the law was given at Shushan, the palace.

¹⁵ ¶ And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white and with a great crown of gold and with a mantel of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

¹⁶ The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honour.

¹⁷ And in each province and in each city wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a banquet and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

⁶ But whosoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe in me to fall, it would be better for him that a millstone such as is turned by an ass be hanged about his neck and that he be sunk in the depth of the sea.

⁷ ¶ Woe unto the world because of offenses! For it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

⁸ Therefore if thy hand or thy foot cause thee to fall, cut them off and cast them from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into eternal fire.

⁹ And if thine eye causes thee to fall, pluck it out and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.