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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 124

Psalm 124^[a]

A song of ascents;^[b] by David.

124 “If the Lord had not been on our side”—
let Israel say this.—
²if the Lord had not been on our side,
when men attacked us,^[c]
³they would have swallowed us alive,
when their anger raged against us.
⁴The water would have overpowered us;
the current^[d] would have overwhelmed^[e] us.^[f]
⁵The raging water
would have overwhelmed us.^[g]
⁶The Lord deserves praise,^[h]
for^[i] he did not hand us over as prey to their teeth.
⁷We escaped with our lives,^[j] like a bird from a hunter’s snare.
The snare broke, and we escaped.
⁸Our deliverer is the Lord,^[k]
the Creator^[l] of heaven and earth.

Esther 1:1-21

The King Throws a Lavish Party

1 ^[a] The following events happened^[b] in the days of Ahasuerus.^[c] (I am referring to^[d] that Ahasuerus who used to rule over 127 provinces^[e] extending all the way from India to Ethiopia.^[f]) ²In those days, as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa^[g] the citadel,^[h] ³in the third^[i] year of his reign he provided a banquet for all his officials and his servants. The army^[j] of Persia and Media^[k] was present,^[l] as well as the nobles and the officials of the provinces.

⁴He displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his majestic greatness for a lengthy period of time^[m]—180 days, to be exact!^[n] ⁵When those days^[o] were completed, the king then provided a seven-day^[p] banquet for all the people who were present^[q] in Susa the citadel, for those of highest standing to the most lowly.^[r] It was held in the court located in the garden of the royal palace. ⁶The furnishings included white linen and blue curtains hung by cords of the finest linen^[s] and purple wool on silver rings, alabaster columns, gold and silver couches^[t] displayed on a floor made of valuable stones of alabaster, mother-of-pearl, and mineral stone. ⁷Drinks^[u] were served in golden containers, all of which differed from one another. Royal wine was available in abundance at the king’s expense. ⁸There were no restrictions on the drinking,^[v] for the king had instructed all his supervisors^[w] that they should do as everyone so desired.^[x] ⁹Queen Vashti^[y] also gave a banquet for the women in King Ahasuerus’ royal palace.

Queen Vashti is Removed from Her Royal Position

¹⁰On the seventh day, as King Ahasuerus was feeling the effects of the wine,^[z] he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who attended him,^[aa] ¹¹to bring Queen Vashti into the king’s presence wearing her royal high turban. He wanted to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was very attractive.^[ab] ¹²But Queen Vashti refused^[ac] to come at the king’s bidding^[ad] conveyed through the eunuchs. Then the king became extremely angry, and his rage consumed^[ae] him.

¹³The king then inquired of the wise men who were discerners of the times—for it was the royal custom to confer with all those who were proficient in laws and legalities.^[af] ¹⁴Those who were closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. These men were the seven officials of Persia and Media who saw the king on a regular basis^[ag] and had the most prominent offices^[ah] in the kingdom. ¹⁵The king asked,^[ai] “By law,^[aj] what should be done to Queen Vashti in light of the fact that she has not obeyed the instructions of King Ahasuerus conveyed through the eunuchs?”

¹⁶Memucan then replied to the king and the officials, “The wrong of Queen Vashti is not against the king alone, but against all the officials and all the people who are throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. ¹⁷For the matter concerning the queen will spread to all the women, leading them to treat their husbands with contempt, saying, ‘When King Ahasuerus gave orders to bring Queen Vashti into his presence, she would not come.’ ¹⁸And this very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media who have heard the matter concerning the queen will respond in the same way to all the royal officials, and there will be more than enough contempt and anger. ¹⁹If the king is so inclined,^[ak] let a royal edict go forth from him, and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media that cannot be repealed,^[al] that Vashti^[am] may not come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king convey her royalty to another^[an] who is more deserving than she.^[ao] ²⁰And let the king’s decision that he will enact be disseminated^[ap] throughout all his kingdom, vast though it is.^[aq] Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the most prominent to the lowly.”

²¹The matter seemed appropriate to the king and the officials. So the king acted on the advice of Memucan.

Footnotes

Esther 1:1 sn In the English Bible Esther appears adjacent to Ezra-Nehemiah and with the historical books, but in the Hebrew Bible it is one of five short books (the “Scrolls,” Heb Megillot) that appear toward the end of the biblical writings. The canonicity of the book was questioned by some in ancient Judaism and early Christianity. It is one of five OT books that were at one time regarded as antilegomena (i.e., books “spoken against”). The problem with Esther was the absence of any direct mention of God. Some questioned whether a book that did not mention God could be considered sacred scripture. Attempts to resolve this by discovering the tetragrammaton (YHWH) encoded in the Hebrew text (e.g., in the initial letters of four consecutive words in the Hebrew text of Esth 5:4) are unconvincing, although they do illustrate how keenly the problem was felt by some. Martin Luther also questioned the canonicity of this book, objecting to certain parts of its content. Although no copy of Esther was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, this does not necessarily mean that the Qumran community did not regard it as canonical. It is possible that the absence of Esther from what has survived at Qumran is merely a coincidence. Although the book does not directly mention God, it would be difficult to read it without sensing the providence of God working in powerful, though at times subtle, ways to rescue his people from danger and possible extermination. The absence of mention of the name of God may be a deliberate part of the literary strategy of the writer.
Esther 1:1 tn Heb “it came about”; KJV, ASV “Now it came to pass.”
Esther 1:1 tn Where the Hebrew text has “Ahasuerus” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV) in this book the LXX has “Artaxerxes.” The ruler mentioned in the Hebrew text is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465 b.c.), and a number of modern English versions use “Xerxes” (e.g., NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT).
Esther 1:1 tn Heb “in the days of Ahasuerus, that Ahasuerus who used to rule…” The phrase “I am referring to” has been supplied to clarify the force of the third person masculine singular pronoun, which is functioning like a demonstrative pronoun.
Esther 1:1 sn The geographical extent of the Persian empire was vast. The division of Xerxes’ empire into 127 smaller provinces was apparently done for purposes of administrative efficiency.
Esther 1:1 tn Heb “Cush” (so NIV, NCV; KJV “Ethiopia”) referring to the region of the upper Nile in Africa. India and Cush (i.e., Ethiopia) are both mentioned in a tablet taken from the foundation of Xerxes’ palace in Persepolis that describes the extent of this empire. See ANET 316-17.
Esther 1:2 tn Heb “Shushan” (so KJV, ASV). Most recent English versions render this as “Susa.”sn The city of Susa served as one of several capitals of Persia during this time; the other locations were Ecbatana, Babylon, and Persepolis. Partly due to the extreme heat of its summers, Susa was a place where Persian kings stayed mainly in the winter months. Strabo indicates that reptiles attempting to cross roads at midday died from the extreme heat (Geography 15.3.10-11).
Esther 1:2 tn The Hebrew word בִּירָה (birah) can refer to a castle or palace or temple. Here it seems to have in mind that fortified part of the city that might be called an acropolis or citadel. Cf. KJV “palace”; NAB “stronghold”; NASB “capital”; NLT “fortress.”
Esther 1:3 sn The third year of Xerxes’ reign would be ca. 483 b.c.
Esther 1:3 tc Due to the large numbers of people implied, some scholars suggest that the original text may have read “leaders of the army” (cf. NAB “Persian and Median aristocracy”; NASB “the army officers”; NIV “the military leaders”). However, there is no textual evidence for this emendation, and the large numbers are not necessarily improbable.
Esther 1:3 sn Unlike the Book of Daniel, the usual order for this expression in Esther is “Persia and Media” (cf. vv. 14, 18, 19). In Daniel the order is “Media and Persia,” indicating a time in their history when Media was in the ascendancy.
Esther 1:3 sn The size of the banquet described here, the number of its invited guests, and the length of its duration, although certainly immense by any standard, are not without precedent in the ancient world. C. A. Moore documents a Persian banquet for 15,000 people and an Assyrian celebration with 69,574 guests (Esther [AB], 6).
Esther 1:4 tn Heb “many days” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “for many days.”
Esther 1:4 tn The words “to be exact!” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation to bring out the clarifying nuance of the time period mentioned. Cf. KJV “even an hundred and fourscore days.”
Esther 1:5 tc The Hebrew text of Esther does not indicate why this elaborate show of wealth and power was undertaken. According to the LXX these were “the days of the wedding” (αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ γάμου, hai hēmerai tou gamou), presumably the king’s wedding. However, a number of scholars have called attention to the fact that this celebration takes place just shortly before Xerxes’ invasion of Greece. It is possible that the banquet was a rallying for the up-coming military effort. See Herodotus, Histories 7.8. There is no reason to adopt the longer reading of the LXX here.
Esther 1:5 tc The LXX has ἕξ (hex, “six”) instead of “seven.” Virtually all English versions follow the reading of the MT here, “seven.”
Esther 1:5 tn Heb “were found.”
Esther 1:5 tn Heb “from the great and unto the small.”
Esther 1:6 sn The finest linen was byssus, a fine, costly, white fabric made in Egypt, Palestine, and Edom, and imported into Persia (BDB 101 s.v. בּוּץ; HALOT 115-16 s.v. בּוּץ).
Esther 1:6 tn The Hebrew noun מִטָּה (mittah) refers to a reclining couch (cf. KJV “beds”) spread with covers, cloth and pillow for feasting and carousing (Ezek 23:41; Amos 3:12; 6:4; Esth 1:6; 7:8). See BDB 641-42 s.v.; HALOT 573 s.v.
Esther 1:7 tn Heb “to cause to drink” (Hiphil infinitive construct of שָׁקָה, shaqah). As the etymology of the Hebrew word for “banquet” (מִשְׁתֶּה, mishteh, from שָׁתָה, shatah, “to drink”) hints, drinking was a prominent feature of ancient Near Eastern banquets.
Esther 1:8 tn Heb “the drinking was according to law; there was no one compelling.”
Esther 1:8 tn Heb “every chief of his house”; KJV “all the officers of his house”; NLT “his staff.”
Esther 1:8 tn Heb “according to the desire of man and man.”
Esther 1:9 sn Vashti is the name of Xerxes’ queen according to the Book of Esther. But in the Greek histories of this period the queen’s name is given as Amestris (e.g., Herodotus, Histories 9.108-13). The name Vashti does not seem to occur in the nonbiblical records from this period. Apparently the two women are not to be confused, but not enough is known about this period to reconcile completely the biblical and extrabiblical accounts.
Esther 1:10 tn Heb “as the heart of the king was good with the wine.” Here the proper name (King Ahasuerus) has been substituted for the title in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Esther 1:10 tn Heb “King Ahasuerus”; here the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons. Cf. similarly NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT “King Xerxes.”
Esther 1:11 tn Heb “was good of appearance”; KJV “was fair to look on”; NAB “was lovely to behold.”
Esther 1:12 sn Refusal to obey the king was risky even for a queen in the ancient world. It is not clear why Vashti behaved so rashly and put herself in such danger. Apparently she anticipated humiliation of some kind and was unwilling to subject herself to it, in spite of the obvious dangers. There is no justification in the biblical text for an ancient Jewish targumic tradition that the king told her to appear before his guests dressed in nothing but her royal high turban, that is, essentially naked.
Esther 1:12 tn Heb “at the word of the king”; NASB “at the king’s command.”
Esther 1:12 tn Heb “burned in him” (so KJV).
Esther 1:13 tn Heb “judgment” (so KJV); NASB, NIV “justice”; NRSV “custom.”
Esther 1:14 tn Heb “seers of the face of the king”; NASB “who had access to the king’s presence.”
Esther 1:14 tn Heb “were sitting first”; NAB “held first rank in the realm.”
Esther 1:15 tn These words are not present in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT, all of which supply similar phrases).
Esther 1:15 tc The location of the prepositional phrase “according to law” is somewhat unusual in the Hebrew text, but not so much so as to require emendation. Some scholars suggest deleting the phrase as an instance of dittography from the final part of the immediately preceding word in v. 14. Others suggest taking the phrase with the end of v. 14 rather than with v. 15. Both proposals, however, lack adequate justification.
Esther 1:19 sn Heb “If upon the king it is good”; KJV “If it please the king.” Deferential language was common in ancient Near Eastern court language addressing a despot; it occurs often in Esther.
Esther 1:19 sn Laws…that cannot be repealed. On the permanence of the laws of Media and Persia see also Esth 8:8 and Dan 6:8, 12, 15.
Esther 1:19 sn Previously in this chapter the word “queen” accompanies Vashti’s name (cf. vv. 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17). But here, in anticipation of her demotion, the title is dropped.
Esther 1:19 tn Heb “her neighbor”; NIV “someone else.”
Esther 1:19 tn Heb “who is better than she.” The reference is apparently to worthiness of the royal position as demonstrated by compliance with the king’s wishes, although the word טוֹב (tov, “good”) can also be used of physical beauty. Cf. NAB, NASB, NLT “more worthy than she.”
Esther 1:20 tn Heb “heard”; KJV, NAB, NLT “published”; NIV, NRSV “proclaimed.”
Esther 1:20 tc The phrase “vast though it is” is not included in the LXX, although it is retained by almost all English versions.

Acts 4:13-31

¹³When they saw the boldness^[a] of Peter and John, and discovered^[b] that they were uneducated^[c] and ordinary^[d] men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. ¹⁴And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this.^[e] ¹⁵But when they had ordered them to go outside the council,^[f] they began to confer with one another, ¹⁶saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain^[g] to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign^[h] has come about through them,^[i] and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more^[j] to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸And they called them in and ordered^[k] them not to speak or teach at all in the name^[l] of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John replied,^[m] “Whether it is right before God to obey^[n] you rather than God, you decide, ²⁰for it is impossible^[o] for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising^[p] God for what had happened. ²²For the man, on whom this miraculous sign^[q] of healing had been performed,^[r] was over forty years old.

The Followers of Jesus Pray for Boldness

²³When they were released, Peter and John^[s] went to their fellow believers^[t] and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind^[u] and said, “Master of all,^[v] you who made the heaven, the earth,^[w] the sea, and everything that is in them, ²⁵who said by the Holy Spirit through^[x] your servant David our forefather,^[y]

‘Why do the nations^[z] rage,^[aa]
and the peoples plot foolish^[ab] things?
²⁶The kings of the earth stood together,^[ac]
and the rulers assembled together,
against the Lord and against his^[ad] Christ.’^[ae]

²⁷“For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against^[af] your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,^[ag] ²⁸to do as much as your power^[ah] and your plan^[ai] had decided beforehand^[aj] would happen. ²⁹And now, Lord, pay attention to^[ak] their threats, and grant^[al] to your servants^[am] to speak your message^[an] with great courage,^[ao] ³⁰while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs^[ap] and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹When^[aq] they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken,^[ar] and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak^[as] the word of God^[at] courageously.^[au]

Footnotes

Acts 4:13 tn Or “courage.”
Acts 4:13 tn Or “and found out.”
Acts 4:13 sn Uneducated does not mean “illiterate,” that is, unable to read or write. Among Jews in NT times there was almost universal literacy, especially as the result of widespread synagogue schools. The term refers to the fact that Peter and John had no formal rabbinic training and thus, in the view of their accusers, were not qualified to expound the law or teach publicly. The objection is like Acts 2:7.
Acts 4:13 tn For the translation of ἰδιῶται (idiōtai) as “ordinary men” see L&N 27.26.
Acts 4:14 tn Or “nothing to say in opposition.”
Acts 4:15 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
Acts 4:16 tn Or “evident.”
Acts 4:16 tn Here σημεῖον (sēmeion) has been translated as “miraculous sign” rather than simply “sign” or “miracle” since both components appear to be present in the context. It is clear that the healing of the lame man was a miracle, but for the Sanhedrin it was the value of the miraculous healing as a sign that concerned them because it gave attestation to the message of Peter and John. The sign “speaks” as Peter claimed in 3:11-16.
Acts 4:16 tn Or “has been done by them.”
Acts 4:17 tn Or “speak no longer.”
Acts 4:18 tn Or “commanded.”
Acts 4:18 sn In the name of Jesus. Once again, the “name” reflects the person. The person of Jesus and his authority is the “troubling” topic that, as far as the Jewish leadership is concerned, needs controlling.
Acts 4:19 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”
Acts 4:19 tn Grk “hear,” but the idea of “hear and obey” or simply “obey” is frequently contained in the Greek verb ἀκούω (akouō; see L&N 36.14).
Acts 4:20 tn Grk “for we are not able not to speak about what we have seen and heard,” but the double negative, which cancels out in English, is emphatic in Greek. The force is captured somewhat by the English translation “it is impossible for us not to speak…” although this is slightly awkward.
Acts 4:21 tn Or “glorifying.”
Acts 4:22 tn Here σημεῖον (sēmeion) has been translated as “miraculous sign” rather than simply “sign” or “miracle” since both components appear to be present in the context. See also the note on this word in v. 16.
Acts 4:22 tn Or “had been done.”
Acts 4:23 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity, since a new topic begins in v. 23 and the last specific reference to Peter and John in the Greek text is in 4:19.
Acts 4:23 tn Grk “to their own [people].” In context this phrase is most likely a reference to other believers rather than simply their own families and/or homes, since the group appears to act with one accord in the prayer that follows in v. 24. At the literary level, this phrase suggests how Jews were now splitting into two camps, pro-Jesus and anti-Jesus.
Acts 4:24 sn With one mind. Cf. Acts 1:14.
Acts 4:24 tn Or “Lord of all.”sn The use of the title Master of all (δεσπότης, despotēs) emphasizes that there is a sovereign God who is directing what is taking place.
Acts 4:24 tn Grk “and the earth, and the sea,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before “the earth” and “the sea” since contemporary English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
Acts 4:25 tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).
Acts 4:25 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
Acts 4:25 tn Or “Gentiles.”
Acts 4:25 sn The Greek word translated rage includes not only anger but opposition, both verbal and nonverbal. See L&N 88.185.
Acts 4:25 tn Or “futile”; traditionally, “vain.”
Acts 4:26 tn Traditionally, “The kings of the earth took their stand.”
Acts 4:26 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
Acts 4:26 sn A quotation from Ps 2:1-2.
Acts 4:27 sn The application of Ps 2:1-2 is that Jews and Gentiles are opposing Jesus. The surprise of the application is that Jews are now found among the enemies of God’s plan.
Acts 4:27 sn A wordplay on “Christ,” v. 26, which means “one who has been anointed.”
Acts 4:28 tn Grk “hand,” here a metaphor for God’s strength or power or authority.
Acts 4:28 tn Or “purpose,” “will.”
Acts 4:28 tn Or “had predestined.” Since the term “predestine” is something of a technical theological term, not in wide usage in contemporary English, the translation “decide beforehand” was used instead (see L&N 30.84). God’s direction remains as the major theme.
Acts 4:29 tn Or “Lord, take notice of.”
Acts 4:29 sn Grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage. The request is not for a stop to persecution or revenge on the opponents, but for boldness (great courage) to carry out the mission of proclaiming the message of what God is doing through Jesus.
Acts 4:29 tn Grk “slaves.” See the note on the word “servants” in 2:18.
Acts 4:29 tn Grk “word.”
Acts 4:29 tn Or “with all boldness.”
Acts 4:30 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.
Acts 4:31 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
Acts 4:31 sn The place where they were assembled…was shaken. This signifies that God is in their midst. See Acts 16:26; Exod 19:18; Ps 114:7; Isa 6:4.
Acts 4:31 tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to speak”). Logical sequencing suggests that their speaking began after they were filled with the Spirit. The prayer was answered immediately.
Acts 4:31 tn Or “speak God’s message.”
Acts 4:31 tn Or “with boldness.”

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 124[a]

A song of ascents;[b] by David.

Footnotes

The King Throws a Lavish Party

Queen Vashti is Removed from Her Royal Position

Footnotes

The Followers of Jesus Pray for Boldness

Footnotes

Psalm 124^[a]

A song of ascents;^[b] by David.