Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

124 (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of Ascents] of Dovid). If it had not been Hashem Who was lanu (for us, on our side), now may Yisroel say;

² If it had not been Hashem Who was lanu, when adam (man) rose up against us;

³ Then they had swallowed us up chayyim (alive); when their wrath was kindled against us;

⁴ Then the mayim would have overwhelmed us, the torrent would have swept over nafsheinu (our nefesh); (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of

⁵ Then the mayim hazedonim (treacherous waters) would have swept over nafsheinu (our nefesh).

⁶ Baruch Hashem, Who hath not given us up as a prey to their shinayim (teeth).

⁷ Nafsheinu (our nefesh) is escaped as a tzippor (bird) out of the pach (snare of the fowlers); the pach is broken, and we are escaped.

⁸ Ezreinu (our help) B’Shem Hashem Oseh Shomayim vaAretz.

2 After these things, when the wrath of HaMelech Achashverosh was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

² Then said the attendants of HaMelech that ministered unto him, Let there be beautiful ne’arot betulot (young virgins) sought for HaMelech;

³ And let HaMelech appoint pekidim (overseers) in all the provinces of his malkhut (kingdom, realm), that they may gather together all the beautiful na’arah betulah (young virgins) unto Shushan the capital, to the Bais HaNashim (House of the Women, Harem), unto the custody of Hegai the Saris HaMelech (the Eunuch of the King), the Shomer HaNashim (Custodian of the Women); and let their (bodily) rubbings be given them.

⁴ And let the na’arah which pleaseth HaMelech be Malkah (Queen) instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased HaMelech; and he did so.

⁵ Now in Shushan the capital there was an ish Yehudi, shmo Mordechai ben Yair ben Shim’i ben Kish, a Binyamini.

⁶ He had been carried away from Yerushalayim in the Golus among those taken captive with Yechanyah Melech Yehudah, whom Nevuchadnetzar Melech Bavel had carried away.

⁷ And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Ester, the bat of his dod (uncle); for she had neither av nor em, and the na’arah was lovely in form and beautiful in appearance, whom Mordechai, when her av and em were dead, took for the bat of his own.

⁸ So it came to pass, when the commandment of HaMelech and his dat (decree, law) was heard, and when ne’arot rabbot (many maidens) were gathered together unto Shushan the capital, to the custody of Hegai, that Ester was brought also unto the Beis HaMelech, to the custody of Hegai, Shomer HaNashim.

⁹ And the na’arah pleased HaMelech, and she took up chesed before HaMelech; and he speedily had her be given her (bodily) rubbings, with her portion of special food; and also he selected sheva hane’arot (seven maids) for her from the Beis HaMelech; and he transferred her and her ne’arot to the preferred quarters in the Bais HaNashim.

¹⁰ Ester had not revealed her Am (People, i.e., the Jewish people) nor her moledet (kindred, i.e., her Jewishness), for Mordechai had charged her she should not show it.

¹¹ And Mordechai walked kol yom vayom before the khatzer Bais HaNashim (courtyard of the House of the Women, Harem) to have da’as of the shalom Ester (welfare of Ester), and what would become of her.

¹² Now before the turn of every na’arah came to go in to HaMelech Achashverosh, she had to complete the yemei merukeihen (the days of her [bodily] rubbings) which were prescribed for the nashim and which involved shneym asar chodesh (twelve months), shisha chodashim (six months) of shemen (oil) of myrrh and shisha chodashim (six months) of perfumes and beauty treatments for nashim.

¹³ Then thus came every na’arah unto HaMelech; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the Bais HaNashim unto the Beis HaMelech.

¹⁴ Ba’erev (in the evening) she went, and ba’boker (in the morning) she returned to a Bais HaNashim Sheni (a second House of the Women, Harem) to the custody of Shaashgaz, Saris HaMelech, Shomer HaPilagshim (Eunuch of the King, Custodian of the Concubines). She came in unto HaMelech no more, except HaMelech delighted in her, and she were summoned b’shem (by name).

¹⁵ Now when the turn of Ester bat Avichayil, dod Mordechai, who had adopted her as his bat, was come to go in unto HaMelech, she required nothing but what Hegai, Saris HaMelech, the Shomer HaNashim, suggested. And Ester took up chen (favor, grace) in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

¹⁶ So Ester was taken unto HaMelech Achashverosh into his Bais Malkhut (royal residence) in the chodesh ha’asiri (tenth month), which is the month Tevet, in the shnat sheva (seventh year) of his reign.

¹⁷ And HaMelech loved Ester mikol hanashim (more than all the women), and she took up chen vachesed (favor and grace) in his sight more than kol habetulot (all the virgins), so that he set the keter malkhut (royal crown) upon her head, and made her Malkah instead of Vashti.

¹⁸ Then HaMelech gave a mishteh gadol (great feast) unto all his sarim (nobles) and his avadim (servants, officials), even Mishteh Ester; and he decreed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts according to the [bountiful] yad HaMelech.

¹⁹ And when the betulot (virgins) were gathered together again, then Mordechai yoshev b’Sha’ar HaMelech (sat in the King’s Gate).

²⁰ Ester had not yet revealed her moledet (kindred) nor her Am (people, i.e., the Jewish people) as Mordechai had charged her; for Ester did the commandment of Mordechai, like as when she was brought up with him.

²¹ In those yamim, while Mordechai yoshev b’Sha’ar HaMelech, two of the Sarisim of HaMelech, Bigtan and Teresh, of the Mishomrei HaSaf (Keepers of the Door, Doorkeepers), were angry, and conspired to assassinate HaMelech Achashverosh.

²² And Mordechai came to da’as of the plot, and told it unto Ester HaMalkah; and Ester informed HaMelech thereof b’shem Mordechai.

²³ And when inquiry was made of the matter, it was found true; therefore the two of them were made talui al etz (hanged on a tree), and it was written in the sefer of the divrei hayamim before HaMelech.

²⁰ Now Herod was gor (very) angry with the people of Tzor and those of Tzidon, and with one mind they were coming to him; and, having won over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they were requesting shalom, because their country was fed by the king’s lands. [MELACHIM ALEF 5:9,11; YECHEZKEL 27:17]

²¹ Now on the appointed day, Herod, having clothed himself with royal malbush (clothing) and having sat down on the kes hamishpat, was delivering a public address to them.

²² And the multitude was crying out, "Hinei, the kol of a g-d and not of an ish!"

²³ Immediately, a malach Adonoi struck him, because he did not give the kavod to Hashem. And, having become eaten with worms, Herod died. [SHMUEL ALEF 25:38; SHMUEL BAIS 24:16,17; MELACHIM BAIS 19:35]

²⁴ But the dvar Hashem was growing and increasing.

²⁵ And Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul returned from Yerushalayim, having fulfilled their shlichus (mission) to deliver the tzedakah and having taken along with them [back to Antioch], Yochanan the one called Markos.