Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Haman Is Executed
7 The king and Haman came to feast[a](A) with Esther the queen. 2 Once again, on the second day while drinking wine,(B) the king asked Esther, “Queen Esther, whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”(C)
3 Queen Esther answered, “If I have obtained your approval,[b] my king, and if the king is pleased,(D) spare my life—this is my request; and spare my people—this is my desire.(E) 4 For my people and I have been sold out(F) to destruction, death, and extermination.(G) If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves,(H) I would have kept silent. Indeed, the trouble wouldn’t be worth burdening the king.”
5 King Ahasuerus spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?”[c](I)
6 Esther answered, “The adversary and enemy(J) is this evil Haman.”
Haman stood terrified(K) before the king and queen.
9 Harbona, one of the royal eunuchs,(A) said: “There is a gallows 75 feet[a] tall at Haman’s house that he made for Mordecai,(B) who gave the report that saved[b] the king.”(C)
The king commanded, “Hang him on it.”
10 They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.(D) Then the king’s anger subsided.(E)
20 Mordecai(A) recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all of King Ahasuerus’s provinces, both near and far. 21 He ordered(B) them to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar every year 22 because during those days the Jews got rid of[a](C) their enemies. That was the month when their sorrow was turned into rejoicing and their mourning into a holiday.(D) They were to be days of feasting,(E) rejoicing, and of sending gifts to one another and the poor.
Psalm 124
The Lord Is on Our Side
A Davidic song of ascents.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 If the Lord had not been on our side(A)
when men attacked us,(B)
3 then they would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger against us.(C)
4 Then the waters would have engulfed us;
the torrent would have swept over us;
5 the raging waters would have swept over us.(D)
Effective Prayer
13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.(A) 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord.(B) 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will restore him to health; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.(C) 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.(D) 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.(E) 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.(F)
19 My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth,(G) and someone turns him back,(H) 20 let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.(I)
In His Name
38 John(A) said to Him, “Teacher,(B) we saw someone[a] driving out demons(C) in Your name,(D) and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”(E)
39 “Don’t stop him,” said Jesus, “because there is no one who will perform a miracle(F) in My name who can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us.(G) 41 And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink(H) because of My name,[b] since you belong to the Messiah(I)—I assure you:(J) He will never lose his reward.(K)
Warnings from Jesus
42 “But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me(L)—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone[c](M) were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes your downfall, cut it off.(N) It is better for you to enter life maimed(O) than to have two hands and go to hell—the unquenchable fire,(P) [44 where
45 And if your foot causes your downfall,(R) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame(S) than to have two feet and be thrown into hell— [the unquenchable fire,(T) 46 where
47 And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God(V) with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown(W) into hell,(X) 48 where
Their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.[h]
49 For everyone will be salted with fire.[i](Y)[j] 50 Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you make it salty?(Z) Have salt(AA) among yourselves and be at peace(AB) with one another.”
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