Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Haman Is Put to Death
7 So the king and Haman came to eat with Esther the queen. 2 And the king said again to Esther on the second day, as they drank their wine at the special supper, “What do you want to ask of me, Queen Esther? It will be done for you. What do you want? You would be given as much as half the nation.” 3 Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your eyes, O king, and if it please the king, I ask that my life and the lives of my people be saved. 4 For I and my people have been sold, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be done away with. If we had only been sold as men and women servants, I would have kept quiet. For our trouble is not to be compared with the trouble it will make for the king.” 5 Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would do such a thing?” 6 Esther said, “This sinful Haman hates us very much!” Then Haman was very afraid in front of the king and queen.
9 Then Harbonah, one of the king’s servants helping the king, said, “See, there is a tower made for hanging people at Haman’s house, thirteen times taller than a man. Haman had it made for hanging Mordecai who spoke good and helped the king!” And the king said, “Hang Haman on it.” 10 So they hanged Haman on the tower that he had made for Mordecai. Then the king’s anger became less.
The Special Supper of Purim
20 Mordecai wrote down these things. And he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the nation of King Ahasuerus, both near and far. 21 He told them to remember the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar each year. 22 Because on those days the Jews got rid of those who hated them. It was a month which was changed from sorrow into joy, from a day of sorrow into a special day. He said that they should make them days of eating and joy and sending food to one another and gifts to the poor.
God Watches Over His People
124 “If the Lord had not been on our side,” let Israel say, 2 “If the Lord had not been on our side when men came against us, 3 they would have eaten us up alive. Because their anger burned against us. 4 The waters would have covered us. The river would have passed over our soul. 5 The angry waters would have passed over our soul.”
6 Honor and thanks be to the Lord! He has not let us be torn by their teeth. 7 We have become free like a bird out of a trap. The net is broken and now we are free. 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
The Power of Prayer in Healing
13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone happy? He should sing songs of thanks to God. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should send for the church leaders and they should pray for him. They should pour oil on him in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer given in faith will heal the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Tell your sins to each other. And pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer from the heart of a man right with God has much power. 17 Elijah was a man as we are. He prayed that it might not rain. It did not rain on the earth for three and one-half years. 18 Then he prayed again that it would rain. It rained much and the fields of the earth gave fruit.
Bring Back Those Who Are Lost in Sin
19 My Christian brothers, if any of you should be led away from the truth, let someone turn him back again. 20 That person should know that if he turns a sinner from the wrong way, he will save the sinner’s soul from death and many sins will be forgiven.
Jesus Speaks Sharp Words against the Followers
38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone putting out demons in Your name. We told him to stop because he was not following us.” 39 Jesus said, “Do not stop him. No one who does a powerful work in My name can say anything bad about Me soon after. 40 The person who is not against us is for us. 41 For sure, I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name because you belong to Christ will not lose his reward from God. 42 Whoever is the reason for one of these little ones who believes in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large stone put around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand is the reason you fall into sin, cut it off. It is better to go into life without a hand, than to have two hands and go into the fire of hell that cannot be put out. 44 *There is where their worm never dies and the fire cannot be put out. 45 If your foot is the reason you fall into sin, cut it off. It is better to go into life with only one foot, than to have two feet and go into the fire of hell that cannot be put out. 46 *There is where their worm never dies and the fire cannot be put out. 47 If your eye is the reason you fall into sin, take it out. It is better to go into the holy nation of God with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. 48 There is where their worm never dies and the fire is never put out.
49 “Everyone will be made cleaner and stronger with fire. 50 Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how can it be made to taste like salt again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with each other.”
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.