Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

140 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man. Preserve me from the cruel man.

² Who imagine evil things in their heart and make war continually.

³ They have sharpened their tongues 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 cruel man, who intends to cause my steps to slide.

⁵ The proud have laid a snare for me, and spread a net with cords in my pathway, and set traps for me. Selah.

⁶ I said to the LORD, “You are my God. Hear, O LORD, the voice of my prayers.

⁷ “O LORD God, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head on the day of battle.

⁸ “Do not let the wicked have his desire, O LORD. Do not perform his wicked thought, lest they be proud. Selah.

⁹ “The chief of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips come upon them.

¹⁰ “Let coals fall upon them. Let him cast them into the fire, into the deep pits, so that they do not rise.

¹¹ “The backbiter shall not be established upon the Earth. Evil shall hunt the cruel man to destruction.”

¹² I know that the LORD will avenge the afflicted and judge the poor.

¹³ Surely, the righteous shall praise Your Name; and the just shall dwell in Your presence. A Psalm of David

8 That same day, King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the adversary of the Jews, to Queen Esther. And Mordecai came before the king (for Esther had told him what he was to her).

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

³ And Esther spoke to the king again and fell down at his feet, weeping, and begged him to reverse the wickedness of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had imagined against the Jews.

⁴ And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. Then Esther arose and stood before the king,

⁵ And said, “If it please the king —and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing is acceptable before the king, and I please him —let it be written that 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, may be revoked.

⁶ “For how can I suffer and see the evil that shall come to my people? Or how can I suffer and see the destruction of my kindred?”

⁷ And King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, whom they have hanged upon the tree, because he laid hands upon the Jews.

⁸ “Also, write for the Jews as you like, in the King’s name; and seal it with the King’s ring.” (for the writings written in the King’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may not be revoked)

⁹ At that same time, the king’s scribes were called, on the twenty-third day of the third month (that is, the month Sivan). And it was written according to all as Mordecai commanded, to the Jews and to the princes, and captains and rulers of the provinces which were from India to Ethiopia (a hundred and twenty-seven provinces), to every province according to its writing and to every people according to their speech, 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 he sent letters, by couriers on horseback and by riders of royal steeds.

¹¹ In these, the king granted the Jews (in whatever cities they were) to gather themselves together and to stand for their life —to root out, to slay and to destroy all the power of the people and of the province that attacked them, both children and women, and to plunder their goods —

¹² upon one day, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month Adar).

¹³ The copy of the writing was to be given as a decree in all and every province, and published among all the people, so that the Jews would be ready for that day, to avenge themselves on their enemies.

¹⁴ So the couriers rode upon royal steeds and went forth with speed to execute the king’s commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan, the palace.

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

¹⁶ And to the Jews came light and joy and gladness, and honor.

¹⁷ Also, in all and every province, and in all and every city and place where the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was joy and gladness to the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

⁶ “But whoever shall cause one of these little ones who believes in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.

⁷ “Woe to the world because of offenses. For it must be that snares shall come. But woe be to the man by whom the stumbling block comes.

⁸ “Therefore, if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut them off and cast them from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame, or maimed, than - having two hands or two feet - to be cast into everlasting fire.

⁹ “And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than (having two eyes) to be cast into Hell fire.