Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

140 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

² Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

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 violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

⁵ The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

⁶ I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

⁷ O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

⁸ Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

⁹ As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

¹⁰ Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

¹¹ Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

¹² I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

¹³ Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

4 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;

² And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

³ And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.

⁵ Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.

⁶ So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.

⁷ And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

⁸ Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.

⁹ And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

¹⁰ Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;

¹¹ All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

¹² And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

¹³ Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

¹⁴ For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

¹⁵ Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

¹⁶ Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

¹⁷ So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴ To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

⁵ Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

⁶ Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

⁷ That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

⁸ Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

⁹ Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.