Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Song of degrees of David.

¹ ¶ I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

² Our feet stood within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem, that one which is built as a city that is well united together

⁴ Because the tribes went up there, the tribes of JAH, the testimony to Israel, to praise the name of the LORD.

⁵ For there are set thrones of the judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ ¶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; those that love thee shall be brought into rest.

⁷ Peace be within thy walls and rest within thy palaces.

⁸ For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

⁹ Because of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek thy good.

8 ¶ On that same day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews’ enemy, unto Esther, the queen. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was unto her.

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

³ ¶ And Esther spoke yet again before the king and fell down at his feet and besought him with tears to put away the evil of Haman, the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

⁴ Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king,

⁵ And said, If it pleases the king and if I have found grace in his sight and if the thing is right before the king and if I am good in his eyes, let it be written to reverse 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.

⁶ For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? How can I endure to see the destruction of my nation?

⁷ Then King Ahasuerus said unto Esther, the queen, and to Mordecai, the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him upon the gallows because he extended his hand against the Jews.

⁸ Write ye also for the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s ring may not be revoked.

⁹ Then the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews and to the lieutenants and the captains and the princes of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, unto each province according to the writing thereof, and unto each people after their language, 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 sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, mules that were born of mares,

¹¹ that the king granted power to the Jews who were in all the cities to gather themselves together and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish any army of the people or province that would assault them, and even their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

¹² upon the same day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

¹³ The copy of the writing which was to be given as law in each province was published unto all people and said that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves of their enemies.

¹⁴ So the posts rode upon mules, they went out on mules, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. And the law was given at Shushan, the palace.

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

¹⁶ The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honour.

¹⁷ And in each province and in each city wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a banquet and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

⁸ ¶ And unto the angel of the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of Smyrna write: These things, saith the first and the last, who was dead, and is alive:

⁹ I know thy works and tribulation and poverty, (but thou art rich), and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

¹⁰ Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer; behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.

¹¹ He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the congregations; {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} He that overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.