Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

122 (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of Ascents] of Dovid). I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the Bais Hashem.

² Our feet shall stand within thy she’arim, O Yerushalayim.

³ Yerushalayim is built as an Ir bound firmly together;

⁴ That is where the Shevatim (tribes) go up, the Shivtei Hashem, according to the edut l’Yisroel (the statute to Yisroel), to give thanks unto the Shem of Hashem.

⁵ For there are set kise’ot l’mishpat (thrones of judgment), the kise’ot of the Bais Dovid.

⁶ Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim (pray for the peace of Jerusalem); they shall prosper that love thee.

⁷ Shalom be within thy wall, and security within thy citadels.

⁸ L’ma’an (for the sake of) my achim and companions, I will now say, Shalom be within thee.

⁹ L’ma’an the Bais Hashem Eloheinu I will seek thy tov.

8 On that day did HaMelech Achashverosh give the Bais Haman Tzorer HaYehudim (the estate of Haman the Vexer, Harasser, Enemy of the Jews) unto Ester HaMalkah. And Mordechai came before HaMelech; for Ester had told what he was unto her.

² And HaMelech took off his taba’at (signet ring), which he had reclaimed from Haman, and gave it unto Mordechai. And Ester set Mordechai over the Bais Haman.

³ And Ester spoke yet again before HaMelech, and fell down at his feet, and she wept and made supplication to him to avert the rah of Haman HaAgagi and the machshevet of him (his scheme, i.e., final solution plan) that he had devised against the Yehudim.

⁴ Then HaMelech held out the sharvit hazahav (golden sceptre) toward Ester. So Ester arose, and stood before HaMelech,

⁵ And said, If it is tov to HaMelech, and if I have found chen (favor, grace) in his sight, and the thing seem kosher (fit, right, proper) before HaMelech, and I be tovah (pleasing) in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the seferim machashevet Haman (letters devised by Haman) ben Hamdata the Agagi, which he wrote to destroy the Yehudim which are in all the provinces of HaMelech;

⁶ For how can I endure to see the ra’ah that shall come unto Ami (my people)? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my moledet (kindred, Jewish kinsmen)?

⁷ Then HaMelech Achashverosh said unto Ester HaMalkah and to Mordechai HaYehudi, Hinei, I have given Ester the Bais Haman, and him they have hanged upon the etz, because he laid his hand against HaYehudim.

⁸ Write ye also in behalf of HaYehudim, as you please, b’shem HaMelech, and seal it with the taba’at (signet ring) of HaMelech; for the writing which is written b’shem HaMelech, and sealed with the taba’at (signet ring) of HaMelech may no man reverse.

⁹ Then were the soferim of HaMelech summoned at that time in the chodesh hashelishi, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and according to all that Mordechai ordered it was written unto HaYehudim, and to the satraps, and the governors and nobles of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the script thereof, and unto every people after their leshon, and to the Yehudim according to their script, and according to their leshon.

¹⁰ And he wrote b’shem HaMelech Achashverosh, and sealed it with the taba’at of HaMelech, and sent seferim by couriers on horseback riding thoroughbred royal steeds;

¹¹ Wherein HaMelech granted the Yehudim which were in every city to assemble themselves together, and to engage in self-defense, to make shmad, to slay and to annihilate, any chayil (armed force) of any people or province that would attack them, both little ones and nashim, and to plunder their property

¹² On yom echad in all the provinces of HaMelech Achashverosh, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

¹³ A copy of the edict was to be issued as dat (law) in every province and was galui (made known) unto kol ha’amim (all nationalities), and that the Yehudim should be atidim (ready, prepared, [see 3:14]) for yom hazeh to avenge themselves on their oyvim (enemies).

¹⁴ So the couriers that rode upon royal steeds went out, being hastened and pressed on by the devar HaMelech. And the dat (decree) was given at Shushan the capital.

¹⁵ And Mordechai went out from the presence of HaMelech in levush malkhut (royal robe, clothing) of blue and white, and with an ateret zahav gedolah (a great crown of gold), and with a tachrich (garment, robe, [see OJBC Mt 27:59]) of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan celebrated and rejoiced.

¹⁶ The Yehudim had orah (light), and simcha, and sasson, and yekar (honor).

¹⁷ And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the devar HaMelech and his dat came, the Yehudim had simcha and sasson, a mishteh (feast) and a yontef. And many of the people of the land mityahadim (became Yehudim); for the pachad HaYehudim fell upon them.

⁸ And to the malach (angel) of the Kehillah in Smyrna, write: These things says HaRishon and HaAcharon, who became niftar (deceased) and had his histalkus (passing), and came back to Chayyim (Life): [YESHAYAH 44:6; 48:12]

⁹ I have da’as of your tzarah (Mt 24:15) and oni poverty)‖but you are oisher (rich)‖and the loshon hora of the ones making the claim and declaring themselves to be Bnei Brit, and are not [of the Brit Chadasha], but are a Shul [deluded by] Hasatan.

¹⁰ Have no pachad (terror) at all of the things you are about to suffer. Hinei, Hasatan is about to cast some of you into beit hasohar that you may be tested and you will have tzarah aseret yamim (ten days). Be ne’eman ad haMavet (faithful unto death), and I will give you the ateret HaChayyim (the diadem of Life). [DANIEL 1:12,14]

¹¹ The one having [spiritual] ears, let him hear what the Ruach Hakodesh says to the Kehillot. The one who wins the nitzachon (victory) never will be hurt by the Mavet HaSheyni (the Second Death).