Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

122 A Song of the Ascents, by David. I have rejoiced in those saying to me, `To the house of Jehovah we go.'

² Our feet have been standing in thy gates, O Jerusalem!

³ Jerusalem -- the builded one -- [Is] as a city that is joined to itself together.

⁴ For thither have tribes gone up, Tribes of Jah, companies of Israel, To give thanks to the name of Jehovah.

⁵ For there have sat thrones of judgment, Thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Ask ye the peace of Jerusalem, At rest are those loving thee.

⁷ Peace is in thy bulwark, rest in thy high places,

⁸ For the sake of my brethren and my companions, Let me speak, I pray thee, `Peace [be] in thee.'

⁹ For the sake of the house of Jehovah our God, I seek good for thee!

9 And in the twelfth month -- it [is] the month of Adar -- on the thirteenth day of it, in which the word of the king, even his law, hath come to be done, in the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to rule over them, and it is turned that the Jews rule over those hating them --

² the Jews have been assembled in their cities, in all provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to put forth a hand on those seeking their evil, and no man hath stood in their presence, for their fear hath fallen on all the peoples.

³ And all heads of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the governors, and those doing the work that the king hath, are lifting up the Jews, for a fear of Mordecai hath fallen upon them;

⁴ for great [is] Mordecai in the house of the king, and his fame is going into all the provinces, for the man Mordecai is going on and becoming great.

⁵ And the Jews smite among all their enemies -- a smiting of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction -- and do with those hating them according to their pleasure,

¹⁸ And the Jews who [are] in Shushan have been assembled, on the thirteenth day of it, and on the fourteenth of it, even to rest on the fifteenth of it, and to make it a day of banquet and of joy.

¹⁹ Therefore the Jews of the villages, who are dwelling in cities of the villages, are making the fourteenth day of the month of Adar -- joy and banquet, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

²⁰ And Mordecai writeth these things, and sendeth letters unto all the Jews who [are] in all provinces of the king Ahasuerus, who are near and who are far off,

²¹ to establish on them, to be keeping the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and the fifteenth day of it, in every year and year,

²² as days on which the Jews have rested from their enemies, and the month that hath been turned to them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a good day, to make them days of banquet and of joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the needy.

²³ And the Jews have received that which they had begun to do, and that which Mordecai hath written unto them,

⁴ `And I say to you, my friends, be not afraid of those killing the body, and after these things are not having anything over to do;

⁵ but I will show to you, whom ye may fear; Fear him who, after the killing, is having authority to cast to the gehenna; yes, I say to you, Fear ye Him.

⁶ `Are not five sparrows sold for two assars? and one of them is not forgotten before God,

⁷ but even the hairs of your head have been all numbered; therefore fear ye not, than many sparrows ye are of more value.

⁸ `And I say to you, Every one -- whoever may confess with me before men, the Son of Man also shall confess with him before the messengers of God,

⁹ and he who hath denied me before men, shall be denied before the messengers of God,

¹⁰ and every one whoever shall say a word to the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven to him, but to him who to the Holy Spirit did speak evil, it shall not be forgiven.

¹¹ `And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye may reply, or what ye may say,

¹² for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that hour what it behoveth [you] to say.'