Esther 3 - 4, 1 Peter 5, Proverbs 24 — Legacy Standard Bible

Haman Seeks to Destroy the Jews

3After these things, King Ahasuerus ^amagnified Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^bthe Agagite, and ^cadvanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. ²And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate were bowing down and prostrating themselves before Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But ^aMordecai would not bow down or prostrate himself. ³So the king’s servants who were at ^athe king’s gate said to Mordecai, “^bWhy do you trespass against the king’s command?” ⁴Now it happened when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵Then Haman saw that ^aMordecai was not bowing down or prostrating himself before him. So Haman was filled with wrath. ⁶But he despised in his eyes to send forth his hand against Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman ^asought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

⁷In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, ¹Pur, that is the lot, was ^acast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, ²until the twelfth month, that is ^bthe month Adar. ⁸Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; ^atheir laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not do the king’s laws, so it is not worth it for the king to let them remain. ⁹“If it seems good to the king, let it be written down that they should perish, and I will pay ¹10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who do this work, to bring into the king’s treasuries.” ¹⁰Then ^athe king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^bthe Agagite, ^cthe adversary of the Jews. ¹¹And the king said to Haman, “The silver is ¹yours, and the people also, to do with them according to what is good in your eyes.”

¹²^aThen the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to ^bthe king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its tongue, being written ^cin the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³And letters were sent by the hand of ^acouriers to all the king’s provinces ^bto destroy, to kill, and to cause all the Jews to perish, both young and old, little ones and women, ^cin one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to ^dplunder their spoil. ¹⁴^aA copy of that which was written down to be given as law in every province was revealed to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. ¹⁵The couriers went out, hastened by the word of the king. And the law was given at the citadel in Susa. Now the king and Haman sat down to drink, but ^athe city of Susa was in confusion.

Esther Writhes in Anguish

4Now Mordecai came to know of ^aall that had been done. And ¹he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly. ²And he went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. ³Now in each and every province where the word and law of the king reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with ^afasting, weeping, and wailing; and many made their bed in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴Then Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and to remove his sackcloth from upon him, but he did not accept them. ⁵Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom ¹the king had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai to know what this was and why it was. ⁶So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate. ⁷And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and ^athe exact amount of silver that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries to cause the Jews to perish. ⁸He also gave him ^aa copy of the written law which had been given in Susa for their destruction, in order to show Esther and to tell her and to command her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to seek him out for her people.

⁹Then Hathach came back and told Mordecai’s words to Esther. ¹⁰Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to reply to Mordecai: ¹¹“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who ^acomes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, ^bhe has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out ^cto him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” ¹²So they told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

¹³Then Mordecai said for them to respond to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s ¹house can escape any more than all the Jews. ¹⁴“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and ^adeliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not reached royalty for such a time as this?”

Esther and the Jews Fast

¹⁵Then Esther said for them to respond to Mordecai, ¹⁶“Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; ^ado not eat or drink for ^bthree days, night or day. I and my young women also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” ¹⁷So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.

Shepherd the Flock of God

5^aTherefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your ^bfellow elder and ^cwitness of the sufferings of Christ, and a ^dpartaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, ²shepherd ^athe flock of God among you, overseeing ^bnot under compulsion, but willingly, according to God; and ^cnot for dishonest gain, but with eagerness; ³nor yet as ^alording it over ¹those allotted to you, but being ^bexamples to the flock. ⁴And when the Chief ^aShepherd appears, you will receive the ^bunfading ¹^,^ccrown of glory. ⁵^aYou younger men, likewise, ^bbe subject to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with ^chumility toward one another, for ^dGod is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

⁶Therefore ^ahumble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷^acasting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. ⁸^aBe of sober spirit, ^bbe watchful. Your adversary, ^cthe devil, prowls around like a roaring ^dlion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹¹^,^aBut resist him, ^bfirm in the faith, knowing that ^cthe same experiences of suffering are being accomplished among your ²brethren who are in the world. ¹⁰And after you have suffered ^afor a little while, the ^bGod of all grace, who ^ccalled you to His ^deternal glory in Christ, will Himself ^erestore, ^fstrengthen, confirm, and ground you. ¹¹^aTo Him be might forever and ever. Amen.

¹²Through ^aSilvanus, our faithful brother as I regard him, ^bI have written to you briefly, exhorting and bearing witness that this is ^cthe true grace of God. ^dStand firm in it! ¹³She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, ^aMark. ¹⁴^aGreet one another with a kiss of love. ^bPeace be to you all who are in Christ.

My Son, Fear Yahweh

24Do not be ^ajealous of evil men,And do not desire to ^bbe with them;²For their heart meditates on ^adestruction,And their lips ^btalk of mischief.³^aBy wisdom a house is built,And by discernment it is firmly established;⁴And by knowledge the rooms are ^afilledWith all precious and pleasant riches.⁵A ^awise man is ¹strong,And a man of knowledge strengthens his power.⁶For ^aby guidance you will make war,And ^bin abundance of counselors there is salvation.⁷Wisdom is ^atoo exalted for an ignorant fool,He does not open his mouth ^bin the gate.⁸One who ^adeliberately thinks to do evil,Men will call a ¹schemer.⁹The ^ascheming of folly is sin,And the scoffer is an abomination to men.¹⁰If you ^aare slack in the day of trouble,Your strength is in trouble.¹¹^aDeliver those who are being taken away to death,And those who are stumbling to the slaughter, Oh hold them back.¹²If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”Does not He ^awho weighs the hearts ^bunderstand?And ^cdoes not He who ^dguards your soul know?And will not He ¹^,^erender to man according to his work?¹³Eat ^ahoney, my son, for it is good,Indeed, the ^bhoney from the comb is sweet to your taste;¹⁴Know that ^awisdom is thus for your soul;If you find it, then there will be a ¹^,^bfuture,And your hope will not be cut off.¹⁵^aDo not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the abode of the righteous;Do not destroy his resting place;¹⁶For a ^arighteous man falls seven times, and rises again,But the ^bwicked will stumble in ¹calamity.¹⁷When your enemy falls, ^ado not be glad,And when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice;¹⁸Lest Yahweh see it and it be evil in His eyes,And turn His anger away from him.¹⁹^aDo not fret because of evildoersDo not be ^bjealous of the wicked;²⁰For ^athere will be no ¹^,^bfuture for the evil one;The ^clamp of the wicked will go out.²¹My son, ¹^,^afear Yahweh and the king;Do not associate with those who change,²²For suddenly their ^adisaster will rise,And who knows the upheaval that comes from both of them?²³These also are ^asayings of the wise.To ¹^,^bshow partiality in judgment is not good.²⁴He ^awho says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”^bPeoples will curse him, nations will be indignant with him;²⁵But ^ato those who reprove the wicked, it will be pleasant,And a good blessing will come upon them.²⁶He kisses the lipsWho responds with right words.²⁷Establish your work outsideAnd ^amake it ready for yourself in the field;And afterwards, you shall build your house.²⁸Do not be a ^awitness against your neighbor without cause,Nor ^bdeceive with your lips.²⁹^aDo not say, “As he did to me so I shall do to him;I will ¹render to the man according to his work.”³⁰I passed by the field of the sluggardAnd by the vineyard of the man ^alacking a heart of wisdom,³¹And behold, it was completely ¹^,^aovergrown with thistles;²^,^bNettles have covered its surface,And its stone ^cwall has been torn down.³²And I beheld, I set my heart upon it;I saw, I received discipline.³³“^aA little sleep, a little slumber,A little folding of the hands to rest,”³⁴Then your poverty will come as ¹a robberAnd your want like ²an armed man.