Legacy Standard Bible

Esther 5 - 6

Esther Prepares a Feast

5Now it happened aon the third day, that Esther put on her royal robes and stood bin the inner court of the king’s house in front of the king’s 1rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the 2throne room, opposite the entrance to his house. 2Now it happened that when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, ashe advanced in favor in his eyes; and bthe king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and 1reached out and touched the top of the scepter. 3Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is 1your request? aEven to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4And Esther said, “If it seems good to the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the feast that I have prepared for him.”
5Then the king said, “aBring Haman quickly that we may do the word of Esther.” So the king and Haman came to the feast which Esther had prepared. 6Then, 1as they drank their wine at the feast, athe king said to Esther, “bWhat is 2your petition? For it shall be given to you. And what is 3your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 7So Esther answered and said, “1My petition and 2my request is: 8aif I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it seems good to the king to give heed to 1my petition and to do 2my request, may the king and Haman come to bthe feast which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do according to the word of the king.”

Haman Recounts His Glory

9Then Haman went out that day glad and merry of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai ain the king’s gate and bthat he did not stand up or 1tremble before him, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai. 10But Haman controlled himself, went to his house, and sent for and brought his friends and his wife aZeresh. 11Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches and the 1,anumber of his sons and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had 2,badvanced him above the princes and servants of the king. 12Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the feast which she had prepared; and atomorrow also I am called to come to her with the king. 13“Yet all of this is worth nothing to me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at athe king’s gate.” 14Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “aHave a 1gallows 2fifty cubits high made and in the morning say to the king that Mordecai should be hanged on it; then go gladly with the king to the feast.” And the word was good to Haman, so he had the gallows made.

The Man Whom the King Honors

6During that night, sleep had afled from the king, so he said for them to bring bthe book of memoranda, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2And it was found written what aMordecai had told concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs from those who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to send forth their hand against King Ahasuerus. 3And the king said, “What honor or greatness has been done to Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had aentered the outer court of the king’s house in order to speak to the king about bhanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had set up for him. 5And the king’s young men said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man awhom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said in his heart, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7Then Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8let them bring a royal robe which the king clothes himself in, and athe horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head ba royal crown has been placed; 9and let the robe and the horse be given over to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, and let them clothe the man whom the king delights to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square aand call out before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’”

Mordecai Is Honored

10Then the king said to Haman, “Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fall short in anything of all that you have spoken.” 11So Haman took the robe and the horse and clothed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square and called out before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”
12Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hastened home, mourning, awith his head covered. 13And Haman recounted ato Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the seed of the Jews, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.”
14While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs reached Haman’s home and hastily abrought Haman to the feast which Esther had prepared.

2 Peter 1 - 2

Precious and Magnificent Promises

11Simeon Peter, a aslave and bapostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received cthe same 2kind of faith as ours, 3by dthe righteousness of eour God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2aGrace and peace be multiplied to you in bthe full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3seeing that His adivine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the bfull knowledge of Him who ccalled us 1by His own glory and 2excellence. 41For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent apromises, so that by them you may become bpartakers of the divine nature, having cescaped the dcorruption that is in ethe world by lust. 5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith asupply bmoral 1excellence, and in your moral excellence, cknowledge, 6and in your knowledge, aself-control, and in your self-control, bperseverance, and in your perseverance, cgodliness, 7and in your godliness, 1,abrotherly kindness, and in your 2brotherly kindness, 3love. 8For if these things are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor aunfruitful in the bfull knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For in whom these things are not present, that one is ablind, being nearsighted, having 1forgotten the bpurification from his former sins. 10Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your acalling and bchoosing sure; for in doing these things, you will never cstumble; 11for in this way the entrance into athe eternal kingdom of our bLord and Savior Jesus Christ will be cabundantly dsupplied to you.
12Therefore, aI will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been strengthened in bthe truth which is present with you. 13I consider it aright, as long as I am in bthis earthly dwelling, to cstir you up by way of reminder, 14knowing that athe laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, bas also our Lord Jesus Christ has indicated to me. 15And I will also be diligent that at any time after my 1,adeparture you will be able to call these things to mind.

Eyewitnesses of Jesus

16For we did not make known to you the apower and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly devised bmyths, but being ceyewitnesses of His majesty. 17For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an 1,autterance as this was 2made to Him by the bMajestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18and we ourselves heard this 1utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the aholy mountain.
191And we have as more asure bthe prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to ca lamp shining in a dark place, until the dday dawns and the emorning star arises fin your hearts. 20aKnow this first of all, that bno prophecy of Scripture comes by one’s own interpretation. 21For ano prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being bmoved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

The Rise of False Prophets

2But afalse prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be bfalse teachers camong you, who will dsecretly introduce edestructive heresies, even fdenying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2And many will follow their asensuality, and because of them bthe way of the truth will be cmaligned. 3And in their agreed they will bexploit you with cfalse words, dtheir judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
4For aif God did not spare angels who sinned, but cast them into the 1pit and bdelivered them to chains of darkness, being kept for judgment; 5and did not spare athe ancient world, but preserved bNoah, a 1preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a cflood upon the world of the ungodly; 6and if He acondemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an bexample to those who would clive ungodly lives thereafter; 7and if He arescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the bsensual conduct of cunprincipled men 8(for by what he saw and heard that arighteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), 9athen the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from 1trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the bday of judgment, 10and especially those who ago after the flesh in its corrupt lust and bdespise authority. Daring, cself-willed, they do not tremble when they dblaspheme 1glorious ones, 11awhereas angels who are greater in strength and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 12But athese, like unreasoning animals, bborn as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, blaspheming where they have no knowledge, will in 1the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13suffering unrighteousness as athe wages of their unrighteousness, considering it a pleasure to brevel in the cdaytime—they are stains and blemishes, dreveling in their 1deceptions, as they efeast with you, 14having eyes full of adultery and unceasing sin, aenticing bunstable souls, having a heart trained in cgreed—they are daccursed children. 15Forsaking athe right way, they have gone astray, having followed bthe way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved cthe wages of unrighteousness, 16but he received a rebuke for his own lawlessness, afor a mute donkey, speaking out with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.
17These are asprings without water and mists driven by a storm, bfor whom the 1black darkness has been kept. 18For speaking out aarrogant words of bvanity, they centice by dsensual lusts of the flesh, those who barely eescape from the ones who conducted themselves in error, 19promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for aby what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20For if they are overcome, having both aescaped the defilements of the world by bthe knowledge of the cLord and Savior Jesus Christ and having again been dentangled in them, then ethe last state has become worse for them than the first. 21aFor it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from bthe holy commandment chanded on to them. 22The 1message of the true proverb has happened to them, “aA dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

Proverbs 25

Analogies of Wisdom

25These also are aproverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2It is the glory of God to aconceal a matter,But the glory of bkings is to search out a matter.3As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,So the heart of kings is unsearchable.4Take away the adross from the silver,And there comes out a vessel for the bsmith;5Take away the awicked before the king,And his bthrone will be established in righteousness.6Do not promote your majesty in the presence of the king,And in the place of great men do not stand;7For ait is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of a noble,Whom your eyes have seen.8Do not go out ahastily to plead your case;Lest, what will you do in 1the end,When your neighbor humiliates you?9aPlead your case with your neighbor,And bdo not reveal the secret of another,10Lest he who hears it bring disgrace upon you,And the bad report about you will not turn away.11Like apples of gold in settings of silverIs a aword spoken in 1right circumstances.12Like 1an aearring of gold and an bornament of cfine goldIs a wise reprover to a dlistening ear.13Like the cold of snow in the 1time of harvestIs a afaithful envoy to those who send him,For he refreshes the soul of his masters.14Like aclouds and bwind without rainIs a man who boasts 1of his gifts falsely.15aWhen one is slow to anger, a ruler may be persuaded,And a soft tongue breaks the bone.16Have you afound honey? Eat only enough for you,Lest you have more than your fill and vomit it.17Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,Lest he have more than his fill of you and hate you.18Like a club and a asword and a sharp barrowIs a man who bears 1,cfalse witness against his neighbor.19Like 1an aching tooth and a slipping footIs trust in a atreacherous man in a day of distress.20Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on 1soda,Is he who sings songs to 2an aching heart.21aIf 1your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;22For you will 1heap burning coals on his head,And aYahweh will repay you.23The north wind brings forth rain,And a atongue of secrets, an indignant face.24It is abetter to live in a corner of the roofThan 1in a house shared with a contentious woman.25Like cold water to a weary soul,So is a agood report from a distant land.26Like a amuddied spring and a corrupted wellIs a righteous man shaking before the wicked.27To eat too much honey is not good,Nor is it glory to asearch out 1one’s own glory.28Like a acity that is broken into and without a wallIs a man bwithout restraint over his spirit.