Psalm 138

Of David.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods”(A) I will sing(B) your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple(C)
    and will praise your name(D)
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,(E)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.(F)
When I called,(G) you answered me;(H)
    you greatly emboldened(I) me.

May all the kings of the earth(J) praise you, Lord,
    when they hear what you have decreed.
May they sing(K) of the ways of the Lord,
    for the glory of the Lord(L) is great.

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;(M)
    though lofty, he sees them(N) from afar.
Though I walk(O) in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.(P)
You stretch out your hand(Q) against the anger of my foes;(R)
    with your right hand(S) you save me.(T)
The Lord will vindicate(U) me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever(V)
    do not abandon(W) the works of your hands.(X)

138 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth.

Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.

Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur(A) (that is, the lot(B)) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.(C)

Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs(D) are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey(E) the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.(F) If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents[b] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”(G)

10 So the king took his signet ring(H) from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”

12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language(I) of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed(J) with his own ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews(K)—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,(L) and to plunder(M) their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.(N)

15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.(O) The king and Haman sat down to drink,(P) but the city of Susa was bewildered.(Q)

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 3:7 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have And the lot fell on.
  2. Esther 3:9 That is, about 375 tons or about 340 metric tons

In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.

11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.

12 Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.

15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

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22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth(A) was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,(B) which God did among you through him,(C) as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;(D) and you, with the help of wicked men,[a] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.(E) 24 But God raised him from the dead,(F) freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.(G) 25 David said about him:

“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand,
    I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    you will not let your holy one see decay.(H)
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[b](I)

29 “Fellow Israelites,(J) I can tell you confidently that the patriarch(K) David died and was buried,(L) and his tomb is here(M) to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.(N) 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.(O) 32 God has raised this Jesus to life,(P) and we are all witnesses(Q) of it. 33 Exalted(R) to the right hand of God,(S) he has received from the Father(T) the promised Holy Spirit(U) and has poured out(V) what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”’[c](W)

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord(X) and Messiah.”(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 2:23 Or of those not having the law (that is, Gentiles)
  2. Acts 2:28 Psalm 16:8-11 (see Septuagint)
  3. Acts 2:35 Psalm 110:1

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

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