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Daily Readings for November 29
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Esther 5
1.Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal clothing, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, next to the king's house. The king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, next to the entrance of the house. 2.When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther came near, and touched the top of the scepter. 3.Then the king asked her, "What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom."
4.Esther said, "If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."
5.Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly, so that it may be done as Esther has said." So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
6.The king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, "What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed."
7.Then Esther answered and said, "My petition and my request is this. 8.If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king has said."
9.Then Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he didn't stand up nor move for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. 10.Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife. 11.Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. 12.Haman also said, "Yes, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow I am also invited by her together with the king. 13.Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate."
14.Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, "Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet." This pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.
Esther 6
1.On that night, the king couldn't sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king. 2.It was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who were doorkeepers, who had tried to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus. 3.The king said, "What honor and dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?"
Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him."
4.The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king's house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5.The king's servants said to him, "Behold, Haman stands in the court."
The king said, "Let him come in." 6.So Haman came in. The king said to him, "What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?"
Now Haman said in his heart, "Who would the king delight to honor more than myself?" 7.Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8.let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a crown royal is set. 9.Let the clothing and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man whom the king delights to honor with them, and have him ride on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, 'Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!'"
10.Then the king said to Haman, "Hurry and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken."
11.Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!"
12.Mordecai came back to the king's gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered. 13.Haman recounted to 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 Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him." 14.While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
Amos 9
1.I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, "Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in pieces on the head of all of them; and I will kill the last of them with the sword: there shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape. 2.Though they dig into Sheol5, there my hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, there I will bring them down. 3.Though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out there; and though they be hidden from my sight in the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them. 4.Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good. 5.For the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, is he who touches the land and it melts, and all who dwell in it will mourn; and it will rise up wholly like the River, and will sink again, like the River of Egypt. 6.It is he who builds his rooms in the heavens, and has founded his vault on the earth; he who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth; Yahweh is his name. 7.Are you not like the children of the Ethiopians to me, children of Israel?" says Yahweh. "Haven't I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? 8.Behold, the eyes of the Lord Yahweh are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the surface of the earth; except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," says Yahweh. 9."For, behold, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet not the least kernel will fall on the earth. 10.All the sinners of my people will die by the sword, who say, 'Evil won't overtake nor meet us.' 11.In that day I will raise up the tent of David who is fallen, and close up its breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old; 12.that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the nations who are called by my name," says Yahweh who does this. 13."Behold, the days come," says Yahweh, "that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the one treading grapes him who sows seed; and sweet wine will drip from the mountains, and flow from the hills. 14.I will bring my people Israel back from captivity, and they will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them; and they will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them. They shall also make gardens, and eat their fruit. 15.I will plant them on their land, and they will no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them," says Yahweh your God.
Hebrews 1
1.God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2.has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. 3.His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4.having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have. 5.For to which of the angels did he say at any time, "You are my Son. Today have I become your father?"1
and again, "I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?"2
6.Again, when he brings in the firstborn into the world he says, "Let all the angels of God worship him." 7.Of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire."3
8.But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom. 9.You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows."4
10.And, "You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands. 11.They will perish, but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does. 12.As a mantle, you will roll them up, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years will not fail."5
13.But which of the angels has he told at any time, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?"6
14.Aren't they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Hebrews 2
1.Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away. 2.For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense; 3.how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation--which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard; 4.God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will? 5.For he didn't subject the world to come, of which we speak, to angels. 6.But one has somewhere testified, saying, "What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him? 7.You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor.7 8.You have put all things in subjection under his feet."8
For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don't see all things subjected to him, yet. 9.But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone. 10.For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11.For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers9, 12.saying, "I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise."10
13.Again, "I will put my trust in him."11 Again, "Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me."12 14.Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15.and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16.For most certainly, he doesn't give help to angels, but he gives help to the seed of Abraham. 17.Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. 18.For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.