The Daily Audio Bible
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4 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud and a bitter cry,
2 and came even before the king’s gate; for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
3 And in every province whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting and weeping and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it to her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him; but he received it not.
5 Then called Esther for Hathach, one of the king’s chamberlains whom he had appointed to attend her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was and why it was.
6 So Hathach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city which was before the king’s gate.
7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
8 Also he gave him the copy of the written decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther and to explain it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.
9 And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
10 Again Esther spoke unto Hathach, and gave him a commandment unto Mordecai:
11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces do know that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court who is not called, there is one law of his: to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. But I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.”
12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
13 Then Mordecai commanded them to answer Esther: “Think not concerning thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there arise respite and deliverance to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed. And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer:
16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me; and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I also and my maidens will fast likewise. And so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
5 Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on her royal apparel and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, opposite the king’s house; and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, opposite the gate of the house.
2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the top of the scepter.
3 Then said the king unto her, “What wish thou, Queen Esther? And what is thy request? It shall be even given thee, to the half of the kingdom.”
4 And Esther answered, “If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
5 Then the king said, “Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
6 And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, “What is thy petition? And it shall be granted thee. And what is thy request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”
7 Then answered Esther and said, “My petition and my request is:
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 shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said.”
9 Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he stood not up nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.
10 Nevertheless Haman refrained himself; and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.
11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
12 Haman said moreover, “Yea, Esther the queen let no man but myself come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared, and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the king.
13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, “Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou unto the king, that Mordecai may be hanged thereon. Then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman, and he caused the gallows to be made.
6 On that night the king could not sleep; and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
2 And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
3 And the king said, “What honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this?” Then said the king’s servants who ministered unto him, “There is nothing done for him.”
4 And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king’s house to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 And the king’s servants said unto him, “Behold, Haman standeth in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.”
6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, “What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor?” Now Haman thought in his heart, “To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?”
7 And Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delighteth to honor,
8 let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head.
9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man thereby whom the king delighteth to honor; and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor!’”
10 Then the king said to Haman, “Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew who sitteth at the king’s gate. Let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.”
11 Then Haman took the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, “Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor!”
12 And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hastened to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, “If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.”
14 And while they were yet talking with him, the king’s chamberlains came and hastened to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
7 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, “What is thy petition, Queen Esther? And it shall be granted thee. And what is thy request? And it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.”
3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, “If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain and to perish. But if we had been sold as bondmen and bondwomen, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could not compensate for the king’s damage.”
5 Then King Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, “Who is he, and where is he, who dared presume in his heart to do so?”
6 And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.” Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7 And the king, arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath, went into the palace garden; and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
8 Then the king returned from the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine, and Haman had fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, “Will he force the queen also before me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, “Behold also the gallows fifty cubits high which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman.” Then the king said, “Hang him thereon!”
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Therefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, except by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God who worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit thereby:
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But all of these that one and the selfsame Spirit worketh, apportioning to every man individually as He will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, “Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, “Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members, every one of them, in the body as it hath pleased Him.
19 And if they were all one member, where would be the body?
20 But now there are many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, “I have no need of thee”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary.
23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked,
25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whenever one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
36 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he hath ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep; O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast.
7 How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.
8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the bounty of Thy house, and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.
9 For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light shall we see light.
10 O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee, and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
12 There the workers of iniquity lie fallen; they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness and honor.
22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of their confidence.
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