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Esther
2
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1
¶After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased,
he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed
against her.
2 Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there
be fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his
kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins
unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody
of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their
things for purification be given them:
4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of
Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name
was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish,
a Benjamite;
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which
had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar
the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter:
for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and
beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead,
took for his own daughter.
8 So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree
was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan
the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also
unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him;
and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such
things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to
be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and
her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai
had charged her that she should not shew it.
11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's
house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
12 Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus,
after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of
the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished,
to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet
odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)
13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired
was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto
the king's house.
14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into
the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the
king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto
the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she
were called by name.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle
of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go
in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's
chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained
favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal
in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year
of his reign.
17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained
grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that
he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead
of Vashti.
18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his
servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces,
and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time,
then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.
20 Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai
had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like
as when she was brought up with him.
21 ¶In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two
of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept
the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther
the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.
23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out;
therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in
the book of the chronicles before the king.
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Amos
7
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1 ¶Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed
grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth;
and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.
2 And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating
the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech
thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
3 The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.
4 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD
called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did
eat up a part.
5 Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall
Jacob arise? for he is small.
6 The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the
Lord GOD.
7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made
by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.
8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said,
A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline
in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them
any more:
9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries
of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house
of Jeroboam with the sword.
10 ¶Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king
of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst
of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel
shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.
12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away
into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's
chapel, and it is the king's court.
14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither
was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore
fruit:
15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said
unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy
not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in
the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword,
and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted
land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.
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Titus
1
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1 ¶Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of
the truth which is after godliness;
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the world began;
3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which
is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and
peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
5 ¶For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest
set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every
city, as I had appointed thee:
6 ¶If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful
children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled,
not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy
lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just,
holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he
may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the
gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially
they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching
things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians
are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they
may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that
turn from the truth.
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled
and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience
is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him,
being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
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Titus
2
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1 ¶But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith,
in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh
holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of
good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their
husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their
own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine
shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the
contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to
please them well in all things; not answering again;
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may
adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11 ¶For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 ¶These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.
Let no man despise thee.
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Titus
3
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1 ¶Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers,
to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing
all meekness unto all men.
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived,
serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful,
and hating one another.
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward
man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing
of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm
constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful
to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto
men.
9 ¶But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions,
and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition
reject;
11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being
condemned of himself.
12 When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent
to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.
13 Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently,
that nothing be wanting unto them.
14 And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary
uses, that they be not unfruitful.
15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in
the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. <<It was written to
Titus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians,
from Nicopolis of Macedonia.>>
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