Formation Journal Reading Plan

4:1 Now when Mordecai knew 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;

4:2 and he came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter within the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

4:3 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.

4:4 And Esther’s maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him; but he received it not.

4:5 Then called Esther for Hathach, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was.

4:6 So Hathach went forth to Mordecai unto the broad place of the city, which was before the king’s gate.

4:7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

4:8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther, and to declare 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.

4:9 And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

4:10 Then Esther spake unto Hathach, and gave him a message unto Mordecai saying:

4:11 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 for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

4:12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.

4:13 Then Mordecai bade them return answer unto Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.

4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

4:15 Then Esther bade them return answer unto Mordecai,

4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that 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 in like manner; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

4:17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

41:1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: Jehovah will deliver him in the day of evil.

41:2 Jehovah will preserve him, and keep him alive, And he shall be blessed upon the earth; And deliver not thou him unto the will of his enemies.

41:3 Jehovah will support him upon the couch of languishing: Thou makest all his bed in his sickness.

41:4 I said, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me: Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

41:5 Mine enemies speak evil against me, saying, When will he die, and his name perish?

41:6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh falsehood; His heart gathereth iniquity to itself: When he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

41:7 All that hate me whisper together against me; Against me do they devise my hurt.

41:8 An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him; And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, Who did eat of my bread, Hath lifted up his heel against me.

41:10 But thou, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me, and raise me up, That I may requite them.

41:11 By this I know that thou delightest in me, Because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

41:12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, And settest me before thy face for ever.

41:13 Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, From everlasting and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

11:1 I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

11:2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel:

11:3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.

11:7 What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened:

11:8 according as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day.

11:9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, And a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them:

11:10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow thou down their back always.