¹ And I looked , and, lo , a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.  ² And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:  ³ And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.  ⁴ These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth . These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.  ⁵ And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.  ⁶ And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,  ⁷ Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come : and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.  ⁸ And there followed another angel, saying , Babylon is fallen , is fallen , that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.  ⁹ And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,  ¹⁰ The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:  ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.  ¹² Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.  ¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write , Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.  ¹⁴ And I looked , and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.  ¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap : for the time is come for thee to reap ; for the harvest of the earth is ripe . ¹⁶ And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped . ¹⁷ And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.  ¹⁸ And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying , Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe . ¹⁹ And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  ²⁰ And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.  ¹ 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, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.  ² And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near , and touched the top of the sceptre.  ³ Then said the king unto her, What wilt 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 favour 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 to morrow 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 did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow 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 to morrow 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 . ¹ On that night could not the king 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 hand on the king Ahasuerus.  ³ And the king said , What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him. ⁴ And the king said , Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward 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 honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? ⁷ And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,  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 withal whom the king delighteth to honour, 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 honour.  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, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken . ¹¹ Then took Haman 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 honour.  ¹² And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted 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, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared . ²⁴ Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:  ²⁵ But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.  ²⁶ Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:  ²⁷ To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.  ²⁸ They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead . ²⁹ Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them. ³⁰ Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment : and so the plague was stayed . ³¹ And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.  ³² They angered him also at the waters of strife , so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: ³³ Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.  ³⁴ They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: ³⁵ But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.  ³⁶ And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. ³⁷ Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,  ³⁸ And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.  ³⁹ Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.  ⁴⁰ Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.  ⁴¹ And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. ⁴² Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.  ⁴³ Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.  ⁴⁴ Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:  ⁴⁵ And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.  ⁴⁶ He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives . ⁴⁷ Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.  ⁴⁸ Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say , Amen. Praise ye the LORD.