Book of Common Prayer
Glory from Heaven and Torah
Psalm 19
1 For the music director, a psalm of David.
2 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky shows His handiwork.
3 Day to day they speak,
night to night they reveal knowledge.
4 There is no speech, no words,
where their voice goes unheard.
5 Their voice has gone out to all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.[a]
In the heavens He pitched a tent for the sun.
6 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his bridal chamber.
It is like a strong man rejoicing to run his course.
7 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other end.
Nothing is hidden from its heat.
8 The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the soul.
The testimony of Adonai is trustworthy,
making the simple wise.
9 The precepts of Adonai are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The mitzvot of Adonai are pure,
giving light to the eyes.
10 The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The judgments of Adonai are true
and altogether righteous.
11 They are more desirable than gold,
yes, more than much pure gold!
They are sweeter than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
12 Moreover by them Your servant is warned.
In keeping them there is great reward.
13 Who can discern his errors?
Cleanse me of hidden faults.
14 Also keep Your servant from willful sins.
May they not have dominion over me.
Then I will be blameless,
free from great transgression.
15 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable before You,
Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer.
18 For thus says Adonai—
He is God who fashioned the heavens,
who formed the earth and made it,
He established it
and did not create it desolate
but formed it to be inhabited—
“I am Adonai—there is no other!”
19 “I have not spoken in secret,
in a place of a land of darkness.
I did not say to the seed of Jacob,
‘Seek Me in desolation.’
I, Adonai, speak righteousness,
declaring uprightly.”
No Other God and Savior
20 “Assemble yourselves and come,
draw near together, fugitives of the nations!
Those who carry their wooden idols have no knowledge,
praying to a god who cannot save.
21 Declare and present your case,
Indeed, let them consult together.
Who foretold this from ancient time?
Who has declared it of old?
Is it not I, Adonai?
There is no other God beside Me
—a righteous God and a Savior—
there is none besides Me![a]
22 Turn to Me, and be saved,
all the ends of the earth.
For I am God—there is no other.
23 By Myself I have sworn—
the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness,
and is irrevocable:
that to Me every knee will bow,
every tongue will swear.[b]
24 They will say of Me,
‘Only in Adonai is righteousness and strength.’
All who have raged against Him
will come to Him and be put to shame.
25 In Adonai all the seed of Israel
will be justified and give praise.”
4 though I myself might have confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he might depend on the flesh, I far more— 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel; from the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the Torah, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting Messiah’s community; as for Torah righteousness, found blameless.
7 But whatever things were gain to me, these I have considered as loss for the sake of the Messiah. 8 More than that, I consider all things to be loss in comparison to the surpassing value of the knowledge of Messiah Yeshua my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things; and I consider them garbage[a] in order that I might gain Messiah 9 and be found in Him not having my righteousness derived from Torah, but one that is through trusting in Messiah—the righteousness from God based on trust. [b] 10 My aim is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death— 11 if somehow I might arrive at the resurrection from among the dead.
LAMED ל
89 Forever, Adonai,
Your word stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
You established the earth, and it stands.
91 Your judgments stand today,
for all things are Your servants.
92 If Your Torah had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts.
For with them You have kept me alive.
94 I am Yours, save me!
For I have sought out Your precepts.
95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me.
But I will study Your testimonies.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
yet Your commandment is boundless.
MEM מ
97 O how I love Your Torah!
It is my meditation all day.
98 Your mitzvot make me wiser than my enemies
—for they are mine forever.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I have gained more understanding than all my elders,
for I have kept Your precepts.
101 I kept my feet from every evil way,
in order to follow Your word.
102 I do not turn away from Your rulings,
for You Yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet is Your word to my taste—
yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 From Your precepts I get discernment,
therefore I hate every false way.
NUN נ
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.[a]
106 I have sworn and confirmed
to observe Your righteous rulings.
107 I am severely afflicted.
Keep me alive, Adonai, according to Your word.
108 Please accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, Adonai,
and teach me Your rulings.
109 My soul is continually in danger,
yet I have not forgotten Your Torah.
110 The wicked have set a snare for me,
yet I did not stray from Your precepts.
111 Your testimonies I have as a heritage
forever, for they are my heart’s joy.
112 I turned my heart to do Your decrees,
forever, to the very end.
Saul Turns from Murder to Messiah
9 Now Saul, still breathing out threats and murder against the Lord’s disciples, went to the kohen gadol. 2 He requested letters of introduction from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3 As he was traveling, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 “Who are You, Lord?” Saul said.
“I am Yeshua—whom you are persecuting. [a] 6 But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”[b]
7 The men travelling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. [c] 8 Saul got up from the ground—but opening his eyes, he could see nothing. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink.
10 Now there was a disciple named Ananias in Damascus. The Lord said to him, “Ananias.”
He said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street named Straight, and ask in the house of Judah for someone from Tarsus named Saul. For look, he is praying; 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.”
13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man—how much harm he has done to your kedoshim in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the ruling kohanim to tie up all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a choice instrument to carry My name before nations and kings and Bnei-Yisrael. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 So Ananias left and entered into the house. Laying hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Yeshua, the One who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming—has sent me, so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh.”
18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was immersed; 19 and when he had taken food, he was strengthened. Now for several days, he was with the disciples in Damascus. 20 Immediately he began proclaiming Yeshua in the synagogues, saying, “He is Ben-Elohim.”
21 All those hearing him were amazed. They were saying, “Isn’t this the one who made havoc in Jerusalem for all those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to bring them as prisoners before the ruling kohanim?” 22 But Saul kept growing stronger, and he was confounding the Jewish people living in Damascus by proving that Yeshua is the Messiah.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.