Book of Common Prayer
Betrayal by a Friend
Psalm 55
1 For the music director, on stringed instruments, a contemplative song of David.
2 Give ear, O God, to my prayer
and do not ignore my plea for help.
3 Listen to me and answer me.
I am restless in my complaint and moan—
4 because of the voice of the enemy,
because of the pressure of the wicked.
For they thrust trouble on me,
and in anger bear a grudge against me.
5 My heart shudders within me
and the terrors of death sweep over me.
6 Fear and trembling come upon me
and horror has overwhelmed me.
7 So I said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and find rest.
8 Surely I would flee far away.
I would stay in the wilderness. Selah
9 I would hurry to my shelter
from the rushing wind of the storm.”
10 Lord, confuse and confound their speech,
for I see violence and strife in the city.
11 Day and night they make the rounds on her walls.
Iniquity and mischief are within her.
12 Ruins are in her midst.
Oppression and deceit never leave her square.
13 For if it were an enemy taunting me,
I could endure it.
If my foe was exalting himself over me,
I could hide from him.
14 But it is you, a man like me—
my companion and my close friend!
15 Together we enjoyed great fellowship.
We used to walk with the throng in the House of God.
16 Let desolation come upon them,
let them go down alive into Sheol—
for evil is in their dwelling, among them.
17 As for me, I will call on God,
and Adonai will save me.
18 Evening, morning and noon, I complain and moan,
then He hears my voice.
19 He will redeem my soul in shalom from the battle against me.
For many are striving with me.
20 God will hear and humble them
—yes, the One enthroned of old. Selah
Nothing changes—they do not fear God.
21 My companion put forth his hands against those at peace with him,
as he violates his covenant.
22 Smoother than butter was his speech,
yet war was in his heart.
His words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.
23 Cast your burden on Adonai, and He will sustain you.[a]
He will never let the righteous be shaken.
24 But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction.
Bloodthirsty, deceitful men will not live out half their days.
But I—I will trust in You.
Your Right Hand Delivers Me
Psalm 138
1 Of David.
I praise You with all my heart.
In the presence of the mighty I will sing praises to You.
2 I bow down toward Your holy Temple
and praise Your Name for Your love and Your faithfulness.
For You—magnified above all Your Name and Your word.
3 On the day I called, You answered me.
You made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth will praise You, Adonai,
when they hear Your mouth’s speech.
5 So they will sing of the ways of Adonai,
for great is the glory of Adonai.
6 For though Adonai is exalted,
yet He looks upon the lowly,
but the haughty He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk amid trouble,
You revive me.
You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand delivers me.
8 Adonai will fulfill His purpose for me.
Your lovingkindness, Adonai, endures forever.
Do not abandon the work of Your hands.
How Precious Your Thoughts!
Psalm 139
1 For the music director: a psalm of David.
Adonai, You searched me and know me.
2 Whenever I sit down or stand up, You know it.
You discern my thinking from afar.
3 You observe my journeying and my resting
and You are familiar with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, Adonai, You know all about it.
5 You hemmed me in behind and before,
and laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from Your Ruach?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I go up to heaven, You are there,
and if I make my bed in Sheol,
look, You are there too.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn
and settle on the other side of the sea,
10 even there Your hand will lead me,
and Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say: “Surely darkness covers me,
night keeps light at a distance from me,”
12 even darkness is not dark for You,
and night is as bright as day—
darkness and light are alike.
13 For You have created my conscience.
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise You, for I am awesomely, wonderfully made!
Wonderful are Your works—
and my soul knows that very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was unformed,
and in Your book were written the days that were formed—
when not one of them had come to be.
17 How precious are Your thoughts, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand!
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 If only You would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloody men!
20 For they speak about You with wicked intent.
Your enemies reproach You in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, Adonai?
Do I not loathe those who rise against You?
22 I hate them with total hatred—
I consider them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart.
Examine me, and know my anxious thoughts,
Word out of the Whirlwind
38 Then Adonai answered Job out of the whirlwind.
He said:
2 “Who is this, who darkens counsel
with words without knowledge?
3 Now gird up your loins like a man;
I will question you,
and you will inform Me!
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who set its dimensions—if you know—
or who stretched a line over it?
6 On what were its foundations set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 when the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “And who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made a cloud its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling cloth,
10 when I prescribed my boundary for it,
and set bars and gates,
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come, but no further;
here your majestic waves will stop.’
12 “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,
or caused dawn to know its place;
13 that it would take hold of the corners of the earth
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 It changes shape like clay under a seal—
they stand out like those of a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light is withheld,
and the upraised arm is broken.
16 “Have you gone to the springs of the sea,
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
Letter to Diaspora Communities
22 Then it seemed good to the emissaries and elders, with the whole community, to choose men from among themselves to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judah (also called Barsabbas) and Silas, leading men among the brethren, 23 and this letter along with them:
“The emissaries and the elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile brothers of Antioch, Syria,
and Cilicia:
Greetings!
24 Since we have heard that some from among us have troubled you with words disturbing to your souls,[a] although we gave them no such authorization, 25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 27 We therefore have sent to you Judah and Silas, who themselves will report to you the same things by word of mouth. 28 It seemed good to the Ruach ha-Kodesh and to us not to place on you any greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. By keeping away from these things, you will do well.
Shalom!”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and when they had gathered the whole group together, they delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and rejoiced over its encouragement. 32 Judah and Silas, prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and sisters with a long message and strengthened them.
33 After spending some time there, they were sent off with shalom by the brothers and sisters to those who had sent them. 34 [b] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord with many others.
Better that One Man Die
45 Therefore many of the Judeans, who had come to Miriam and had seen what Yeshua had done, put their trust in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Yeshua had done.
47 So the ruling kohanim and Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we doing?” they asked. “This Man is performing many signs! 48 If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our holy place and our nation.”
49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was kohen gadol that year, said to them, “You know nothing! 50 You don’t take into account that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”
51 Now he did not say this by himself; but as the kohen gadol that year, he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the nation. [a] 52 And not for the nation only, but also so that He might gather together into one the scattered children of God.[b]
53 So from that day on, they plotted to kill Him. 54 Therefore Yeshua no longer walked openly among the Judeans, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with His disciples.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.