Book of Common Prayer
Protection from the Wicked
Psalm 140
1 For the music director: a psalm of David.
2 Rescue me, Adonai, from the evil man.
Protect me from the violent men—
3 who devise evil in their heart—
every day they stir up wars.
4 They sharpen their tongue like a serpent’s
—viper’s venom is under their lips.[a] Selah
5 Keep me safe, Adonai, from the clutches of the wicked.
Protect me from the man of violence who planned to push me off my feet.
6 The proud have hidden a trap and cords for me.
They spread out a net by the path.
They set snares for me. Selah
7 I said to Adonai: “You are my God!”
Hear, Adonai, the sound of my supplications.
8 God my Lord, the strength of my deliverance,
You shield my head in the day of battle.
9 Grant not, Adonai, the desires of the wicked.
Do not let their evil plan succeed,
or they will exalt themselves. Selah
10 As for the head of those surrounding me,
may the mischief of their lips overwhelm them.
11 Let burning coals fall upon them.
May they be cast into the fire, into deep pits,
never to rise again.[b]
12 May a slanderer not endure in the land.
May calamity hunt down a violent man.
13 I know Adonai will vindicate the poor,
and secure justice for the needy.
14 Surely, the righteous ones will praise Your name.
The upright will dwell in Your presence.
A Refuge from Trouble
Psalm 142
1 A contemplative poem of David, when he was in the cave, a prayer.
2 I cry aloud with my voice to Adonai.
With my voice I seek favor from Adonai.
3 I pour out my complaint before Him,
before Him I tell my trouble.
4 When my spirit grows faint within me,
You know my path.
In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
5 Look at my right hand and see,
for no one cares about me.
I have no refuge—
no one cares for my soul.
6 I have cried out to You, Adonai.
I said: “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
7 Listen to my cry,
for I am brought very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
8 Bring my soul out of prison,
so I may praise Your Name.
The righteous will triumph through me,
for You will reward me.
Evening Petition for Protection
Psalm 141
1 A psalm of David.
Adonai, I call to You—come quickly to me!
Hear my voice when I call to You.
2 May my prayer be set before You like incense.
May the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard, Adonai, over my mouth.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Let not my heart turn to any evil thing,
to practice deeds of wickedness
with men that work iniquity,
nor let me eat of their delicacies.
5 Let the righteous strike me—it is kindness.
Let him correct me—it is oil on my head
—my head will not refuse it.
Yet still my prayer is against their wickedness.
6 Their judges are thrown down from a cliff.
Then they will hear my words, since they are sweet.
7 As when one plows and breaks open the earth,
so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8 For my eyes are toward You, God my Lord.
In You I have taken refuge—do not expose my soul.
9 Keep me from the jaws of the trap they have laid for me,
and from the snares of the evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.
Hide Not Your Face from Me
Psalm 143
1 A psalm of David.
Hear my prayer, Adonai,
give ear to my petitions.
In Your faithfulness and Your righteousness,
answer me!
2 Do not bring Your servant into judgment,
for in Your eyes no one living is righteous.
3 For an enemy pursues my soul.
He crushes my life down to the ground.
He makes me dwell in darkness, like those long dead.
4 So my spirit grows faint within me.
My heart is shocked within me.
5 I remember the days of old.
I meditate on all You have done.
I ponder the work of Your hands.
6 I spread forth my hands to You.
My soul longs for You as a parched land. Selah
7 Answer me speedily, Adonai—my spirit fails.
Hide not Your face from me,
lest I become like those who go down into the Pit.
8 Make me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
for in You I trust.
Show me the way I should go,
for to You I lift up my soul.
9 Deliver me from my enemies, Adonai.
I hide myself in You.
10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.
Let Your good Ruach lead me on level ground.
11 For Your Name’s sake, Adonai, revive me.
In Your justice bring my soul out of trouble.
12 In Your mercy cut off my enemies
and destroy all who harass my soul,
for I am Your servant.
9 Hear this, leaders of the house of Jacob,
rulers of the house of Israel:
You who abhor justice,
and twist everything upright,
10 who build up Zion with bloodshed,
and Jerusalem with injustice.
11 Her leaders give judgment for a bribe.
Her priests give direction for a price.
Her prophets practice divination for money.
Yet they lean on Adonai by saying:
“Is not Adonai in our midst?
No calamity will come upon us!”
12 Therefore, because of you
Zion will become a plowed field.
Yes, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
and the Temple Mount will become a high place in a forest.
Torah Will Go Forth From Zion
4 But at the end of days
the mountain of Adonai’s House will be established as chief of the mountains,
and will be raised above the hills.
Peoples will flow up to it.
2 Then many nations will go and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of Adonai,
to the House of the God of Jacob!
Then He will direct us in His ways,
and we will walk in His paths.”
For Torah will go forth from Zion,
and the word of Adonai from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and decide for mighty nations far off.
They will beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning shears.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
nor will they learn war again.
4 But each man will sit under his vine
and under his fig tree,
with no one causing terror,
for the mouth of Adonai-Tzva’ot has spoken.
5 Though all the peoples will walk
each in the name of his god,
so we ourselves will walk[a] in the Name of Adonai Eloheinu,
forever and ever.
24 Now some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Messiah Yeshua. 25 But as he was arguing about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became afraid and said, “Go away for now! When I find time, I will summon you.”
26 At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given to him by Paul; so he sent for him frequently and would talk with him. 27 But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and wishing to do the Judean leaders a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Appeal to Caesar
25 Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 There the ruling kohanim and the leading Judeans brought charges against Paul. They were urging him, 3 asking a favor—to have Paul sent to Jerusalem, planning an ambush to kill him on the road.
4 Festus then answered that Paul was being guarded at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly. 5 “So then,” he said, “let the prominent men among you go down with me; and if there is any wrong in the man, let them accuse him.”
6 After spending not more than eight to ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, he sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought in. 7 When he arrived, the Judeans who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many serious charges which they could not prove.
8 Paul said in his defense, “I have committed no offense against the Torah of the Jewish people, or against the Temple, or against Caesar.”
9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jewish leaders a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me?”
10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Judeans, as you very well know. 11 If then I am in the wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 Then when Festus had consulted with the council, he responded, “You have appealed to Caesar—to Caesar you shall go!”
Sowing Good News from Town to Town
8 Soon afterward, Yeshua began traveling throughout towns and villages, preaching and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The twelve were also with Him. 2 And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Miriam, the one called Magdalene, out of whom seven demons had gone; 3 Joanna, the wife of Kuza, Herod’s finance minister; Susanna; and many others—were supporting them out of their own resources.
4 And when a large crowd was gathering and those from various towns were traveling to Him, He spoke by means of a parable. 5 “The sower went out to spread his seed. As he sowed, some fell beside the road and was trampled; and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 And other seed fell on rock; when it came up, that seed withered away because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And other seed fell into the good soil; and when it came up, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” While saying these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
9 Now His disciples were asking Him what this parable meant. 10 Then Yeshua said to them, “To you has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to the others it is given in parables,[a] in order that
‘Seeing, they may
not see,
and hearing, they may
not understand.’[b]
11 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. 12 Those beside the road are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 But those on the rocky places are the ones who, when they hear, accept the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a season, and in a time of testing fall away. 14 Now that which fell into the thorns are those who were hearing; but as they go along the way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bear mature fruit. 15 But the seed in the good soil are those with a praiseworthy and good heart, who have heard the word and hold it fast and bear fruit with patient endurance.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.