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.
19 Now no blacksmith could be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” 20 So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his sickle, his axe or his hoe. 21 The price of sharpening was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the sickles, the three-pronged forks or the axes, or to set the oxgoads. 22 So it came about on the day of battle, there was no sword or spear to be found in the hand of any of the troops that were with Saul and Jonathan—only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. 23 Then the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmas.
Jonathan’s Daring Valor
14 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man carrying his armor, “Come, let’s cross over to the Philistines’ garrison that’s on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Now Saul was sitting on the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is in Migron, and the troops with him were about 600 men. 3 Ahijah son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod son of Phinehas son of Eli, the kohen of Adonai in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the troops did not know that Jonathan was gone. 4 Between the crossings by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on one side and another rocky crag on the other side—one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5 One crag was to the north near Michmas, and the other to the south near Geba.
6 Then Jonathan said to the young man carrying his armor, “Come, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. Perhaps Adonai will work for us, for nothing restrains Adonai from delivering whether by many or by few.” 7 His armor-bearer answered him, “Do whatever is in your heart; go ahead—I’m with you whatever your heart decides.”
8 Then Jonathan said, “Here, we’ll cross over to the men, then let them see us. 9 If they say to us: ‘Wait till we come to you,’ then we’ll stand still in our place and will not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us!’ then we will go up, for Adonai has delivered them into our hand—that will be our sign.”
11 So they both let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison. “Look, some Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they were hiding,” the Philistines said. 12 So the men of the garrison shouted down to Jonathan and his armor-bearer saying, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson!”
Then Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Follow me, for Adonai has handed them over to Israel!” 13 So Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. Then they fell before Jonathan, his armor-bearer behind him finishing them off. 14 That first assault that Jonathan and his armor-bearer made struck down about 20 men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. 15 Terror then spread through the camp, in the field, and among all the troops. Even the outposts and the raiders also trembled, when the earth quaked—it was a trembling from God.
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.
Executed on the Stake
26 As they led Him away, they grabbed a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the countryside. They placed on him the cross-beam,[a] to carry behind Yeshua.
27 Now a great multitude of people was following Him, including women who were mourning and singing dirges for Him. 28 But Yeshua, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but for yourselves and your children. 29 For indeed, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are barren, and the wombs that never gave birth, and the breasts that did not feed.’
30 ‘Then they will begin to say to the montains, ‘Fall on us!’
and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’[b]
31 “For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.