Book of Common Prayer
Lead Me to the Rock
Psalm 61
1 For the music director, on string instrument, of David.
2 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer.
3 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
4 For You have been a refuge for me,
a tower of strength before the enemy.
5 Let me dwell in Your tent forever.
Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
6 For You have heard my vows, O God.
You have given the inheritance of those who fear Your Name.
7 May You add days to the king’s days.
May his years span many generations.
8 May he be enthroned before God forever.
Appoint mercy and truth to protect him.
9 So I will sing praise to Your Name forever,
to fulfill my vows day after day.
My Rock and My Salvation
Psalm 62
1 For the music director, on Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
2 My soul, wait in stillness, only for God—
from Him comes my salvation.
3 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress—I will never be moved.
4 How long will all of you assault a man,
to crush him, like a leaning wall,
a fence to be torn down?
5 They only plot to topple him from his rank.
Delighting in falsehood, they bless with their mouth,
but inwardly they curse. Selah
6 My soul, wait in stillness, only for God—
for from Him comes my expectation.
7 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my strong tower—I will not be moved.
8 On God, my salvation and my glory is the rock of my strength.
My refuge is in God.
9 Trust in Him at all times, you people.
Pour out your heart in His presence.
God is our refuge. Selah
10 Sons of Adam are a vapor,
sons of man are an illusion.
In balanced scales they go up—
altogether they are less than a breath.
11 Do not trust in extortion,
and do not put vain hope in plunder.
Though these things increase riches,
do not set your heart on them.
12 Once God has spoken,
twice I have heard this:
might belongs to God.
13 Also Yours, O Lord, is lovingkindness.
For You reward a man for his work.[a]
Triumphal Procession up to the Temple
Psalm 68
1 For the music director, a psalm of David, a song.
2 Let God arise!
Let His enemies be scattered!
Let those who hate Him flee before Him.
3 As smoke is blown away,
may You blow them away.
As wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.
4 But let the righteous be glad.
Let them exult before God.
Let them rejoice with gladness.
5 Sing to God, sing praises to His Name.
Prepare the road for Him who rides through the deserts,
whose Name is Adonai—
and rejoice before Him.
6 A father of orphans, defender of widows,
is God in His holy dwelling.
7 God settles the lonely in a home.
He leads prisoners out to prosperity.
But the rebellious live in a parched land.
8 O God, when You went out before Your people,
when You marched through the desert—Selah—
9 the earth shook, the heavens rained
at the presence of God—the One of Sinai—
at the presence of God, God of Israel.
10 You poured down abundant rain, O God.
You sustained Your weary inheritance.
11 Your community settled in it.
In Your goodness, O God, You provided for the poor.
12 The Lord gives the word—
a great company of women proclaims the good news.
13 “Kings of armies, flee, flee!”
She who stays at home divides the spoil.
14 When you lie among the campfires,
wings of a dove were covered with silver
and her feathers with shimmering gold.
15 When Shaddai scattered kings there,
it was snowing on Zalmon.
16 Mount Bashan is a mountain of God.
Mount Bashan is a mountain of peaks.
17 Why do you gaze with envy, you mountain peaks,
at the mountain God desired for His dwelling?
Yes, Adonai will dwell there forever!
18 The chariots of God are thousands and thousands
—my Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
19 You went up on high.
You led captivity captive.
You received gifts from humanity,[a]
even from the rebellious—
so that God might dwell there.
20 Blessed be my Lord!
Day by day He bears our burdens—
the God of our salvation! Selah
21 God is for us—a God of deliverance.
Adonai my Lord has escapes from death.
22 Surely God crushes the head of His foes,
the hairy scalp of one walking in his guilt.
23 My Lord said:
“I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea.
24 So your foot may wade in blood,
and your dogs’ tongue may have their share of your enemies’ blood.”
25 They have seen Your processions, O God—
the processions of my God, my King, into the Sanctuary:
26 The singers go before, the musicians last,
between maidens beating tambourines.
27 “Bless God in the congregations—
Adonai, from the fountain of Israel.”
28 There Benjamin, the youngest, is leading them,
there the throng of Judah’s princes,
there the princes of Zebulun,
there the princes of Naphtali.
29 Your God commanded your strength.
Strengthen, O God,
You who have acted for us.
30 From Your Temple above Jerusalem,
kings bring You tribute.
31 Rebuke the beast of the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves,
peoples trampling down pieces of silver.
He has scattered the peoples who delight in war!
32 Nobles come from Egypt.
Cush runs to stretch her hands to God.
33 Sing to God, kingdoms of the earth,
sing praises to the Lord—Selah—
34 to Him who rides upon the ancient heavens of heavens.
Look, He utters His voice, a mighty voice!
35 Ascribe strength to God—
His majesty is over Israel
and His strength is in the skies.
36 O God, You are awesome from Your holy places.
The God of Israel gives strength and power to the people.
Blessed be God!
6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner strengthened his position in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you slept with my father’s concubine?”
8 But Abner became very angry over Ish-bosheth’s words and said, “Am I a dog’s head from Judah? To this day I’ve been loyal to the house of Saul your father, to his kinsmen, and to his friends, and I haven’t handed you over to David—yet today you are accusing me of wrongdoing with this woman. 9 May God do so to Abner and even more if, as Adonai has sworn to David, I don’t accomplish this for him— 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba!” 11 But Ish-bosheth could not respond to Abner another word, because he was afraid of him.
12 Then Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and see, my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”
13 “Good!” said David. “I will cut a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you will not see my face unless you first bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see my face.”
14 Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ish-bosheth demanding, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for 100 Philistine foreskins.” 15 So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish. 16 But her husband accompanied her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return!” So he returned.
17 Now Abner had a word with the elders of Israel saying, “In times past you wanted David to be king over you. 18 So now do it! For Adonai has spoken of David saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will deliver My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’” 19 Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin. Then Abner went to Hebron to speak in the hearing of David about all that was agreeable to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
20 When Abner came to David in Hebron along with 20 other men, David held a banquet for Abner and the men with him. 21 Abner said to David, “Let me get up and go rally all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may cut a covenant with you, and you may reign over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he departed in shalom.
Going West to Macedonia
6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Ruach ha-Kodesh to speak the word in Asia. [a] 7 When they came to Mysia, they were trying to proceed into Bithynia, but the Ruach of Yeshua would not allow them. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
9 Now a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man from Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 As soon as he had seen the vision, immediately we tried to go to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.
11 So we put out to sea from Troas and made a straight course for Samothrace, the next day on to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi—which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia as well as a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for several days.
13 On Yom Shabbat, we went outside the gate to the river, where we expected a place of prayer to be. We sat down and began speaking with the women who had gathered. 14 A woman named Lydia—a seller of purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearer—was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
15 When she was immersed, along with her household, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she insisted.[b]
Feeding 5000 Families
30 The twelve emissaries gathered together with Yeshua, and they reported to Him all they had done and taught. 31 There were many coming and going, and they had no time even to eat. So He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to an isolated place and rest awhile.” 32 So they left privately by boat to an isolated place. 33 However, the people saw them leaving, and many recognized them. They ran on foot from all the towns to get there ahead of them. 34 As Yeshua came ashore, He saw a large crowd and felt compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.[a] So He taught them many things.
35 When it was already late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is isolated, and the hour is already late. 36 Send these people away so they can go into the nearby countryside and the villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat!”
And they said to Him, “Should we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread to give them something to eat?”
38 Then He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”
39 Then Yeshua made them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they reclined in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, He offered the bracha. He broke the loaves and kept giving them to the disciples to serve to the people; and He divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and fish. 44 Now there were five thousand men who ate the loaves.
Walking on Water
45 Right away, Yeshua made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46 After leaving them, He went up on the hillside to pray.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.