Book of Common Prayer
Be Still My Soul
Psalm 131
1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.
Adonai, my heart is not proud,
nor my eyes lofty,
nor do I go after things too great
or too difficult for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul—
like a weaned child with his mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in Adonai
from this time forth and forever.
Promise of Ben-David
Psalm 132
1 A Song of Ascents.
Adonai, remember David,
all his afflictions,
2 and how he swore to Adonai,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “I will not enter the tent of my house
nor lie on my bed,
4 nor will I will give sleep to my eyes,
nor slumber to my eyelids,
5 till I find a place for Adonai,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephratha,
we found it in the fields of Joar.
7 Let us go into His dwelling place,
let us bow at His footstool.
8 Arise, Adonai, to Your resting place—
You, and the Ark of Your might.
9 Let Your kohanim wear righteousness,
and let Your godly ones sing for joy.
10 For Your servant David’s sake
do not turn away the face of Your anointed.[a]
11 Adonai has sworn to David
a true promise He will not revoke:
“From the fruit of your body
I will set one upon your throne—[b]
12 if your children keep My covenant
and My law that I will teach them,
then their sons will sit on your throne forever.”
13 For Adonai has chosen Zion,
He has desired it for His dwelling:
14 “This is My resting place forever.
Here I dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her food.
I will satisfy her needy ones with bread.
16 I will clothe her kohanim with salvation,
and her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
17 There will I make a horn spring up for David,[c]
I have set up a lamp for My anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon himself his crown will shine.”
Blessing of Unity
Psalm 133
1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
coming down upon the beard—Aaron’s beard—
coming down on the collar of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
coming down upon the mountains of Zion.
For there Adonai commanded the blessing
—life forevermore!
Call to Evening Worship
Psalm 134
1 A Song of Ascents.
Behold, bless Adonai, all servants of Adonai,
who stand by night in the House of Adonai.
2 Lift up your hands to the Sanctuary
and bless Adonai.
3 May Adonai bless you out of Zion—
Maker of heaven and earth.
Jacob as His Treasure
Psalm 135
1 Halleluyah! Praise the Name of Adonai.
Give praise, O servants of Adonai—
2 standing in the House of Adonai,
in the courts of the House of our God.
3 Praise Adonai, for Adonai is good.
Sing praises to His Name, for it is delightful.
4 For Adonai has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel as His treasured possession.[d]
5 For I have known that Adonai is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever Adonai pleases, He does,
in heaven and in earth,
in the seas and in all deeps.
7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain.
He brings wind out of His storehouses.
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders among you,
O Egypt, on Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations
and slew mighty kings:
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to His people Israel.
13 Adonai, Your Name endures forever,
Your renown, Adonai, from generation to generation.
14 For Adonai will vindicate His people,
and have compassion on His servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see;
17 they have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them—
so will all who keep trusting in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless Adonai!
O house of Aaron, bless Adonai!
20 O house of Levi, bless Adonai!
You who revere Adonai, bless Adonai!
21 Blessed be Adonai out of Zion,
who dwells in Jerusalem. Halleluyah!
David Weeps Over Absalom
19 The king was shaken. So he went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. As he walked he cried, “My son Absalom! O my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! Absalom, my son, my son!”
2 Then Joab was told, “Look, the king is weeping and mourning over Absalom!” 3 So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops, for the troops heard it said that day, “The king is grieving over his son.” 4 So the troops entered into the city stealthily that day, like troops who are ashamed after running away in battle.
5 The king covered his face and cried with a loud voice, “My son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
6 Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have humiliated all your servants—who this day have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines— 7 by loving those who hate you, and hating those who love you! For you have shown today that officers and officials are nothing to you. For today I realize that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, then it would have pleased you well. 8 So now arise, go out, and speak to the heart of your servants! For I swear by Adonai that if you do not go out, not a single man will stay with you tonight, and that would be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.”
9 So the king arose and sat in the gate. When they told all the troops saying, “See, the king is sitting at the gate,” all the troops presented themselves before the king.
David’s Restoration and Grace
Meanwhile, Israel had fled each man to his tent. 10 All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were at strife saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and he saved us from the hand of the Philistines. Yet now he had to flee from the land because of Absalom, 11 but Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why are we silent about restoring the king?”
12 Then King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar the kohanim saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah saying, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace? The talk of all Israel had reached the king at his residence. 13 ‘You are my kinsmen, my bone and my flesh! Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’
14 “Also say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me and even more if you do not become my army commander before me continually, in place of Joab!’”
15 Thus he turned the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and then they sent word to the king, “Come back, you and all your servants.” 16 So the king returned and reached the Jordan. Meanwhile, Judah came to Gilgal in order to meet the king, to escort the king over the Jordan.
17 Then Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David 18 accompanied by 1,000 men of Benjamin. Also Ziba the servant of Saul’s household, with his 15 sons and 20 slaves, rushed to the Jordan ahead of the king. 19 They ferried across the ford to bring the king’s household and they did whatever seemed good in his eyes. Now, Shimei son of Gera fell down before the king when he was crossing over the Jordan, 20 so he implored the king, “Let my lord not hold me guilty, and not remember the iniquity that your servant committed on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Let the king not take it to his heart. 21 For your servant knows that I have sinned. So behold, I have come today the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”
22 But Abishai son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Adonai’s anointed?”
23 But David said, “What have I to do with you sons of Zeruiah that you should be my adversary[a] today? Should any man be put to death in Israel this day? Don’t I know that today I am king over Israel?”
Defense Before Governor Felix
24 After five days, the kohen gadol Ananias came down with some of the elders and an attorney named Tertullus. They brought formal charges against Paul before the governor. 2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “We are enjoying much peace through you, and reforms are introduced for this nation because of your foresight. 3 We acknowledge this, most excellent Felix, in every way and every place with all gratitude.
4 “But in order that I may not weary you any longer, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man to be a pest, stirring up riots among all the Jewish people throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Natzratim. 6 He even tried to defile the Temple, but we seized him. [a] 8 By examining him yourself, you will be able to learn from him all these things about which we accuse him.”
9 The Judean leaders also joined in the attack, affirming that these things were true. 10 When the governor nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: “Knowing that you have been judge over this nation for many years, I gladly make my own defense. 11 As you can verify, it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 They did not find me arguing with anyone or inciting a riot—not in the Temple or in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. 13 Nor can they prove to you the charges they now bring against me.
14 “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), I worship the God of our fathers,[b] believing everything written in the Torah and the Prophets. 15 In God I have a hope—which these men also wait for—that there will surely be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.[c]
16 “Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience before both God and men. 17 Now after several years, I came to bring tzedakah to my country for the poor and to present offerings. 18 As I was doing this, they found me in the Temple, having been purified—without any crowd or uproar. 19 But there were some Jewish people from Asia, who ought to be here before you to press charges if they have anything against me. 20 Or let these men themselves tell what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the Sanhedrin— 21 except for this one cry I shouted out while standing among them: ‘It is about the resurrection of the dead that today I am on trial before you.’”
In Prison for Two Years
22 But Felix, having a rather extensive knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will rule on your case.” 23 Then he gave the centurion orders for Paul to be kept in custody and yet have some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from attending to his needs.
Love Ends the Argument
28 One of the Torah scholars came and heard them debating. Seeing that Yeshua had answered them well, he asked Him, “Which commandment is first of all?”
29 Yeshua answered, “The first is, ‘Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30 And you shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ [a] 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, Teacher,” the Torah scholar said to Him. “You have spoken the truth, that He is echad, and besides Him there is no other! [c] 33 And ‘to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’[d] and ‘to love the neighbor as oneself,’[e] is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Yeshua saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared any longer to question Him.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.