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.
Wisdom Appeals at the Gates
8 Does not wisdom cry out,
and understanding lift her voice?
2 On the topmost heights along the way,
at the crossroads, she takes her stand.
3 Beside the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O men, I call out!
My cry is to all mankind!
5 O naïve ones, learn prudence!
Fools, gain understanding!
6 Listen, for I speak excellent things,
and my lips utter right things.
7 For my mouth speaks truth,
and my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous,
Nothing in them is perverse or crooked.
9 All of them are straightforward to the discerning,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction instead of silver
and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than jewels,
nothing you desire compares with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and acquire knowledge with discretion.
13 To fear Adonai is to hate evil.
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and a perverse mouth.
14 Counsel and sound wisdom are mine.
I have understanding and power.
15 By me kings reign
and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes govern,
and all nobles who judge righteously.
17 I love those who love me.
Those who earnestly seek me find me.[a]
18 With me are wealth and honor,
enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than refined gold,
my harvest better than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
along paths of justice.
21 I endow substance to those who love me
and fill their treasuries.
Greetings to a House Group
1 Paul, a prisoner of Messiah Yeshua, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow worker.
2 To Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the community that meets in your house:
3 Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Messiah Yeshua!
Thanks for Love and Comfort
4 I thank my God always when mentioning you in my prayers, 5 hearing of your love and the trust you have toward the Lord Yeshua and all the kedoshim. 6 May the fellowship of your faith become effective, with the recognition of all the good that is ours in Messiah. 7 For I’ve received much joy and comfort in your love, brother, because the hearts of the kedoshim have been refreshed through you.
Request for Philemon’s Runaway
8 Therefore, though I have plenty of boldness in Messiah to order you to do what’s right, 9 yet for love’s sake I appeal to you instead. I, Paul, am an old man and now also a prisoner belonging to Messiah Yeshua. 10 I beg you for my child Onesimus—for whom I became a spiritual father while in chains. 11 He once was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and me. 12 I sent him back to you—he is my very heart. 13 I really wanted to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he might serve me while I am in chains for the Good News. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness wouldn’t be by force but by free will.
15 For perhaps he was separated from you for a while in order that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave—as a beloved brother, especially to me but even more so to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 But if he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay. (Not to mention that you owe me your very self.) 20 Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Messiah.
Added Request and Farewell
21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than what I say. 22 At the same time also, prepare a guest room for me—for I hope that through your prayers I will be given back to you. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Messiah Yeshua, greets you. 24 So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. 25 May the grace of our Lord Messiah Yeshua be with your spirit. Amen.
9 Now a large crowd of Judeans knew He was there and came, not only for Yeshua but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 10 So the ruling kohanim made plans to kill Lazarus also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jewish people were going and putting their trust in Yeshua.
Israel’s King Has Come
12 The next day, the huge crowd that had come up for the feast heard that Yeshua was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting,
“‘Hoshia-na! Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’[a]
The King of Israel!”
14 Finding a young donkey, Yeshua sat on it, as it is written,
15 “Fear not, Daughter of Zion!
Look! Your King is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt.”[b]
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first. But when Yeshua was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that the crowd had done these things for Him.
17 So the crowd, which had been with Yeshua when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, kept on telling everyone about it. 18 It was also for this reason that the crowd came out to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to each other, “You see that you can’t do anything. Look, the whole world has taken off after Him!”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.