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!
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.
25 Seven days were fulfilled after Adonai had struck the Nile.
26 [a] Then Adonai said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him: This is what Adonai says: ‘Let My people go, so they may serve Me. 27 If you refuse to let them go, see, I will strike all your territory with frogs. 28 The river will swarm with frogs. They will go up and enter your house, into your bedroom, upon your bed, into the houses of your servants, upon your people, into your ovens, and in your kneading bowls. 29 The frogs will climb up on you, your people and all your servants.’”
Frogs, Gnats, Flies
8 Then Adonai told Moses, “Say to Aaron: Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, canals and pools, and cause frogs to come up over the land of Egypt.” 2 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. 3 But the magicians did the same with their secret arts and brought up frogs over the land of Egypt.
4 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to Adonai, that He would take the frogs away from me and from my people. Then I will let the people go, so they may sacrifice to Adonai.”
5 Moses answered Pharaoh, “Boast about me after I pray for you. When am I to pray for you, your servants and your people, that the frogs would be cut off from you and your houses, and remain only in the Nile?”
6 “Tomorrow,” he said.
So he said, “Let it happen according to your word, so that you may know that there is none like Adonai our God. 7 The frogs will depart from you, from your houses, from your servants and from your people. They will remain only in the Nile.”
8 After Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, Moses cried out to Adonai concerning the frogs, which He had brought upon Pharaoh. 9 So Adonai acted according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out in the houses, the courts and the fields. 10 They piled them together in large heaps, and the land stank. 11 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them—just as Adonai had said.
12 So Adonai said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it will become gnats[b] throughout all the land of Egypt.’” 13 So they did. When Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, there were gnats on men and animals. All the dust of the earth became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.
14 When the magicians attempted the same with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, they could not. There were gnats on men and animals. 15 So the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them—just as Adonai had said.
16 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. As he comes to the water say to him, This is what Adonai says: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 17 Or else, if you do not let My people go, I will send the swarm of flies[c] on you and on your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of the swarm of flies including the ground that they stand on.
18 “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are dwelling—except no swarm of flies will be there—so that you may know that I, Adonai, am in the midst of the earth. 19 I will make a distinction between My people and your people. By tomorrow this sign will happen.”
7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that Bnei-Yisrael could not look intently upon Moses’ face because of its glory[a]—although it was passing away— 8 how will the ministry of the Ruach not be even more glorious? 9 For if there is glory in the ministry of condemnation,[b] the ministry of righteousness overflows even more in glory. 10 For even what was glorious is not glorious in comparison to the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what is passing away is glorious, much more what remains is glorious.
12 Therefore, having such a hope, we act with great boldness. 13 We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face in order for Bnei-Yisrael not to look intently upon the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away. 15 But to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. [c] 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Ruach Adonai is, there is freedom. [d] 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory—just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
The Cost of Discipleship
17 As Yeshua was setting out on His way, a man ran up to Him, fell on his knees before Him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call Me good?” Yeshua said to him. “No one is good except One—that is God. 19 You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,’ do not cheat, ‘honor your father and mother.’”[a]
20 The man responded, “Teacher, all these I have kept since my youth!”
21 Looking at him, Yeshua loved him and said, “One thing you lack. Go, sell as much as you have, and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 But at this statement, the man became sad and went away grieving, for he had much property.
23 Then looking around, Yeshua says to His disciples, “How hard it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at His words. But Yeshua answers again and says to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more astonished, saying among themselves, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Looking at them, Yeshua said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God!”[b]
28 Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we’ve left everything to follow You!”
29 “Amen, I tell you,” Yeshua replied, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, 30 who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and property, along with persecutions; and in the olam ha-ba, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.