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!
17 Then the word of the Adonai came to Elijah the Tishbite saying: 18 “Arise, go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19 You shall speak to him saying, ‘Thus says Adonai: Have you murdered and then taken possession?’ You shall also speak to him saying, ‘Thus says Adonai: In the same place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your blood too.’”
20 Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?”
“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself over to do what is evil in Adonai’s eyes. 21 ‘Behold, I will bring evil upon you, utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel. 22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasa son of Ahijah because you provoked My anger by leading Israel to sin.’
23 “Adonai has also spoken about Jezebel saying: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 24 Any of Ahab who die in the city, the dogs will eat; or any who die in the country, the birds of the sky will eat.’”
25 Surely there was none like Ahab, who sold himself over to do evil in Adonai’s eyes, at the instigation of Jezebel his wife. 26 He did grossly loathsome acts in following idols just like all that the Amorites had done, whom Adonai had dispossessed before the children of Israel.
27 Now when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his body, fasted, lay in sackcloth and walked about subdued. 28 Then the word of Adonai came to Elijah the Tishbite saying: 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but in his son’s days I will bring the evil upon his house.”
20 Where is the wise one? Where is the Torah scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of the world? [a] 21 For seeing that—in God’s wisdom—the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased—through the foolishness of the message proclaimed—to save those who believe. 22 For Jewish people ask for signs and Greek people seek after wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Messiah crucified—a stumbling block to Jewish people and foolishness to Gentile people, 24 but to those who are called (both Jewish and Greek people), Messiah, the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see your calling, brothers and sisters, that not many are wise according to human standards,[b] not many are powerful, and not many are born well. 27 Yet God chose the foolish things of the world so He might put to shame the wise; and God chose the weak things of the world so He might put to shame the strong; 28 and God chose the lowly and despised things of the world, the things that are as nothing, so He might bring to nothing the things that are— 29 so that no human might boast before God. 30 But because of Him you are in Messiah Yeshua, who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and holiness and redemption— 31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in Adonai.”[c]
Yeshua Withdraws to Seek God
12 Now when Yeshua heard that John had been handed over, He withdrew to the Galilee. 13 Leaving Natzeret, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the nations—
16 the people sitting in darkness have seen a great light,
and those sitting in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”[a]
17 From then on, Yeshua began to proclaim, “Turn away from your sins, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.