Book of Common Prayer
97 O how I love Thy torah! It is my meditation kol hayom.
98 Thou through Thy mitzvot hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than every melamed of mine: for Thy edot are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the zekenim, for I keep Thy pikkudim.
101 I have refrained my feet from every orakh rah, in order that I might be shomer over Thy Devar.
102 I have not departed from Thy mishpatim: for Thou hast taught me.
103 How sweet are Thy words unto my palate! Sweeter than devash to my mouth!
104 Through Thy pikkudim I get understanding: therefore I hate every orakh sheker. Nun
105 Thy word is a ner unto my feet, ohr unto my path.
106 I have sworn a shevuah, and I will perform it, that I will keep Thy righteous mishpatim.
107 I am afflicted very much: revive me, Hashem, according unto Thy word.
108 Accept the nidvot of my mouth, O Hashem, and teach me Thy mishpatim.
109 My nefesh is continually in my yad: yet do I not forget Thy torah.
110 The resha’im have laid a pach for me: yet I erred not from Thy pikkudim.
111 Thy edot have I taken as a heritage forever: for they are the sasson lev of me.
112 I have inclined mine lev to perform Thy chukkot forever, even unto the end. Samech
113 I hate the doubleminded: but Thy torah do I love.
114 Thou art my seter (hiding place) and my mogen: I hope in Thy Devar.
115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the mitzvot of Elohai.
116 Uphold me according unto Thy imrah, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed from my hope.
117 Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto Thy chukkot continually.
118 Thou hast rejected all them that err from Thy chukkot: for their deceitfulness is sheker (falsehood).
119 Thou puttest away all resha’im of eretz like dross; therefore I love Thy edot.
120 My basar trembleth for fear of Thee; and I am afraid of Thy mishpatim. AYIN
81 (For the one directing. On the gittis. Of Asaph.) Sing with joy unto Elohim uzeinu (our strength); make a joyful noise unto Elohei Ya’akov.
2 (3) Begin a song, and bring hither the tambourine, the pleasant kinnor (harp) with the nevel (lyre).
3 (4) Blow the shofar at Rosh Chodesh, at the full moon, on Yom Chageinu.
4 (5) For this was a chok for Yisroel, and a mishpat of the Elohei Ya’akov.
5 (6) This He ordained in Yosef for an edut, when He went out over Eretz Mitzra- yim; where a language of one not known did I hear.
6 (7) I removed his shekhem (shoulder) from the burden; his hands were delivered from the basket.
7 (8) In tzoros thou calledst, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the seter ra’am (secret place of thunder); I tested thee at the waters of Merivah. Selah.
8 (9) Shema, O My people, and I will admonish thee; O Yisroel, if thou wilt pay heed unto Me;
9 (10) There shall no el zar (strange, foreign g-d) be among thee; neither shalt thou worship any el nechar (foreign g-d).
10 (11) I am Hashem Eloheicha Who brought thee out of Eretz Mitzrayim; open thy mouth wide, I will fill it.
11 (12) But My people would not pay heed to My voice; and Yisroel would have none of Me.
12 (13) So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ sherirut (stubbornness); and they walked in their own mo’atzot (counsels).
13 (14) Oh that My people had paid heed unto Me, and Yisroel had walked in My ways!
14 (15) I should soon have subdued their oyevim and turned My Yad (hand, power) against their adversaries.
15 (16) The haters of Hashem should have cringed before Him; their et (time, fate, punishment) endures l’olam.
16 (17) He would have fed them also with the finest of the chittah (wheat); and with devash (honey) from the Tzur would I have satisfied thee.
82 (Mizmor of Asaph.) Elohim standeth in the Adat El; He judgeth among the elohim [See Ps 82:6 and Yn 10:34].
2 Ad mosai (How long) will ye judge unjustly, and show partiality to the resha’im? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and yatom (fatherless); do justice to the oni (afflicted) and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy; rid them out of the yad resha’im.
5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in choshech; all the foundations of ha’aretz are shaken.
6 I have said, elohim ye are; and all of you are Bnei HaElyon.
7 But ye shall die like adam, and fall like one of the sarim (princes).
8 Arise, Elohim, judge ha’aretz; for Thou shalt inherit kol HaGoyim.
6 And the Bnei HaNevi’im said unto Elishah, Hinei now, the makom where we dwell with thee is too tzar (cramped, crowded) for us.
2 Let us go, now, unto the Yarden, and take from there every ish one korah (beam), and let us build us a makom (place, home) there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go, ye.
3 And one said, Be agreed, now, and go with thy avadim. And he answered, I will go.
4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Yarden, they cut down haetzim (the trees, the wood).
5 But as one was felling the korah (beam, i.e., tree) the barzel (iron [axehead]) fell into the mayim; and he cried out, and said, Alas, adoni! For it was sha’ul (being borrowed).
6 And the Ish HaElohim said, Where fell it? And he showed him the makom (place). And he cut an etz (piece of wood, stick), and cast it in there; and the barzel did float up to the surface.
7 Therefore said he, Take it out to thee. And he stretched out his yad, and took it.
8 Then Melech Aram warred against Yisroel, and took counsel with his avadim, saying, In such and such makom shall be my chosen encampment places.
9 And the Ish HaElohim sent unto Melech Yisroel, saying, Beware that thou be shomer not to pass this makom; for there come down Aram.
10 And Melech Yisroel sent to the makom which the Ish HaElohim told him and warned him of, and he was watchful there, not just once nor twice.
11 Therefore the lev Melech Aram was over this matter much incensed; and he summoned his avadim, and said unto them, Will ye not show me who of us is [traitor] to Melech Yisroel?
12 And one of his avadim said, None, adoni HaMelech; but Elishah HaNavi that is in Yisroel, telleth Melech Yisroel the devarim that thou speakest in thy cheder mishkav (bedroom).
13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and take him captive. And it was told him, saying, Hinei, he is in Dotan.
14 Therefore sent he there susim, and merkavot, and a strong army contingent; and they came by lailah, and surrounded the ir.
15 And when the mesharet (minister, servant) of the Ish HaElohim was risen early, and went forth, hinei, an army surrounded the ir with susim and merkavot. And his na’ar said unto him, Alas, adoni! What shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not; for they that be with us are rabbim (many) more than they that be with them.
17 And Elishah davened, and said, Hashem, now, open his eyes, that he may see. And Hashem opened the eyes of the na’ar and he saw; and, hinei, the har was full of susim and merkavot of eish all around Elishah.
18 And when they made their descent unto him, Elishah davened unto Hashem, and said, Strike now hagoy hazeh, with blindness. And He struck them with blindness according to the davar Elishah.
19 And Elishah said unto them, This is not the derech, neither is this the ir; follow me, and I will lead you to the ish whom ye seek. But he led them to Shomron.
20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Shomron, that Elishah said, Hashem, open the eyes of these, that they may see. And Hashem opened their eyes, and they saw; and, hinei, they were in the midst of Shomron.
21 And Melech Yisroel said unto Elishah, when he saw them, Avi, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?
22 And he answered, Thou shalt not strike them; wouldest thou strike those whom thou hast taken captive with thy cherev and with thy keshet? Set lechem and mayim before them, that they may eat and drink, and go back to adoneihem.
23 And he prepared kerah gedolah (a great meal) for them; and when they finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they went to adoneihem. So the raiding parties of Aram (Syria) came no more into Eretz Yisroel.
9 I wrote to you in the iggeret not to mix with those engaging in acts of zenut (fornication),
10 Not meaning to completely disassociate from the zannayim of the Olam Hazeh or those guilty of chamdanut (greed) and the ones practicing hona’ah (swindling) or those guilty of avodah zarah (idol worship), als (since) in that case you would have to exit the Olam Hazeh.
11 But, now I wrote to you not to mix with any “Ach b’Moshiach” who is a zannay (fornicator) or a kamtzan (miser) or an oved elilim (idolater) or a megadef (reviler) or a shikkor (drunkard) or a shoded (robber); with such a man do not sit at tish (table), do not share betzi’at halechem (breaking of bread).
12 For what is it to me to sit as a dayan in the Bet Din and then judge ones outside the kehillah? Will your Bet Din not judge the ones within [the kehillah]?
13 But the outsiders Hashem judges. UVI’ARTA HARA MIKKIR’BECHA "You must purge the evil from among you" [DEVARIM 17:7; 19:19; 22:21,24; 24:7]
6 Does anyone of you having a dispute with an Ach b’Moshiach dare to be judged before the resha’im (unrighteous, evildoers) and not before the Bet Din of the Kadoshim?
2 Or do you not have da’as that the Kadoshim will sit in mishpat over the Olam Hazeh? And if the Olam Hazeh is to be judged by you, are you incompetent dayanim to try the smallest cases?
3 Do you lack da’as that the malachim will come before our Bet Din? Not to mention the things of Olam Hazeh!
4 If, then, you have cases concerning matters of the Olam Hazeh, how could you appoint as your Bet Din dayanim men who have no standing in the kehillah?
5 I speak to your bushah (shame). Is there not among you even one chacham (wise man) who will be able to sit in mishpat between his Achim b’Moshiach?
6 But an Ach b’Moshiach takes another Ach b’Moshiach to court, and this before the courtroom of Apikorosim (Unbelievers)?
7 Already, therefore, it is a total defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be cheated?
8 But you yourselves do wrong and practice hona’ah (cheating), and this to your Achim b’Moshiach.
38 You have heard that it was said, AYIN TACHAT AYIN, SHEN TACHAT SHEN (An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth SHEMOT 21:24).
39 But I say to you, Do not set yourself against the rasha (evil person), but whoever hits you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other cheek.
40 And the one wishing to sue you and take your tunic, give to him also your kaftan.
41 And whoever will force you to go one mile, go with him two.
42 And the one asking you to give and the one wishing to borrow from you, from these do not turn away.
43 You have heard that it was said, VAHAVTAH LREIACHAH (You shall love your neighbor, VAYIKRA 19:18) and you shall hate your oyev (enemy).
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies, and offer tefillos (prayers) for the ones bringing redifah (persecution) upon you.
45 Do this so that you may become banim of your Av shbaShomayim, for His shemesh (sun) He makes to rise on the ra’im (evil ones) and the tovim (good ones), and He sends His geshem (rain) upon the tzaddikim (righteous ones) and the resha’im (unrighteous ones).
46 For if you have ahavah (love) for the ones who have ahavah for you, what sachar (reward) do you have? Even the mochesim (tax collectors) do that, don’t they?
47 And if you give Drishat Shalom (greetings) only to your Achim [b’Moshiach], what extraordinary thing are you doing? Don’t even the Goyim do the same?
48 Therefore, be shlemim (complete), even as is your Av shbaShomayim.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International