Book of Common Prayer
49 Remember the davar to Thy eved, on which Thou hast made me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my oni (affliction); for Thy word hath revived me.
51 The zedim (arrogant ones) have had me greatly in derision; yet have I not turned aside from Thy torah.
52 I remembered Thy mishpatim from of old, Hashem; and have comforted myself.
53 Zalafah (indignation) hath taken hold upon me because of the resha’im that forsake Thy torah.
54 Thy chukkot have been my zemirot (songs) in the bais of my pilgrimage.
55 I have remembered Thy Shem, Hashem, in the lailah, and have been shomer over Thy torah.
56 Zot hayetah li, because I kept Thy pikkudim. CHET
57 Thou art my chelek, Hashem; I have said I would be shomer over Thy words.
58 I sought Thy Face with my kol lev; be gracious unto me according to Thy word.
59 I thought on my drakhim, and turned my feet unto Thy edot (testimonies).
60 I made haste, and delayed not to be shomer over Thy mitzvot.
61 The ropes of the resha’im have bound me; but I have not forgotten Thy torah.
62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee because of Thy righteous mishpatim.
63 I am a chaver of all them that fear Thee, and of them that are shomer over Thy pikkudim.
64 Ha’aretz, Hashem, is full of Thy chesed; teach me Thy chukkot. TET
65 Thou hast dealt well with Thy eved, Hashem, according unto Thy word.
66 Teach me good judgment and da’as; for I have believed in Thy mitzvot.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I been shomer over Thy word.
68 Thou art tov, and doest tov; teach me Thy chukkot.
69 The zedim (arrogant ones) have forged a sheker against me; but I will keep Thy pikkudim with my kol lev.
70 Their lev is callous like chelev; I delight in Thy torah.
71 It is tov for me that I have been afflicted l’ma’an (in order that) I might learn Thy chukkot.
72 The torah of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of zahav and kesef. ' YOD
49 (For the one directing. A Mizmor for the Bnei Korach). Hear this, kol HaAmim; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the cheled (world, duration):
2 (3) Bnei Adam and bnei ish, ashir (rich) and evyon (poor) alike,
3 (4) My mouth shall speak chochmot; and the meditation of my lev tevunot (understanding).
4 (5) I will incline mine ear to a mashal; I will disclose my dark saying upon the kinnor (harp).
5 (6) Why should I fear in the days of rah, when the avon (iniquity) of my akev (supplanters, deceivers) surrounds me?
6 (7) They that trust in their chayil (wealth), and boast themselves in the rov of their oshir (riches);
7 (8) A brother cannot by any means redeem ish (man), nor give to Elohim a kofer (ransom) for him—
8 (9) For the pidyon [ransom] of their nefesh is costly, and is forever beyond their power to pay—
9 (10) That he should live on lanetzach, and not see shachat (corruption, decay, the pit [cf Psa16:10]).
10 (11) For he seeth that chachamim die, likewise the kesil (foolish) and the ba’ar (brutish, senseless person, dolt) perish, and leave their chayil (wealth) to others.
11 (12) Their inward thought is, that their batim (houses) shall continue l’olam and their mishkenot (dwelling places) l’odor vador; though they call their lands by their shmot (names).
12 (13) Nevertheless adam in his pomp endureth not; he is like the behemot (beasts) that perish.
13 (14) This is their derech, kesel (folly, imprudent confidence) is theirs; and the fate after them of those who approve their words.
14 (15) Like tzon they are destined for She’ol; mavet shall pasture them; and the yesharim (upright ones) shall have dominion over them in the boker; and their tzir (form) shall waste away to Sheol, so there is no dwelling place for it.
15 (16) But Elohim will redeem my nefesh from the yad (hand, power) of Sheol; for He shall receive me. Selah.
16 (17) Be not thou afraid when one is made an ish oishir, when the kavod of his bais is increased;
17 (18) For in his mot (death), he shall carry nothing away; his kavod (glory, wealth) shall not descend after him.
18 (19) Though his nefesh during his life yevarech (he blessed)—for they praise thee when thou doest well for thyself—
19 (20) He shall go to the dor (generation) of his avot; they shall never see ohr (light).
20 (21) Adam that is in his pomp, and understandeth not, is like the behemot (beasts) that perish.
53 (For the one directing. According to ma’alot. Maskil of Dovid). The naval (fool) hath said in his lev, Ein Elohim (There is no G-d). Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none that doeth tov.
2 (3) Elohim looked down from Shomayim upon Bnei Adam, to see if there were any of seichel, that did seek Elohim.
3 (4) Every one of them has fallen away; they are altogether perverse; there is none that doeth tov, no, not echad (one).
4 (5) Have the workers of iniquity no da’as? Who eat up My people as they eat lechem; they have not called upon Elohim.
5 (6) There were they in great pachad (fear), pachad such as never was; for Elohim hath scattered the atzmot of him that encampeth against thee; thou [Yisroel] hast put them to shame, because Elohim hath rejected them.
6 (7) Oh that the Yeshuat Yisroel would come out of Tziyon! When Elohim bringeth back the captivity of Amo (His people), Ya’akov shall rejoice, and Yisroel shall be glad.
6 Then Daryavesh (Darius) the Melech made a decree, and search was made in the bais of the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon.
2 And there was found at Achmeta, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a megillah, and therein was a record thus written;
3 In the first year of Koresh the Melech, Koresh the Melech made a decree concerning the Beis Elohim at Yerushalayim, Let the Beis [Hamikdash] be built, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
4 With three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber; and let the expenses be given out of the Melech’s treasury;
5 And also let the vessels of zahav and kesef of the Beis Elohim, which Nevuchadnetzar took forth out of the Heikhal which is at Yerushalayim, and brought unto Babylon, be returned, and brought again unto the Heikhal which is at Yerushalayim, every one to its place, and deposit them in the Beis Elohim.
6 Now therefore, Tatnai, governor Beyond-the-River [Euphrates], Shetar-Boznai, and your companions the envoys, which were in the province Beyond-the-River [Euphrates], you stay far from there!
7 Let the work of this Beis Elohim alone; let the governor of the Yehudim and the leaders of the Yehudim build this Beis Elohim in its place.
8 Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the leaders of these Yehudim for the building of this Beis Elohim; that of the royal treasuries, even of the revenue of the province Beyond-the-River [Euphrates], forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.
9 And that which they have need of, both young bulls, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the Elohei Shomayim, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the request of the kohanim which are at Yerushalayim, let it be given them day by day without fail;
10 That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the Elohei Shomayim, and pray for the chayyei Melech, and of his banim.
11 Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his bais, and being set up, let him be impaled hanging dead thereon; and let his bais be made a dunghill for this.
12 And the Elohim that hath caused Shmo to dwell there destroy all Melech or Am that shall lift up their hand to alter and to destroy this Beis Elohim which is at Yerushalayim. I Daryavesh have issued a decree; let it be done with speed.
13 Then Tatnai, governor of Beyond-the-River [Euphrates], Shetar-Boznai, and their companions, according to that which Daryavesh the Melech had sent, so they did speedily.
14 And the leaders of the Yehudim built, and they prospered through the prophesying and preaching of Chaggai HaNavi and Zecharyah ben Iddo. And they built, and finished it, according to the commandment of the Elohei Yisroel, and according to the commandment of Koresh (Cyrus), and Daryavesh (Darius), and Artachshasta (Artaxerxes) Melech Paras (Persia).
15 And this Beis [Hamikdash] was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Daryavesh the Melech [i.e., March 12, 515 B.C.E.].
16 And the Bnei Yisroel, the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, and the rest of the Banim of the Golus, kept the dedication of this Beis Elohim with joy.
17 And offered at the dedication of this Beis Elohim one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for kol Yisroel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Yisroel.
18 And they installed the kohanim in their divisions, and the Levi’im in their courses, for the Avodas Elohim, which is at Yerushalayim, as it is written in the Sefer Moshe.
19 And the Banim of the Golus kept the Pesach upon the 14th day of the first month.
20 For the Kohanim and the Levi’im made themselves tahor, all of them were tehorim, and slaughtered the Pesach for all the Banim of the Golus, and for their brethren the Kohanim, and for themselves.
21 And the Bnei Yisroel, which were come again out of Golus, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the tum’a of the Goyim of ha’aretz, to seek Hashem Elohei Yisroel, did eat,
22 And kept the Chag Matzot seven days with simchah; for Hashem had made them joyful, and turned the lev Melech Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the Beis Elohim, Elohei Yisroel.
5 And I saw on the yad yamin (right hand) of the One sitting on the Kes (Throne) a sefer (book) having been written inside and on the back, having been sealed with sheva chotamot (seven seals). [YECHEZKEL 2:9,10; YESHAYAH 29:11; DANIEL 12:4]
2 And I saw a strong malach (angel), proclaiming in a kol gadol (loud voice), Who is worthy to open the sefer (book) and break its chotamot (seals)?
3 And no one in Shomayim or on ha’aretz or under ha’aretz was being able to open the sefer (book) or to look into it.
4 And I was weeping copiously because no one was found worthy to open the sefer (book) or to look into it.
5 And one of the Zekenim says to me, Do not weep, hinei, HaAryeh (The Lion) from the Shevet Yehudah (Tribe of Judah), the Shoresh Dovid (Root of Dovid), has won the nitzachon (victory) and he is able to open the sefer (book) and its sheva chotamot (seven seals). [BERESHIS 49:9; YESHAYAH 11:1,10]
6 And I saw between the Kes (Throne) and the Arbah Chayyot (four living beings) and among the Zekenim (Elders, SHEMOT 12:21) a SEH (Lamb, YESHAYAH 53:7, Moshiach) having stood as having been slain, having sheva karnayim (horns, omnipotence), sheva eynayim (eyes, omniscience), which are the sheva ruchot (spirits) of Hashem having been sent into kol ha’aretz (all the earth).
7 And the SEH (Lamb, YESHAYAH 53:7) came and has taken the sefer out of the yad yamin (right hand) of the One sitting on the Kes (Throne).
8 And when the SEH (YESHAYAH 53:7) received the sefer, the Arbah Chayyot (four living beings) and the esrim v’arba’ah Zekenim (twenty-four Elders, SHEMOT 12:21) fell down before the SEH, (Lamb, YESHAYAH 53:7) each one having a nevel (harp) and golden ke’arot (bowls) full of ketoret (incense), which are the tefillos (prayers) of the Kadoshim. [TEHILLIM 141:2;16:3]
9 And they are singing a SHIR CHADASH (TEHILLIM 96:1) saying, Worthy art thou to take the sefer (book) and to open the chotamot (seals) of it, because you were slain and with your dahm [kapporah] you paid the price for the Geulah [VAYIKRA 25:50-51] redemption and purchased ones for Hashem from every mishpochah (family) and lashon (tongue) and am (people) and goy (nation), [TEHILLIM 40:3; 98:1; YESHAYAH 42:10]
10 And made them for Eloheinu a Malchut and kohanim, and they will reign on ha’aretz (the earth).
10 And, approaching, the talmidim said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Why in meshalim (parables) are you speaking to them?
11 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach answered them, Because to you it has been granted to have daas of the razim (mysteries) of the Malchut HaShomayim, but to those it has not been granted.
12 For whoever has, [more] will be given to him, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him (see Mt 25:14-29).
13 For this reason in meshalim I am speaking to them, for while seeing they do not see, and [while] hearing they do not hear, nor do they have binah (understanding).
14 And in them is fulfilled the nevuah (prophecy) of Yeshayah HaNavi, saying, SHIMU SHAMOA VAL TAVINU UREU RAO VAL TEIDAU (In hearing you will hear and by no means understand, and seeing you will see and by no means perceive).
15 HASHMEIN LEV HAAM HAZEH VAZNAV HACHBEID VEINAV HASHA, PEN YIREH VEINAV UVEAZNAV YISHMAH ULEVAVO YAVIN, VSHAV NRAFAH LOH. (For the heart of this people has been made dull, and with [their] ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes are shut, lest they see with the their eyes and with [their] ears they hear, and with the lev (heart) they understand and they turn and I will give them refuah [healing] YESHAYAH 6:9-10).
16 But ashrey are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17 For truly I say to you that many Neviim and tzaddikim desired to see what you see, and they did not see [it], and to hear what you hear, and they did not hear it.
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