Book of Common Prayer
70 (For the one directing. Mizmor of Dovid. For the memorial portion of the minchah) Make haste, Elohim, to deliver me; make haste to help me, Hashem.
2 (3) Let them have bushah and be confounded that seek my nefesh; let them be turned back, and be put to confusion, that desire my hurt.
3 (4) Let them be turned back for a reward of their bushah that say, Aha, aha.
4 (5) Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and have simcha in Thee; and let such as love Thy Yeshuah (salvation) say continually, Let Elohim be magnified.
5 (6) But I am poor and needy; make haste unto me, Elohim; Thou art my help and my deliverer. Hashem, make no delay.
71 In Thee, Hashem, do I put my trust; let me not be put to shame l’olam.
2 Deliver me in Thy tzedakah, and cause me to escape; incline Thine ear unto me, and hoshi’eini (save me).
3 Be Thou Tzur Ma’on (a rock of habitation), whereunto I may resort tamid (continually); Thou hast given commandment to save me; for Thou art my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O Elohai, out of the yad of the rasha, out of the palm of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5 For Thou art my tikveh (hope), Adonoi Hashem; Thou art my trust from my youth.
6 By Thee have I been upheld from the beten (womb); Thou art He that took me out of the womb of immi; my tehillah (praise) shall be of Thee tamid (continually).
7 I am as a mofet (portent) unto rabbim (many); but Thou art my strong refuge.
8 Let my mouth be filled with Thy tehillah (praise) and with Thy tiferet (glory) kol hayom.
9 Cast me not off in the time of ziknah (old age); forsake me not when my ko’ach faileth.
10 For mine oyevim speak against me; and they that lay in wait for my nefesh conspire together,
11 Saying, Elohim hath forsaken him; persecute and lay hold of him; for there is none to rescue him.
12 O Elohim, be not far from me; O Elohai, make haste for my help.
13 Let them be ashamed and consumed that are [satanic] adversaries to my nefesh; let them be covered with cherpah (reproach) and dishonor that seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope tamid (continually), and will yet give tehillah to Thee more and more.
15 My mouth shall proclaim Thy tzedakah and Thy Teshuah (salvation) kol hayom; for I know not the limits thereof.
16 I will come in the gevurot (mighty acts) of Adonoi Hashem; I will make mention of Thy tzedakah, even of Thine only.
17 O Elohim, Thou hast taught me from my youth; and hitherto have I declared Thy nifle’ot (wondrous works).
18 Now also when I am in ziknah (old age) and grayheaded, O Elohim, forsake me not; until I have declared Thy zero’a [Moshiach; see Isa 53:1] unto this generation, and Thy gevurah to everyone that is to come.
19 Thy tzedakah also, O Elohim, is ad marom (to the heights). Thou Who hast done gedolot (great things); O Elohim, mi khamocha (who is like unto Thee)?
20 Thou, which hast showed me great and severe tzoros, shalt revive me again, and shalt bring me up again from the tehomot (abysses) of ha’aretz.
21 Thou shalt increase my gedolah, and comfort me on every side.
22 I will also praise Thee with the nevel (lyre), even Thy emes, O Elohai; unto Thee will I sing with the kinnor (harp), O Thou Kadosh Yisroel.
23 My lips shall shout for joy when I sing unto Thee; and my nefesh, which Thou hast purchased for redemption.
24 My leshon also shall tell of Thy tzedakah kol hayom; for they are brought unto shame, they are humiliated that seek my hurt.
74 (A Maskil of Asaph) O Elohim, why hast Thou cast us off lanetzach? Why doth Thine anger smoke against the tzon (sheep) of Thy mireh (pasture)?
2 Remember Thy Edah (congregation), which Thou hast purchased of old; the shevet (tribe) of Thine nachalah, which Thou hast redeemed: this Har Tziyon, wherein Thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up Thy footsteps unto the mashu’ot netzach (perpetual ruins); even all that the oyev hath done wickedly in the Kodesh [the Beis HaMikdash].
4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of Thy Mo’ed (place of meeting); they set up their banners for otot (signs, i.e., their heathen insignia).
5 It had been as though one lifted up kardumim (axes) upon the thicket of etz.
6 But now they break down the carved panels [of the Beis HaMikdash] at once with hammers and chisels.
7 They have set ablaze Thy Mikdash, burning it to the ground; they have brought chillul to the Mishkan Shemecha (the dwelling place of Thy Name).
8 They said in their hearts, Let us crush them altogether; they have burned up all the Mo’adei El in HaAretz.
9 We see not our otot (signs); there is no longer any navi; neither is there among us any that knoweth ad mah (until when).
10 O Elohim ad mosai, (how long) shall the adversary revile? Shall the oyev (enemy) blaspheme Thy Shem lanetzach (forever)?
11 Why withdrawest Thou Thy Yad, even Thy Yamin (Right Hand)? Take it out of Thy Kheyk (bosom) and destroy [them].
12 For Elohim is my Melech mikedem (from of old), working Yeshuah (salvation) in the midst of Ha’Aretz.
13 Thou didst divide the yam by Thy oz (power); Thou didst break the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 Thou didst break the head of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be ma’akhal (food) to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst break open the fountain and the flood; Thou driedst up mighty naharot (rivers).
16 The yom is Thine, the lailah also is Thine; Thou hast prepared the ma’ohr (luminary, moon) and the shemesh.
17 Thou hast set all the boundaries of Eretz; Thou hast made kayitz (summer) and choref (winter).
18 Remember this, that the oyev (enemy) hath reproached Hashem, and that the am naval (foolish people) have blasphemed Shimcha.
19 O deliver not the nefesh of Thy turtledove unto the wild beast; forget not the life of Thy aniyim (poor) lanetzach (forever).
20 Have regard unto the Brit (covenant); for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of chamas.
21 O let not the oppressed return in shame; let the oni and evyon praise Thy Shem.
22 Arise, O Elohim, fight for Thine Own cause; remember how the naval (foolish man) revileth Thee kol hayom.
23 Forget not the kol (voice) of Thine enemies, the tumult of those against Thee that rises up tamid (continually). [T.N. Cf Lk 2:23-24 and Ps 74:19 remembering that the turtledove was the sacrifice of the poor, which Moshiach would be, not a rich man but ani, according to Zech 9:9.]
7 Now after these things, in the reign of Artachshasta Melech Paras (Persia), Ezra ben Serayah ben Azaryah ben Hilkiyah,
2 Ben Shallum, ben Tzadok, ben Achituv,
3 Ben Amaryah, ben Azaryah, ben Merayot,
4 Ben Zerachyah, ben Uzzi, ben Bukki,
5 Ben Avishua, ben Pinchas, ben Eleazar, ben Aharon HaKohen HaRosh;
6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a sofer mahir expert in the Torat Moshe, which Hashem Elohei Yisroel had given, and HaMelech granted him all his request, for the yad Hashem Elohav was upon him.
7 And there went up some of the Bnei Yisroel, and of the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Netinim, unto Yerushalayim, in the seventh year of Artachshasta [Artaxerxes] HaMelech [i.e., 458 B.C.E.].
8 And he came to Yerushalayim in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the Melech.
9 For upon the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Yerushalayim, for the good yad Elohav was upon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his lev to study the Torat Hashem, and to do it, and to teach in Yisroel chok and mishpat.
11 Now this is the copy of the letter that HaMelech Artachshasta gave unto Ezra HaKohen, HaSofer, even a Sofer of the divrei mitzvot Hashem, and of his chukkot for Yisroel:
12 Artachshasta, Melech Melachim, unto Ezra Kohen, Sofer of the law of Elohei Shomayim, Greetings! And now
13 I issued a decree, that all they of the Am Yisroel, and of Kohanim and Levi’im, in my kingdom, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Yerushalayim, go with thee.
14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the Melech, and of his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Yehudah and Yerushalayim, according to the law of thy G-d which is in thine hand;
15 And to carry the kesef and zahav, which the Melech and his counselors have freely offered unto the Elohei Yisroel, Whose habitation is in Yerushalayim,
16 And all the kesef and zahav that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the Kohanim, offering willingly for the Beis Eloheihem which is in Yerushalayim;
17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this kesef bulls, rams, lambs, with their minchot and their nesakhim, and offer them upon the Mizbe’ach of the Beis Eloheichem which is in Yerushalayim.
18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the kesef and the zahav, that do according to the will of Eloheichem.
19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the Beis of thy G-d, those deliver thou before the Elohei Yerushalayim.
20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the Beis of thy G-d, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the bais of treasuries of the Melech.
21 And I, even I Artachshasta the Melech, do issue a decree to all the treasurers which are in Beyond-the-River [Euphrates], that whatsoever Ezra HaKohen, the Sofer of the law of the Elohei Shomayim, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
22 Unto one hundred talents of kesef, and to one hundred cors of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and unlimited melach (salt).
23 Whatsoever is commanded by Elohei Shomayim, let it be diligently done for the Beis of Elohei Shomayim; for why should there be ketzaf (wrath) against the malchut of the Melech and his banim?
24 Also we make known to you, that touching any of the Kohanim and Levi’im, singers, gatekeepers, Netinim, or ministers of this Beis Elohim, it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or duty, upon them.
25 And thou, Ezra, after the chochmah of thy G-d, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are in Beyond-the-River [Euphrates], all such as know the laws of thy G-d; and teach ye them that know them not.
26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy G-d, and the law of the Melech, let punishment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
14 And I looked, and, hinei, the SEH (Lamb, SHEMOT 12:3; YESHAYAH 53:7 Moshiach) having taken his stand on Mount Tziyon and with him the 144,000 having ha-Shem of him and ha-Shem of HaAv of him which had been written on their metsakhim (foreheads). [YECHEZKEL 9:4]
2 And I heard a sound out of Shomayim as a sound of mayim rabbim (many waters) and as a sound of ra’am gadol (loud thunder), and the sound which I heard was as of players of the nevel playing on their nevalim (harps).
3 And they sing, as it were, a Shir Chadash (New Song) before the Kes (Throne) and before the Arbah Chayyot (four living beings) and before the Zekenim (Elders, Ex 12:21), and no one was being able to learn the Shir (Song) except the 144,000, the ones for whom the Geulah price had been paid for their redemption [Lv 5:5-6; Ex 13:13], the ones having been redeemed (purchased) from ha’aretz (the earth).
4 These are those who with nashim (women) are not tameh (unclean, defiled), bochrim ki betullim they are, for these are the ones following the SEH (Lamb, SHEMOT 12:3; YESHAYAH 53:7 Moshiach) wherever he goes. These chasidim had the Geulah price paid for their redemption [VAYIKRA 25:50, 51; YESHAYAH 61:2], the ones having been purchased from Bnei Adam as the bikkurim (firstfruits) to Hashem and to the SEH (Lamb, YESHAYAH 53:7). [YIRMEYAH 2:3]
5 And in the peh of them was not found MIRMAH (deceit, YESHAYAH 53:9); they are without mumim (defects). [TEHILLIM 32:2; ZEFANYAH 3:13]
6 And I saw another malach (angel) flying midair in Shomayim, having the eternal Besuras HaGeulah to proclaim to the ones sitting on ha’aretz (the earth) and to every goy (nation) and shevet (tribe) and lashon (language) and am (people),
7 Saying in a kol gadol (loud voice), "Have yirat Shomayim toward Hashem and give Him kavod (glory), because the hour of His Yom HaMishpat has come. And worship Him, HaBoreh HaShomayim v’HaAretz (the creator of Heaven and Earth) and Yam (Sea) and ma’ayanot (springs, sources) of mayim. [TEHILLIM 34:9]
8 And another malach (angel), sheyni (a second one), followed, saying, NAFLAH, NAFLAH BABEL ("Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great", YESHAYAH 21:9), who of the yayin of the ta’avah (lust) of her zenunim (fornications) has made all the Nations to drink. [YIRMEYAH 51:8]
9 And another malach (angel), shlishi (a third one), followed them saying, in a kol gadol (loud voice), “If anyone worships the Chayyah [Beast, Anti-Moshiach] and its Atzav (idol, image, PESEL, graven image, YESHAYAH 21:9) and if anyone receives a mark on his metsakh (forehead) or on the yad of him,
10 Such will drink of the yayin of the Charon Af Hashem (burning wrath of Hashem), having been mixed undiluted in the kos (cup) of his Charon Af, and such will be tormented by eish (fire) and gofrit (sulfur) before malachim hakedoshim (the holy angels) and before the SEH (Lamb, SHEMOT 12:3; YESHAYAH 53:7 Moshiach). [YESHAYAH 51:17; 66:24; YIRMEYAH 25:15; 51:7]
11 And the smoke of their torment ascends l’Olmei Olamim, and for them there is no menuchah (place of rest) yomam valailah (day and night), none for the ones worshiping the Chayyah (Beast, Anti-Moshiach) and its Atzav (image), nor for anyone who receives the mark of its name!” [YESHAYAH 34:10]
12 Here is the savlanut (patient endurance) of the Kadoshim, the ones being shomer over the mitzvot of Hashem, who hold fast to the [Orthodox Jewish] emunah of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
13 And I heard a kol (voice) out of Shomayim saying, "Write: ‘Ashrey (Happy are) are the mesim (dead ones), the ones dying in Adoneinu, from now on.’ ‘Ken,’ says the Ruach Hakodesh, ‘so that they will rest from their ma’asim, for the ma’asim of them follow them.’"
14 At that time reports about Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach came to the oznayim (ears) of Herod the Tetrarch.
2 And he said to his servants, This one is Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva. He has had his Techiyah (Resurrection) from HaMesim (the Dead) and for this reason the moftim (wonders) are working in him.
3 For Herod had Yochanan arrested and bound him and threw him into the beit hasohar (prison), on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.
4 For Yochanan kept on saying to him, It is asur for you to have her.
5 And [although] Herod was desiring to kill Yochanan, he feared the crowd, because they considered Yochanan a Navi.
6 Now at the yom huledet celebration of Herod, it came about that the daughter of Herodias danced before them and Herod was pleased.
7 Herod, therefore, with a shevuah, promised to give to her whatever she might ask.
8 So she, prompted by her mother, said, Give to me here upon a serving tray the rosh (head) Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva.
9 And, although grieving, the king commanded [it] to be given, on account of the shevuot (oaths) and the fellow muzmanim (guests)
10 And he sent and had Yochanan beheaded in the beit hasohar.
11 And the rosh Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva was brought upon a serving tray, and it was presented to the girl and she presented it to her mother.
12 And Yochanan’s talmidim approached and carried away the niftar (deceased person) and buried him. Then they went and reported [it] to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
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