Book of Common Prayer
120 (Shir HaMa’a- lot [Song of Ascents]) In my tzoros I cried unto Hashem, and He heard me.
2 Save my nefesh, Hashem, from sefat sheker (lying lips), and from lashon remiyyah (a tongue of deceit).
3 What shall be given unto thee? Or what shall be done unto thee, thou lashon remiyyah?
4 Sharp khitzim (arrows) of the gibbor, with burning (charcoal) coals of the broom plant.
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell in the ohalim of Kedar!
6 My nefesh hath long dwelt with him that hateth shalom.
7 I am for shalom; but when I speak, they are for milchamah (war).
121 (Shir HaMa’alot) I will lift up mine eyes unto the harim (hills), from whence cometh ezri (my help).
2 Ezri (my help) cometh from Hashem, Oseh Shomayim v’Aretz.
3 He will not allow thy regel to slip; He that is shomer over thee will not slumber.
4 Hinei, He that is shomer over Yisroel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 Hashem is the One shomer over thee; Hashem is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The shemesh shall not strike thee by day, nor the yarei’ach by night.
7 Hashem shall preserve thee from kol rah; He shall preserve thy nefesh.
8 Hashem shall be shomer over thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even v’ad olam.
122 (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of Ascents] of Dovid). I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the Bais Hashem.
2 Our feet shall stand within thy she’arim, O Yerushalayim.
3 Yerushalayim is built as an Ir bound firmly together;
4 That is where the Shevatim (tribes) go up, the Shivtei Hashem, according to the edut l’Yisroel (the statute to Yisroel), to give thanks unto the Shem of Hashem.
5 For there are set kise’ot l’mishpat (thrones of judgment), the kise’ot of the Bais Dovid.
6 Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim (pray for the peace of Jerusalem); they shall prosper that love thee.
7 Shalom be within thy wall, and security within thy citadels.
8 L’ma’an (for the sake of) my achim and companions, I will now say, Shalom be within thee.
9 L’ma’an the Bais Hashem Eloheinu I will seek thy tov.
123 (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of Ascents]) Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in Shomayim.
2 Hinei, as the eyes of avadim look unto the yad adoneihem, and as the eyes of a shifchah (maiden) unto the yad of her gevirah; so our eyes wait upon Hashem Eloheinu, until He have channun (favor, grace) upon us.
3 Channenu Hashem, channenu; for we are more than sated with buz (contempt).
4 Nafsheinu (our nefesh) is more than sated with the scorn of those that are at ease, and with the buz (contempt) of the g’eiyonim (proud ones, arrogant ones).
124 (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of Ascents] of Dovid). If it had not been Hashem Who was lanu (for us, on our side), now may Yisroel say;
2 If it had not been Hashem Who was lanu, when adam (man) rose up against us;
3 Then they had swallowed us up chayyim (alive); when their wrath was kindled against us;
4 Then the mayim would have overwhelmed us, the torrent would have swept over nafsheinu (our nefesh); (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of
5 Then the mayim hazedonim (treacherous waters) would have swept over nafsheinu (our nefesh).
6 Baruch Hashem, Who hath not given us up as a prey to their shinayim (teeth).
7 Nafsheinu (our nefesh) is escaped as a tzippor (bird) out of the pach (snare of the fowlers); the pach is broken, and we are escaped.
8 Ezreinu (our help) B’Shem Hashem Oseh Shomayim vaAretz.
125 Ascents]). They that trust in Hashem shall be as Mt Tziyon, which is immoveable, and abideth l’olam.
2 As harim (the mountains) surround Yerushalayim, so Hashem surrounds His people from henceforth v’ad olam (and to forever).
3 For the shevet (scepter) of the resha shall not rest upon the goral (allotment, property) of the tzaddikim; lest the tzaddikim put forth their hands unto iniquity.
4 Do good, Hashem, unto the tovim, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, Hashem shall turn them away with the workers of iniquity; but shalom shall be upon Yisroel.
126 Ascents]) When Hashem brought the return of the captivity of Tziyon, we were like the cholemim (them that dream).
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and leshoneinu (our tongue) with rinnah (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of (joyful song); then said they among the Goyim, Hashem hath done great things for them.
3 Hashem hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
4 Return our captivity and restore our fortunes, Hashem, like torrents in the Negev.
5 They that sow in dimah (tears) shall reap in rinnah (joyful song).
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing meshek hazara (seed to be sown) shall doubtless come again with rinnah, bearing his alummot (sheaves [of harvest]).
127 (Shir HaMa’alot, of Shlomo). Except Hashem build the bais, they that build it labor in vain; except Hashem is shomer over the city, the shomair (watchman) stands guard in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the lechem ha’atzavim (bread of toils); for so He giveth his beloved sleep.
3 Hinei, banim are nachalat Hashem; and the p’ri habeten is a zachar (reward).
4 As khitzim (arrows) are in the yad of a gibbor; so are bnei haneurim (children born in one’s youth).
5 Ashrei hagever that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the oyevim basha’ar (enemy at the gate).
21 And Balaam rose up in the boker, and saddled his donkey, and went with the sarim (princes) of Moav.
22 But the Af Elohim (G-d’s anger) was kindled as he was going; and the Malach Hashem stood in the derech (road) l’satan (for an adversary, opposer) against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23 And the donkey saw the Malach Hashem standing in the derech, and his cherev drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned off the derech, and went into the sadeh; and Balaam beat the donkey, to turn her back onto the derech.
24 But the Malach Hashem stood in the closed-in path among the kramim (vineyards), a wall being on this side, a wall on that side.
25 And when the donkey saw the Malach Hashem, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s regel against the wall; and he beat her again.
26 And the Malach Hashem went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no derech to turn either to the right or to the left.
27 And when the donkey saw the Malach Hashem, she lay down under Balaam; and af Balaam was kindled, and he beat the donkey with his staff.
28 And Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast beaten me these shalosh regalim (three times)?
29 And Balaam answered the donkey, Because thou hast mocked me; If only there were a cherev in mine hand, would I have killed thee.
30 And the donkey said unto Balaam, Am not I thine donkey, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever accustomed to do so unto thee? And he said, Loh.
31 Then Hashem opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Malach Hashem standing in the derech, and his cherev drawn in his hand; and he bowed down his head, and fell facedown.
32 And the Malach Hashem said unto him, Why hast thou beaten thine donkey these shalosh regalim? Hinei, I came l’satan (as adversary, opposer) to thee, because thy derech is perverse before me;
33 And the donkey saw me, and turned from me these shalosh regalim; had she not turned from me, surely now also I would have slain thee, and saved her alive.
34 And Balaam said unto the Malach Hashem, Chatati (I have sinned); for I was without da’as that thou stoodest in the derech against me; now, therefore, if it displease thee, I will return home.
35 And the Malach Hashem said unto Balaam, Go with the anashim; but only the devar (message) that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the sarim (princes) of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto the city of Moav at the Arnon border, which is in the farthest point of the boundary.
37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to summon thee? Why camest thou not unto me? Am I not able indeed to honor thee?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Hinei, I am come unto thee; have I now any power at all to say anything? The devar (word, message) which Elohim putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
7 Do you not have da’as, Achim b’Moshiach, for I speak to those who know the Torah, that the Torah exercises marut (authority, rule) over a man so long as he lives?
2 For the agunah (woman whose husband’s whereabouts are unknown) is bound by the Torah to her husband while he lives; but in the case that her husband’s death can be confirmed, she is no longer an agunah and is released from the Torah of her husband.
3 Accordingly she will be named no’eh-fet (adulteress) if, while her husband lives, she becomes another man’s. But if her ba’al (husband) dies, she is free from the Torah, so that she is no no’ehfet (adulteress) if she becomes another man’s.
4 So then, Achim b’Moshiach, you also were put to death in relation to the Torah through the basar of Moshiach (TEHILLIM 16:9-10 ), in order that you might become another’s, bound to Moshiach who was given Techiyah (Resurrection) from the Mesim, so that we might bear p’ri for Hashem.
5 For when we were in the basar (in the fallen condition of the old humanity), through the Torah, the ta’avat besarim, the sinful passions (i.e., Chet Kadmon’s yetzer harah of the fallen human condition) were working in our natural capacities, so as to bear p’ri for mavet (death) [cf. Ro 4:15].
6 But now we have become niftar (freed, deceased) from the dominating ownership of the Torah, having died to that by which we were confined, so that we might serve in the Ruach Hakodesh of hitkhadshut and newness and not in the yoshen (oldness) of chumra (legalism, strict adherence to the letter of the law) (Ro 2:29).
7 What then shall we say? That the Torah is considered as chet (sin)? Chas v’shalom! Nevertheless, I would not have experienced chet (sin) except through the Torah; for I would not have known chamdanut (covetousness, greediness) if the Torah had not said, LO TACHMOD ("Thou shalt not covet" SHEMOT 20:17).
8 But Chet (Sin), seizing its opportunity through the mitzvoh (commandment), stirred up all manner of chamdanut (covetousness) in me. For in the absence of the Torah, Chet (Sin) is dead.
9 And in the absence of the Torah I was once alive. But when the mitzvoh (commandment) came [BERESHIS 2:16-17), Chet (Sin) became alive,
10 and I died. The mitzvoh (commandment) intended as the Derech L’Chayyim (Way to Life) proved for me a means to mavet (death).
11 For Chet (Sin), seizing its opportunity through the mitzvoh (commandment), deceived me and, through the mitzvoh (commandment), killed me [BERESHIS 3:1-6].
12 So that the Torah is kedoshah (holy) and the mitzvoh (commandment) is kedoshah and yasharah and tovah.
23 And after Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach had gone into the Beis Hamikdash, while he was bringing forth his torah, the Rashei Hakohanim and the Zekenim of the people approached him, saying, By what samchut (authority) do you do these things? And who granted you this samchut?
24 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said in reply to them, I also will ask you a question, which, if you will tell me, I also will tell you by what samchut I do these things...
25 The tevilah in the mikveh mayim of Yochanan...it was from where, from Shomayim or from Bnei Adam? And they were discussing it among themselves, saying, If we say, From Shomayim, he will say to us, Why then do you not believe him?
26 But if we say, From Bnei Adam, we fear the multitude, for everyone considers Yochanan a Navi.
27 And in reply to him, they said, We do not have daas. And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Neither will I tell you by what samchut I do these things.
28 What do you think? A man had two banim (sons). And having approached the rishon (first), the man said, Beni (my son), go today and work in the kerem (vineyard).
29 But the first son said in reply, I will not. But later, having changed his mind, he went.
30 And having approached the other son, the man spoke similarly. But the second son, in reply, said, I will go, Adoni. Yet he did not go.
31 Which of the two did the ratzon haAv (the will of the Father)? They say, The rishon (the first). Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Omein, I say to you, that the mochesim (tax-collectors) and the zonot (prostitutes) are going in ahead of you into the Malchut Hashem.
32 For Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva came to you in the Derech Tzidkat Hashem (Way of Righteousness), and you did not believe him. But the mochesim and the zonot believed him. But you, even after you saw, did not change your mind [i.e., make teshuva] and believe him.
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