Book of Common Prayer
I Am for Shalom
Psalm 120
1 A Song of Ascents.
In my trouble I cried out to Adonai,
and He answered me.
2 Adonai, deliver my soul from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.
3 What can be given to you,
and what more can be done to you, O deceitful tongue?—
4 sharp arrows of the mighty,
with burning coals of a broom tree!
5 Woe to me, for I sojourn in Meshech,
for I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul has too long dwelt
with those who hate shalom.
7 I am for shalom and thus I speak,
but they are for war!
He Watches Over You
Psalm 121
1 A Song of Ascents.
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains—
from where does my help come?
2 My help comes from Adonai,
Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip.
Your Keeper will not slumber.
4 Behold, the Keeper of Israel
neither slumbers nor sleeps.
5 Adonai is your Keeper.
Adonai is your shadow at your right hand.
6 The sun will not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 Adonai will protect you from all evil.
He will guard your life.
8 Adonai will watch over your coming and your going
from this time forth and forevermore.
Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem
Psalm 122
1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.
I rejoiced when they said to me,
“Let us go to the House of Adonai.”
2 Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem—
3 Jerusalem, built as a city
joined together.
4 There the tribes go up,
the tribes of Adonai
—as a testimony to Israel—
to praise the Name of Adonai.
5 For there thrones for judgment are set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem—
“May those who love you be at peace!
7 May there be shalom within your walls—
quietness within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brothers and friends,
I now say: “Shalom be within you.”
9 For the sake of the House of Adonai our God,
I will seek your good.
Be Gracious to Your Servants
Psalm 123
1 A Song of Ascents.
To You I lift up my eyes—
You enthroned in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of slaves to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a slave-girl to the hand of her mistress—
so our eyes look to Adonai our God, till He shows us favor.
3 Show us favor, Adonai, show us favor!
For we have endured much contempt.
4 Our soul has had enough
of the scorn of those at ease,
the contempt of the proud.
Had He Not Been on Our Side
Psalm 124
1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.
“Had Adonai not been on our side”
—let Israel now say—
2 “Had Adonai not been on our side,
when men rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us alive,
when their wrath burned against us.
4 Then the waters would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over our soul,
5 then the raging waters
would have swept over our soul.”
6 Blessed be Adonai, who has not given us
as prey for their teeth.
7 Our soul has escaped like a bird
out of the snare of the trappers—
the snare is broken, and we escaped!
8 Our help is in the Name of Adonai,
Maker of heaven and earth.
Like the Mountains Around Jerusalem
Psalm 125
1 A Song of Ascents.
Those who trust in Adonai are like Mount Zion—
it cannot be moved, but endures forever.
2 As the mountains are around Jerusalem,
so Adonai is all around His people,
both now and forever.
3 For a scepter of wickedness will not rest
over the land of the righteous—
lest the righteous set their hands to evil.
4 Do good, Adonai, to the good,
and to those upright in their hearts.
5 But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways,
Adonai will lead them away with evildoers.
Shalom be upon Israel.
Joyful Restoration of Zion
Psalm 126
1 A Song of Ascents.
When Adonai restored the captives of Zion,
it was as if we were dreaming.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with a song of joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“Adonai has done great things for them.”
3 Adonai has done great things for us
—we are joyful!
4 Restore us from captivity, Adonai,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with a song of joy.
6 Whoever keeps going out weeping,
carrying his bag of seed,
will surely come back with a song of joy,
carrying his sheaves.
He Gives Sleep to His Children
Psalm 127
1 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless Adonai builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless Adonai watches over the city,
the watchman stands guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise up early and stay up late,
eating the bread of toil—
for He provides for His beloved ones even in their sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage of Adonai
—the fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,
so are the children of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they speak with their enemies at the gate.
The Danites Seek a New Home
18 In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of Dan was seeking an inheritance for itself to settle in, for to that day no territory had fallen to them for an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel. 2 So the children of Dan sent five men from their clan, out of their entire population, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it, and said to them, “Go, explore the land.”
When they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. 3 When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite. So they turned aside there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?”
4 He said to them, “Thus and thus Micah did for me—he hired me and I became his priest.”
5 “Please inquire of God,” they said to him, “so we may know whether our way that we are going will be successful.”
6 “Go in peace,” the priest said to them. “The way that you are going has Adonai’s approval.”
7 Then the five men left and came to Laish, and saw the people there living securely, like the Zidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. For there was no humiliation or anything oppressive in the land. Moreover, they were distant from the Zidonians and had no dealings with anybody.
8 When they came back to their kinsmen at Zorah and Eshtaol, their kinsmen asked them, “What do you say?”
9 “Arise, let’s go up against them!” they said. “For we have seen the land—see, it’s very good. Yet you’re sitting still! Don’t be sluggish! Go enter, possess the land! 10 When you get there, you will come to unsuspecting people. The land is spacious. For God has put it in your hand—a place where there is no lack of anything on the earth.”
11 So from the Danite clan from Zorah and Eshtaol, 600 men set out, armed with weapons of war. 12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh-Dan to this day—behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 From there they passed on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
14 Then the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household idols, a carved image and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you have to do.”
15 So they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s house, and asked him about his welfare.
Saul Persecutes Messiah’s Community
8 Now Saul was in agreement with Stephen’s execution. On that day a great persecution arose against Messiah’s community in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the emissaries. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.
3 But Saul was destroying Messiah’s community, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women, he was throwing them into prison.
The Good News Spreads to Samaria
4 Now those who had been scattered went around proclaiming the Word. 5 Philip went down to the main city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6 The crowds were paying close attention to what Philip was saying—as they both heard and saw the signs that he was doing. 7 For unclean spirits were coming out of many who were plagued, shrieking with a loud voice. Many paralyzed and crippled were healed also. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
9 Now a man named Simon had been practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, saying he was someone great. 10 They all were paying special attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” 11 And they kept paying attention to him, because for a long time he had astonished them with his magical arts. 12 But when they believed Philip proclaiming the Good News about the kingdom of God and the name of Messiah Yeshua, both men and women were immersed. 13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being immersed, he continued with Philip. And when he saw signs and great miracles happening, he was continually amazed.
30 I can do nothing on My own. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, for I do not seek My own will, but the will of the One who sent Me.”
The Father Testifies about the Son
31 “If I testify about Myself, My witness is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony He gives is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 I do not receive the testimony of man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was the lamp that was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice for a while in his light.
36 “But the testimony I have is greater than that from John. The works the Father has given Me to finish—the very works I am doing—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father who sent Me has testified concerning Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form. 38 Nor do you have His Word living in you, because you do not trust the One He sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you suppose that in them you have eternal life. It is these that testify about Me. 40 Yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life!
41 “I do not accept glory from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me. But if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that comes from God alone?
45 “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. 46 For if you were believing Moses, you would believe Me—because he wrote about Me. 47 But since you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”[a]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.