Book of Common Prayer
A Burden Too Heavy for Me
Psalm 38
1 A psalm of David, for a memorial.
2 Adonai, do not rebuke me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath.
3 For Your arrows have sunk deep into me
and Your hand has pressed down on me.
4 There is no health in my flesh because of Your indignation.
There is no wholeness in my bones because of my sin.
5 For my iniquities are on my head—
like a burden too heavy for me.
6 My wounds are foul and festering
because of my foolishness.
7 I am bent over, bowed down greatly.
All day I walk about in mourning.
8 For my heart is filled with burning pain,
and there is no health in my body.
9 I am numb and utterly crushed.
I groan because of anguish in my heart.
10 My Lord, all my longing is before You,
and my sighing is not hidden from You.
11 My heart pounds, my strength fails me.
The light of my eyes—also, not with me.
12 My friends and my companions stay away from my wound,
and my kinsmen stand far off.
13 They who seek my life set traps.
Those who seek my hurt threaten destruction, uttering lies all day.
14 But I, like someone deaf, hear nothing,
like a mute, not opening his mouth.
15 Yes, I am like one who cannot hear,
whose mouth has no arguments.
16 But I wait for You, Adonai—
You will answer, O Lord my God.
17 For I said: “Don’t let them gloat over me
or exalt themselves over me, when my foot slips.”
18 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is before me constantly.
19 So I confess my guilt.
I am troubled because of my sin.
20 My lively enemies are numerous.
Many hate me wrongfully.
21 Those who repay evil for good oppose me
because I pursue what is good.
22 Do not forsake me, Adonai.
O my God, be not far from me.
23 Hurry to my aid, my Lord, my salvation.
DALET ד
25 My soul clings to the dust.
Revive me according to Your word!
26 I told of my ways and You answered me.
Teach me Your statutes.
27 Help me discern the way of Your precepts,
so I may meditate on Your wonders.
28 My soul weeps with grief.
Make me stand firm with Your word.
29 Turn me away from the deceitful way,
and be gracious to me with Your Torah.
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness.
I have set my heart on Your judgments.
31 I cling to Your testimonies.
Adonai, do not put me to shame!
32 I run the course of Your mitzvot,
for You open wide my heart.
HEY ה
33 Teach me the way of Your decrees, Adonai,
and I will follow them to the end.
34 Give me understanding,
that I may keep Your Torah
and observe it with all my heart.
35 Help me walk in the path of Your mitzvot—
for I delight in it.
36 Turn my heart to Your testimonies
and not to dishonest gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from gazing at vanity
but revive me in Your ways.
38 Fulfill Your word to Your servant,
which leads to reverence for You.
39 Make the disgrace I dread pass away,
for Your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts.
Revive me by Your righteousness.
VAV ו
41 May Your lovingkindnesses come to me, Adonai—
Your salvation according to Your word—
42 so I may answer the one taunting me,
for I trust in Your word.
43 Never snatch out of my mouth a word of truth,
for I hope in Your judgments.
44 So I may always keep Your Torah,
forever and ever,
45 and walk about in freedom.
For I have sought Your precepts.
46 I will speak of Your testimonies
before kings, and never be ashamed.
47 I delight in Your mitzvot,
which I love.
48 I reach out my hands for Your mitzvot,
which I love,
and meditate on Your decrees.
Job: Everything is in His Hand
12 Job responded and said:
Death and Resurrection
14 “A mortal born of woman,
is of few days and full of turmoil.
2 Like a flower he comes up and withers;
like a shadow he flees and does not stay.
3 Do You fix Your eyes on such a one,
and bring me for judgment with You?
4 Who can make something pure out of the impure?
No one!
5 Since his days are determined,
the number of his months is with You,
You have set his limits,
which he cannot exceed.
6 Look away from him and let him alone,
until he fulfills his time like a hired laborer.
7 “At least there is hope for a tree—
if it is cut down it will sprout again,
and its shoots will not cease.
8 Though its roots grow old in the earth
and its stump dies in the dry ground,
9 at the scent of water it will bud
and sprout sprigs like a new plant.
10 But man dies and is powerless.
Man expires—and where is he?
11 As water evaporates from the sea
and a river drains away and dries up,
12 so a person lies down and does not rise;
until the heavens are no more,
people will not awake,
or be roused from their sleep.
13 “Oh that You would hide me in Sheol,
and conceal me until Your wrath has passed!
Oh that You would set a time for me
and then remember me!
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my hard labor
I will wait until my relief comes.
15 You will call and I—I will answer You;
You will long for the work of Your hands.
16 For then You will number my steps;
You will not keep track of my sin;
17 my transgression will be sealed in a bundle
and cover over my iniquity.
18 “Yet as a mountain falls away and crumbles
and a rock is moved from its place,
19 as water wears away stones
and torrents wash away the soil,
so You destroy a person’s hope.
20 You overpower him—once for all, and he perishes;
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 If his sons achieve honor,
he does not know it;
if they are brought low,
he does not perceive it.
22 He only feels pain for his own flesh,
and mourns for his own soul.”
18 When day came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod made a search for him and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea and stayed in Caesarea.
Herod Gets His Due
20 Now it happened that Herod was furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him, united. Having won over Blastus, the king’s personal aide, they began asking for peace—because their country was supplied with food from the king’s country.
21 On an appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes and, taking his seat upon the throne, began to make a speech to them. 22 The people were shouting, “The voice of a god and not a human!” 23 Immediately, an angel of the Lord struck him down—because he did not give God the glory. And he was eaten by worms and died.
24 But the word of God kept on growing and multiplying. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, taking along John (who was also called Mark).
47 He who belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you don’t hear[a] is because you do not belong to God.”
48 The Judean leaders responded, “Aren’t we right to say you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
49 Yeshua answered, “I do not have a demon! I honor My Father, yet you dishonor Me. 50 But I do not seek My own glory; there is One who is seeking and judging. 51 Amen, amen I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”
52 “Now we know You have a demon!” the Judean leaders said to Him. “Abraham and the prophets died. Yet You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste death.’ 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham who died, are You? The prophets also died! Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
54 Yeshua answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father who gives Me glory—the One of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ [b] 55 Yet you do not know Him, but I know Him. If I say I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you. Yet I do know Him and keep His Word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; he saw it and was thrilled.”
57 Then the Judeans said to Him, “You’re not even fifty years old and you’ve seen Abraham?”[c]
58 Yeshua answered, “Amen, amen I tell you, before Abraham was, I am!”
59 Then they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Yeshua hid Himself and went out from the Temple.[d]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.