Book of Common Prayer
83 (Shir. Mizmor of Asaph). Keep not Thou silent, O Elohim; hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O El (G-d).
2 (3) For, hinei, Thine oyevim are in tumult; and they that hate Thee have lifted up the rosh.
3 (4) They lay out a crafty conspiracy against Amecha (Thy people), and plot against Tzefunecha (Thy sheltered, protected, hidden ones).
4 (5) They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a goy (nation); that the shem Yisroel may be no more remembered.
5 (6) For they have plotted together with one lev; they cut a brit against Thee;
6 (7) The ohalim Edom, and the Yishm’elim; of Moav, and the Hagerim;
7 (8) Geval, and Ammon, and Amalek; Peleshet (Philistia) with the inhabitants of Tzor;
8 (9) Assyria also is joined with them; they are the zero’a (strong arm) of the Bnei Lot. Selah.
9 (10) Do unto them as unto Midyan; as to Sisra, as to Yavin, at the Wadi Kishon [see Shofetim chp 4-8];
10 (11) Which became shmad at Ein-Dor; they became like domen (dung, fertilizer) for ha’adamah.
11 (12) Make their nobles like Orev, and like Ze’ev; yes, all their princes like Zevach, and like Tzalmunna;
12 (13) Who said, Let us take possession for ourselves of the pasturelands of Elohim.
13 (14) O Elohai, make them like galgal (tumbleweed); like chaff before the ruach (wind).
14 (15) As the eish consumeth the forest, and as the flame setteth ablaze harim;
15 (16) So pursue them with Thy sa’ar (tempest, storm), and make them afraid with Thy storm.
16 (17) Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek Shimcha, Hashem.
17 (18) Let them be put to shame and dismayed adei ad (forever); yes, let them perish in disgrace;
18 (19) Let them have da’as that Thou alone, Shimcha Hashem, art Elyon al kol HaAretz.
146 Praise Hashem. Praise Hashem, O my nefesh.
2 While I live will I praise Hashem: I will sing praise unto Elohai while I have any being.
3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the ben adam, in whom there is no teshuah (salvation).
4 His ruach departs, he returneth to his adamah; in yom hahu his plans come to nothing.
5 Ashrei is he that hath El Ya’akov for his ezer, whose hope is in Hashem Elohav:
6 Oseh Shomayim vaAretz, the yam, and all that therein is: HaShomer Emes l’olam (Who keepeth Truth forever):
7 Oseh mishpat for the oppressed; Who giveth lechem to the hungry. Hashem mattir asurim (sets free the prisoners):
8 Hashem openeth the eyes of the ivrim: Hashem raiseth them that are bowed down: Hashem loveth the tzaddikim:
9 Hashem shomer over the gerim; He relieveth the yatom (fatherless, orphan) and almanah; but the Derech Resha’im He frustrates.
10 Hashem shall reign l’olam, even thy G-d, O Tziyon, l’dor vador. Praise Hashem.
147 Praise ye Hashem: for it is tov to sing praises unto Eloheinu; for it is na’im (pleasant); and tehillah is fitting.
2 Hashem is the Boneh Yerushalayim (builder of Jerusalem): He gathereth together the nidkhei Yisroel (the outcasts Of Israel, those of the Golus).
3 He is the Rofeh (healer) of the Shevurei-lev (broken in heart), binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the mispar of the kokhavim; He calleth them all by their shemot.
5 Gadol is Adoneinu, and of rav ko’ach; to His tevunah (understanding, intelligence) there is no mispar (number, limit).
6 Hashem lifteth up the anavim (meek ones, humble ones); He casteth the resha’im down to the ground.
7 Sing unto Hashem with todah; make music upon the kinnor (harp) unto Eloheinu:
8 Who covereth Shomayim with clouds, Who prepareth matar (rainfall) for ha’aretz, HaMatzemi’ach (Who maketh to spring up) the khatzir (grass) upon the harim (hills, mountains).
9 He giveth to the behemah her lechem, and to the bnei orev (young ravens) when they cry out.
10 He delighteth not in the gevurat hasus: He taketh not pleasure in the shokayim of an ish (legs of a man).
11 Hashem taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His chesed.
12 Praise Hashem, O Yerushalayim; praise thy G-d, O Tziyon.
13 For He hath strengthened the bars of thy she’arim (gates); He hath blessed thy banim within thee.
14 He granteth shalom within thy borders, and filleth thee with the chelev chittim (the finest of wheat).
15 He sendeth forth His imrah (command) upon eretz: His Devar runneth swiftly.
16 He giveth sheleg (snow) like tzemer (wool); He scattereth the kfor (frost) like ashes.
17 He casteth down His kerach (ice) like crumbs: who can stand before His cold?
18 He sendeth out His Devar, and melteth them: He causeth His ruach to blow, and the mayim to flow.
19 He declareth His Devar unto Ya’akov, His chukkot and His mishpatim unto Yisroel.
20 He hath not dealt so with any Goy (nation): and as for His mishpatim, they have not known them. Praise ye Hashem.
85 (For the one directing. Of the Bnei Korach. Mizmor.) Hashem, Thou hast been favorable unto Thy land; Thou hast brought back the captivity of Ya’akov.
2 (3) Thou hast forgiven the avon (iniquity) of Amecha (Thy people); Thou hast covered all their chattat (sin). Selah.
3 (4) Thou hast withdrawn all Thy wrath; Thou hast turned from Thine charon af.
4 (5) Turn us, O Elohei Yisheinu (G-d of our salvation), and put away Thine ka’as (anger) toward us.
5 (6) Wilt Thou be angry with us l’olam? Wilt Thou draw out Thine anger l’dor vador?
6 (7) Wilt Thou not revive us again; that Amecha (Thy people) may rejoice in Thee?
7 (8) Show us chasdecha (Thy chesed, kindness, steadfast love), Hashem, and grant us Thy salvation.
8 (9) I will hear what HaEl Hashem will say; for He will speak shalom unto His people, and to His Chasidim; but let them not turn again to folly.
9 (10) Surely His salvation is karov (near) them that fear Him; that kavod may dwell in Artzeinu (our land).
10 (11) Chesed and emes will meet together; tzedek and shalom will kiss each other.
11 (12) Emes shall titzmach (sprout forth [T.N. Tzemach—Branch, Sprout—is the code name for Moshiach and the coming Tzemach’s Namesake in Zecharyah 6:11-12 is Yehoshua, Yeshua—see Ezra 3:8; Zech 3:8; 6:11-12. Go to Jer 23:5 and look at all the references. These are among the most important Scriptures in the Bible because it is here that the saving Name of Moshiach Tzidkeinu is prophetically communicated for salvation; the word Tzemach means “Moshiach” and it is the code word par excellence for Moshiach in the post-Exilic references in the minor prophets; this veiled reference to Moshiach was necessary in the situation of the Return under Persian rule when talk of a coming king was a delicate matter.]) out of ha’aretz; and tzedek shall look down from Shomayim.
12 (13) Yes, Hashem shall give that which is tov; and Artzeinu (our land) shall yield her yevul (increase, produce).
13 (14) Tzedek shall go before Him; and shall set us in the Derech of His steps.
86 (A tefillah of Dovid) Incline Thine ear, Hashem; hear me; for I am ani (poor) and evyon (needy).
2 Be shomer over my nefesh; for I am chasid; O Thou Elohai, save Thy eved that trusteth in Thee.
3 Channeni (be merciful) unto me, Adonoi; for I cry unto Thee kol hayom.
4 Samei’ach (rejoice) the nefesh of Thy eved; for unto Thee, Adonoi, do I lift up my nefesh.
5 For Thou, Adonoi, art tov, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in chesed unto all them that call upon Thee.
6 Give ear, Hashem, unto my tefillah (prayer); and attend to the voice of my techinnot (supplications).
7 In my yom tzoros I will call upon Thee; for Thou wilt answer me.
8 Ein kamocha vaelohim (there is none like Thee among the g-ds), Adonoi; nor are there any ma’asim like Thine.
9 Kol Goyim whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, Adonoi; and shall glorify Shimcha.
10 For Thou art gadol, and doest nifla’ot (wondrous things); Thou alone art Elohim.
11 Teach me Thy Derech, Hashem; I will walk in Thy emes; Yachad (make undivided) levavi (my heart) to fear Thy Shem.
12 I will praise Thee, Adonoi Elohai, with all my lev; and I will glorify Shimecha l’olam.
13 For gadol is Thy chesed toward me; and Thou hast saved my nefesh from the lowermost Sheol.
14 O Elohim, the zedim (arrogant ones, proud, insolent ones) are risen up against me, and the adat aritzim (band of violent men) seek my nefesh; and have not set Thee before them.
15 But Thou, Adonoi, art El Rachum and Channun, slow to anger, and plenteous in chesed and emes.
16 O turn unto me, and be gracious upon me; give Thy oz (strength) unto Thy eved, and save the ben amatecha (the son of Thy handmaid).
17 Show me an ot (sign) for tovah; that they which hate me may see it, and be put to shame; because Thou, Hashem, hast helped me, and comforted me.
7 So HaMelech and Haman came to banquet with Ester HaMalkah.
2 And HaMelech said again unto Ester on the yom hasheni (second day) at the mishteh hayayin (feast), What is thy she’elah (petition), Ester HaMalkah? And it shall be granted thee; and what is thy bakash (request)? And it shall be performed, even to chatzi HaMalchut.
3 Then Ester HaMalkah answered and said, If I have found chen (favor) in thy sight, O HaMelech, and if it is tov to HaMelech, let nafshi (my life) be given me at my she’elah (petition), and my Am at my bakash (request);
4 For we are sold, Ani (I) and Ami (my People), to be made shmad, to be slain, and to be annihilated. But if we had been sold for avadim and shfakhot, I would have held my tongue, since then the tzoros would not have been such as to injure the interests of HaMelech.
5 Then HaMelech Achashverosh answered and said unto Ester HaMalkah, Who is he, and where is he, who dares to presume in his lev to do such?
6 And Ester said, HaTzar (the foe) and the oyev (enemy) is this Haman HaRah (Vile Haman). Then Haman was terrified before HaMelech and HaMalkah.
7 And HaMelech, arising in his wrath from the mishteh hayayin, went into the palace garden; and Haman stood up to make bakash (request) for his nefesh (life) to Ester HaMalkah; for he saw that harm was determined against him by HaMelech.
8 Then HaMelech returned out of the palace garden into the Bais Mishteh HaYayin, and Haman was fallen upon the mittah (couch, [see 1:6 mittot, couches]) whereon Ester was. Then said HaMelech, Will he ravish HaMalkah also before me in the bais? As the davar (word) went out of the mouth of HaMelech, they covered Haman’s face.
9 And Charvonah, one of the sarisim, said before HaMelech, Hinei, also, HaEtz fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordechai, who has spoken tov for HaMelech, standeth in the Bais Haman. Then HaMelech said, Hang him thereon.
10 So they hanged Haman on HaEtz that he had prepared for Mordechai. Then was the wrath of HaMelech pacified [Ps 24:10; Isa 53:11].
11 And gevaltike moftim and niflaot Hashem effected at the hands of Rav Sha’ul,
12 so that when a handkerchief or an apron touched the skin of Rav Sha’ul and was brought to the cholim, the machlot (sicknesses) and the shedim (demons) left them.
13 And some traveling Jewish exorcists attempted to use haShem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua over the ones possessed of ruchot ra’ot, saying, "I exorcize and cast you out by the Yehoshua whom Rav Sha’ul preaches!"
14 And there were doing this very thing shivat banim of a certain Skeva, a Jewish "Kohen Gadol."
15 And in reply the ruach hara’ah (the shed, demon) said to them, "I am acquainted with Yehoshua, I have da’as of Sha’ul, but, you, who are you?!"
16 And the ish in whom was the ruach hara’ah leaped upon them and subdued all [shivah] of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled, naked and wounded, from the bais.
17 And this became known to all the Yehudim and also the Yevanim inhabiting Ephesus, and pachad (terror) fell upon all of them, and they were exalting haShem of Adoneinu Yehoshua.
18 And many of the ones having come to emunah were making vidduy of their ma’asim, disclosing them.
19 And a number of the ones who had practiced kishshuf (magic, sorcery) brought together their occult sfarim and were burning them publicly; and they added up the price of these occult sfarim, and they found it to be fifty thousand silver pieces.
20 So the dvar Hashem, the Besuras HaGeulah, was growing with ko’ach and was prevailing.
14 And in the gevurat HaRuach Hakodesh, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach returned to the Galil. And a report went out throughout all the surrounding countryside about him.
15 And Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach was saying shiurim in their shuls and eliciting a peledike response (reaction of marveling) from everyone.
16 And he came to Natzeret, the shtetl of his guddal and he entered according to his minhag on Shabbos into the shul and was given an aliyah as the Baal Koreh.
17 [After the Hagbah], he was presented with the megillat sefer Yeshayah and having unrolled the megillah, he found the dvar where it had been written,
18 RUACH ADONAI HASHEM ALAI YAAN MASHACH ADONAI OTI LEVASER ANAVIM SHELACHANI LIKRO LISHVUYIM DEROR, and to the blind PEKACH KOACH, VSHALACH RETZUTZIM CHAFSHIM, (The Spirit of the Sovereign L-rd is upon me because He anointed me to preach Besuras HaGeulah to the poor, He has sent me to preach to the captives release and to the blind the recovery of sight, to set the oppressed free [YESHAYAH 61:1-2; 58:6],
19 LIKRO SHENAT RATZON LAHASHEM (To preach the year of Hashem’s favor.) [YESHAYAH 61:1,2 TARGUM HA-SHIVIM; VAYIKRA 25:10; TEHILLIM 102:20, 103:6; YESHAYAH 42:7, 49:8,9]
20 And doing the glilah ceremony, he rolled up the megillah; and, having given it back to the shammash, he sat down [to teach]. And all the eyes in the shul were focused on him.
21 And Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach began to speak to them, Hayom (today) this dvar of the Kitvei Hakodesh has been fulfilled in your hearing.
22 And everyone was speaking well of him, and they were amazed at the divrei Chen coming out of his mouth and they were saying, Can this be Ben Yosef?
23 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Muz zain (no doubt) you will speak this mashal to me: Rofeh, heal yourself. Everything we heard that happened in Kfar-Nachum, do also here in your shtetl.
24 But he said, Omein, I say to you that no navi is welcome in his own shtetl, in his own eretz moledet (homeland).
25 Omein, I tell you, there were many almanot in Yisroel in the yamim of Eliyahu HaNavi, when Shomayim was shut up for shalosh shanim and shishah chodashim (three years and six months), when a great famine occurred over all the land, [MELACHIM ALEF 17:1]
26 And to not one of them was Eliyahu HaNavi sent except to Tzarfat of Tzidon to an isha, an almanah.
27 And many metzoraim (lepers) were in Yisroel during the time of Elisha HaNavi, and not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.
28 And hearing these things, all in the shul were filled with ka’as (anger).
29 And they got up and drove Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach outside the shtetl; and they led him up to the top of the hill upon which the shtetl had been built, and they were intending to throw him down. [BAMIDBAR 15:35]
30 But having gone through the midst of them, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was walking away.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International