M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
9 And Avimelech ben Yerubaal went to Shechem unto achei immo, and spoke with them, and with all the mishpakhat bais avi immo, saying,
2 Speak, now, in the ears of all the ba’alei Shechem, Which is better for you, either that all the Bnei Yerubaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one man reign over you? Remember also that I am your etzem (bone) and your basar (flesh).
3 And the achei immo spoke of him in the ears of all the ba’alei Shechem all these words; and their lev inclined to follow Avimelech; for they said, He is acheinu.
4 And they gave him 70 pieces of kesef out of the bais Baal-brit, wherewith Avimelech hired morally empty and reckless persons, which followed him.
5 And he went unto his bais avi at Ophrah, and slaughtered his brethren the Bnei Yerubaal, being 70 persons, upon one even (stone); notwithstanding yet Yotam the youngest ben Yerubaal escaped; for he hid himself.
6 And all the ba’alei Shechem gathered together, and all the Bais Millo, and went, and crowned Avimelech melech, by the great tree near the pillar that was in Shechem.
7 And when they told it to Yotam, he went and stood on top of Mt Gerizim, lifted up his voice, cried out, and said unto them, Pay heed unto me, ye ba’alei Shechem, that Elohim may pay heed unto you.
8 The etzim (trees) went forth one day to anoint a melech over them; and they said unto the zayit (olive tree), Reign thou over us.
9 But the zayit said unto them, Should I leave my oil, wherewith by me they honor Elohim and anashim, and go to be promoted over the etzim?
10 And the etzim (trees) said to the te’enah (fig tree), Come thou, and reign over us.
11 But the te’enah said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the etzim (trees)?
12 Then said the etzim (trees) unto the gefen, Come thou, and reign over us.
13 And the gefen said unto them, Should I leave my tirosh, which cheereth Elohim and anashim, and go to be promoted over the etzim?
14 Then said all the etzim (trees) unto the thornbush, Come thou, and reign over us.
15 And the thornbush said unto the etzim (trees), If b’emes ye anoint me melech over you, then come and take refuge in my tzel (shade): and if not, let eish come out of the thornbush, and devour the cedars of the Levanon.
16 Now therefore, if ye have done b’emes and in good faith, in that ye have made Avimelech melech, and if ye have dealt tovah with Yerubaal [Gid’on] and his bais, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands—
17 For avi [Gid’on] fought for you, and risked his nefesh, and delivered you out of the yad Midyan;
18 And ye are risen up against bais avi this day, and have slain his banim, threescore and ten persons, upon one even (stone), and have made Avimelech, ben amah (son of his slave girl), melech over the ba’alei Shechem, because he is your brother—
19 If ye then have dealt b’emes and in good faith with Yerubaal and with his bais this day, then rejoice ye in Avimelech, and let him also rejoice in you;
20 But if not, let eish come out from Avimelech, and devour the ba’alei Shechem, and the Bais Millo; and let eish come out from the ba’alei Shechem, and from the Bais Millo, and devour Avimelech.
21 And Yotam ran away, and escaped, and went to Be’er, and dwelt there, for fear of Avimelech his brother.
22 When Avimelech had reigned shalosh shanim over Yisroel,
23 Then Elohim sent a ruach ra’ah between Avimelech and the ba’alei Shechem; and the ba’alei Shechem dealt treacherously with Avimelech;
24 That the chamas done to the 70 Bnei Yerubaal might come, and their dahm be laid upon Avimelech their brother, which slaughtered them; and upon the ba’alei Shechem, which aided him in the slaughter of his brethren.
25 And the ba’alei Shechem set ambushers in wait for him on top of the hills, and they robbed all that passed along that derech by them; and it was told Avimelech.
26 And Gaal ben Eved came with his achim, went over to Shechem; the ba’alei Shechem put their confidence in him.
27 And they went out into the sadeh, and gathered their kramim, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the bais eloheihem, and did eat and drink, and cursed Avimelech.
28 And Gaal ben Eved said, Who is Avimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he ben Yerubaal? And Zevul his pakid? Serve the anshei Chamor avi Shechem. For why should we serve him?
29 O that this people were under my yad! Then would I remove Avimelech. And he said to Avimelech, Gather thine tze’va (army), and come out!
30 And when Zevul the sar of the Ir heard the words of Gaal ben Eved, his anger was kindled.
31 And he sent malachim unto Avimelech covertly, saying, Hinei, Gaal ben Eved and his brethren have come to Shechem; and, hinei, they incite the Ir against thee.
32 Now therefore go up by lailah, thou and the people with thee, and lie in wait in the sadeh:
33 And it shall be, that in the boker, as soon as the shemesh is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the Ir; and, hinei, when he and the people with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them just as thy hand finds to do.
34 And Avimelech rose up, and kol haAm that were with him, by lailah, and they laid wait in ambush against Shechem in four companies.
35 And Gaal ben Eved went out, and stood in the petach sha’ar haIr; and Avimelech and the people that were with him rose up from lying in wait for ambush.
36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zevul, Hinei, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zevul said unto him, Thou seest the tzel of the mountains as if seeing anashim.
37 And Gaal spoke again, and said, Hinei, there come people down the middle of the land, and another company come along by the Elon Me’onenim.
38 Then said Zevul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Avimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the people that thou hast despised? Go out, now, and fight against him.
39 And Gaal went out before the ba’alei Shechem, and fought with Avimelech.
40 And Avimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and chalalim (wounded), even unto the petach hasha’ar.
41 And Avimelech dwelt at Arumah; and Zevul thrust out Gaal and his achim, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
42 And it came to pass on the next day, that the people went out into the sadeh; and they told Avimelech.
43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait concealed in the sadeh, and looked, and, hinei, the people were come forth out of the Ir; and he rose up against them, and attacked them.
44 And Avimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the petach sha’ar of the Ir; and the two other companies rushed upon all who were in the sadeh, and slaughtered them.
45 And Avimelech fought against the Ir all that day; and he took the Ir, and slaughtered the people that was therein, and destroyed the Ir, and sowed it with melach (salt).
46 And when all the ba’alei migdal Shechem heard that, they entered into the stronghold of the bais el brit.
47 And it was told Avimelech, that all the ba’alei migdal Shechem were gathered together.
48 And Avimelech got him up to Mt Tzalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Avimelech took axes in his yad, and cut down a branch from the etzim (trees), and lifted it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
49 And kol haAm likewise cut down every man his branch, and followed Avimelech, and piled them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on eish over them; so that all the anshei migdal Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then went Avimelech to Tevetz, and encamped against Tevetz, and captured it.
51 But there was a migdal oz within the Ir, and there fled all the anashim and nashim, and all ba’alei haIr, and locked it after them, and got them up to the top of the migdal.
52 And Avimelech came unto the migdal, and fought against it, and drew near unto the petach of the migdal to burn it with eish.
53 And a certain woman dropped an upper millstone upon Avimelech’s head, and cracked his gulgolet (skull).
54 Then he called hastily unto the na’ar his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy cherev, and slay me, that men say not of me, An isha slaughtered him. And his na’ar thrust him through, and he died.
55 And when the Ish Yisroel saw that Avimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
56 Thus Elohim repaid the wickedness of Avimelech, which he did unto his av, in slaying his seventy brethren;
57 And all the evil of the anshei Shechem did Elohim render upon their heads: and upon them came the Kelalat Yotam ben Yerubaal.
13 Now there was in Antioch there among the Moshiach’s Kehillah nevi’im and morim: Bar-Nabba, and Shimon called Niger, and Lucius from Cyrene, and Menachem (brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Rav Sha’ul.
2 They were ministering to Adonoi and under a tzom when the Ruach Hakodesh said to them, “Set apart for Me Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul for the avodas kodesh ministry to which I have called them.” [DIVREY HAYAMIM BAIS 13:10; 35:3; YECHEZKEL 40:46; 44:16; 45:4]
3 Then, having continued the tzom and having davened and having laid their hands upon them, they sent them off.
4 They, then, having been sent out by the Ruach Hakodesh, went down to Seleucia, and from there sailed away to Cyprus.
5 Having arrived in Salamis, they were proclaiming the dvar Hashem in the shuls, with Yochanan Markos also as ozer (helper).
6 Having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain ish, a magician, a Jewish navi sheker, by name of Bar-Yehoshua,
7 who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an ish of seichel. This one, having summoned Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul, sought to hear the dvar Hashem.
8 But Elymas the magician was opposing them—for thus is his name translated—and was seeking to be mashpia on the proconsul (seeking to sway him to think undesirably) about the emunah (faith). [YESHAYAH 30:11]
9 But Rav Sha’ul, the one also called Paulos, having been filled with the Ruach Hakodesh, gazed at him,
10 and said, “O ish full of all mirmah (deceit, fraud) and all resha, ben haSatan, oyev (enemy) of all Tzedek, will you not cease making crooked the straight paths of Hashem? [HOSHEA 14:9]
11 “Now—hinei—the yad Hashem is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the shemesh (sun) for awhile.” Immediately mistiness and choshech (darkness) fell on him, and, going about, he was seeking someone to lead him by the hand [SHEMOT 9:3; SHMUEL ALEF 5:6,7; TEHILLIM 32:4; BERESHIS 19:10,11; MELACHIM BAIS 6:18]
12 Then, the proconsul, having seen what had happened, had emunah, being mishpoyel (standing in awe) at the torah about Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu.
13 And having put out to sea from Paphos, Rav Sha’ul and those with him came to Perga of Pamphylia. But Yochanan (Markos), having left them, returned to Yerushalayim.
14 But having gone on from Perga, they came to Pisidian Antioch, and, having entered the shul on Shabbos, they sat down.
15 After the kri’at HaTorah (reading of the Sefer Torah) and the kri’at HaNevi’im, the Rashei Beit HaKnesset sent to them, saying “Anashim Achim, if there is any dvar hachizzuk among you to the people, say it.”
16 And having got up and having motioned with his hand, Rav Sha’ul said, “Anshei Yisroel, and Yirei Elohim, listen!
17 “Elohei HaAm Yisroel chose Avoteinu. Hashem made the people great during their sojourn in Eretz Mitzrayim, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of it, [SHEMOT 6:1,6,7; 14:8; DEVARIM 7:6-8]
18 “and lav davka (approximately) ARBA’IM SHANAH He put up with them in the desert [DEVARIM 1:31; BAMIDBAR 14:33,34; TEHILLIM 95:10; SHEMOT 16:35]
19 “and having destroyed SHIVAH GOYIM in eretz Kena’an, he gave as a nachalah (an inheritance) their land [DEVARIM 7:1; YEHOSHUA 14:2; 19:51; TEHILLIM 78:55]
20 “during lav davka (approximately) arba me’ot vachamashim shanah. After these things, He gave shofetim until Shmuel HaNavi. [SHOFETIM 2:16; SHMUEL ALEF 3:19,20]
21 “And then they asked for a melech, and Hashem gave to them Sha’ul Ben Kish, an ish from the shevet of Binyamin, for arba’im shanah [SHMUEL ALEF 8:5,19; 10:1; 9:1,2]
22 ”And after having removed Sha’ul, Hashem raised up Dovid as a Melech for them. About Dovid also Hashem testified, saying ‘I found Dovid Ben Yishai an ISH KILEVAVO [“a man after His (G-d’s) heart”] who will do all My ratzon.’ [SHMUEL ALEF 15:23; 16:13; TEHILLIM 89:20; SHMUEL ALEF 13:14; YIRMEYAH 3:15; YESHAYAH 44:28]
23 “From the zera (seed) of this man, according to the havtachah (promise), Hashem has brought to Yisroel a Moshi’a (Savior), Yehoshua. [SHMUEL BAIS 7:11; 22:51; YIRMEYAH 30:9]
24 “Now previously, before the coming of Moshiach, Yochanan proclaimed to Klal Yisroel a tevilah of teshuva.
25 "Now as Yochanan was completing his course, he was saying, 'What do you suppose me to be? I am not! But, hinei, he comes after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandal of his feet."
26 "Achim, Bnei Mishpochah Avraham, and Yirei Elohim, it is to us that the dvar of this Yeshu’ah HaGedolah (Great Deliverance) was sent out. [TEHILLIM 107:20]
27 "For the ones dwelling in Yerushalayim and their moshlim (rulers) did not have da’as of this one or of the dvarim of the Nevi’im being read every Shabbos; they fulfilled these dvarim by condemning him.
28 "Even without finding a cause for a mishpat mavet, they asked Pilate that he be done away with.
29 "When they finished all the things having been written about him, he was taken down from HaEtz (DEVARIM 21:23), and they put him into a kever (tomb, Isa 53:9).
30 "But Hashem made him to stand up alive again from the Mesim,
31 "and he was seen over many yamim by the ones having come up with him from the Galil to Yerushalayim who now are his edim to the people.
32 "And we are preaching to you the Besuras HaGeulah of the Havtachah made to Avoteinu, [YESHAYAH 40:9; 52:7]
33 "That Hashem has fulfilled this havtachah for us, their banim, having made to stand up alive again Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, as also in the Tehillim it has been written, BENI ATAH, ANI HAYOM YELIDETICHA ("You are My son; today I have become your father"). [TEHILLIM 2:7]
34 "And that He made him to stand up alive again from the Mesim, no longer to return to decay, thus he has said, ‘I will give you CHASEDEI DOVID HANE’EMANIM. [YESHAYAH 55:3 TARGUM HASHIVIM]
35 "Therefore, also elsewhere in the Tehillim, he says LO TITEN CHASIDECHA LIR’OT SHACHAT ("You will not allow your Chasid (Moshiach) to undergo decay"). [TEHILLIM 15:10; 16:10 TARGUM HASHIVIM]
36 "For Dovid, after in his own dor (generation) he had served birtzon Hashem, fell asleep, and VAYISHKAV DOVID IM AVOTAV (“and Dovid rested with his fathers”) and he experienced decay. [SHMUEL BAIS 7:12; MELACHIM ALEF 2:10; SHOFETIM 2:10; DIVREY HAYAMIM BAIS 29:28]
37 "But whom Hashem made to stand up alive again did not experience decay.
38 "Let it be known, therefore, to you, Anashim Achim, that through this one, selicha (forgiveness) of chatta’im (averos [sins]) is proclaimed to you; and from all things of which by the Torah of Moshe Rabbenu you were not able to be justified,
39 "By this one everyone having emunah is justified.
40 "Be shomer then that the thing having been spoken by the Nevi’im (Prophets) may not come upon you,
41 "Look," scoffers, "And be amazed and marvel, and stand in awe" and perish, "because I am working a work in your yamim, a work which you may by no means believe if someone should tell you." [CHABAKUK 1:5 TARGUM HASHIVIM]
42 And as Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba were going out, the people were begging that these dvarim be spoken to them the following Shabbos.
43 And when the gathering was dismissed, rabbim (many) of the Yehudim and of the Gerim (Proselytes) with chassidus followed Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba, who urged them to remain in the Chen v’Chesed Hashem.
44 Now on the following Shabbos nearly all the city was assembled to hear the dvar Hashem.
45 But when the Yehudim saw the multitudes, they were filled with kinah and were choilek (taking issue) and speaking keneged (against, in opposition to) the things being spoken by Rav Sha’ul, and they were committing Chillul Hashem.
46 And having spoken with ometz lev (boldness), Rav Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba said, ‘To you it was necessary rishonah (first) for the dvar Hashem to be spoken; vi-bahlt (since) you reject it, and judge yourselves not worthy of Chayyei Olam, hinei, we are turning to the Goyim.
47 "For thus has Hashem commanded us, "I have placed you as a light to the Nations, that you should bring salvation to the end of the earth." [Isa 49:6]
48 Now hearing this, the Goyim rejoiced with simcha gedolah and were praising the dvar Hashem. And as many as had been destined to Chayyei Olam became ma’aminim hameshichiyim.
49 And the dvar Hashem was spreading through the entire region.
50 But the Yehudim aroused the chashuve (prominent) G-d fearing nashim and the gontser machers of the city, and they instigated redifah keneged Rav Sha’ul and Bar Nabba, and they drove them from out of their territory.
51 And having shaken off the dust of their feet against them, Rav Sha’ul and Bar- Nabba came to Iconium;
52 And the talmidim were being filled with simcha and the Ruach Hakodesh.
22 Thus saith Hashem; Go down to the Bais Melech Yehudah, and speak there this Davar,
2 And say, Hear the Devar Hashem, O Melech Yehudah, that sittest upon the kisse of Dovid, thou, and thy avadim, and thy people that enter in by these she’arim (gates);
3 Thus saith Hashem; Execute ye mishpat (justice) and tzedakah (righteousness), and save the plundered out of the yad of the oshek (oppressor); and do no wrong, do no violence to the ger (alien), the yatom (orphan), nor the almanah (widow), neither shed dahm naki (innocent blood) in this makom (place).
4 For if ye carry out this davar indeed, then, shall there enter in by the she’arim (gates) of this Bais, melachim sitting upon the kisse Dovid, riding in chariots and on susim, he, and his avadim, and his people.
5 But if ye will not hear these devarim, I swear a shevuah by Myself, saith Hashem, that this Bais shall become a desolation.
6 For thus saith Hashem unto the Bais Melech Yehudah: Thou art [in grandeur] Gil‘ad unto Me, and the summit of the Levanon; yet surely I will make thee a midbar, and towns which are not inhabited.
7 And I will prepare mashchitim (destroyers) against thee, every ish with his weapons; and they shall cut down thy choice arazim (cedars), and cast them into the eish.
8 And Goyim rabbim shall pass by this city, and they shall say every ish to his re’a (neighbor), Why hath Hashem done thus unto this ir hagedolah (great city)?
9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the Brit Hashem Eloheihem, and worshiped elohim acherim, and served them.
10 Weep ye not for the one dead, neither mourn him; but weep bitterly for him that goeth away [into the Golus]; for he shall return no more, nor see his eretz moledet (native land).
11 For thus saith Hashem touching Shallum Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah, which reigned in place of Yoshiyah aviv, which went forth out of this makom; he shall not return there any more;
12 But he shall die in the makom where they have led him captive [into the Golus], and he shall see HaAretz Hazot no more.
13 Woe unto him that buildeth his bais but not by tzedek (righteousness), and his aliyyot (upper chambers) but not by mishpat; that useth his neighbor’s service without wages, and giveth him no pay for his work;
14 That saith, I will build me a large bais (mansion) and spacious aliyyot (upper rooms), and cutteth him out chalonot (windows); and panel it with erez (cedar), and paint with bright red.
15 Shalt thou reign, because thou enclose thyself in erez (cedar)? Did not Avicha eat and drink, and do mishpat and tzedakah, and then it was tov (well) with him?
16 He defended the cause of the oni (poor) and evyon (needy); then it was tov (well) with him; was not this to have da’as of Me? saith Hashem.
17 But thine eynayim (eyes) and thine lev are but for thy betza (covetousness, greed) and for to shed dahm hanaki (innocent blood), and for oshek (oppression), and for merutzah (extortion, persecution), to do it.
18 Therefore thus saith Hashem concerning Y’hoyakim Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah: They shall not mourn for him, saying, Ah achi! Or, Ah achot (sister)! They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah adon! Or, Ah his hod (glory)!
19 He shall be buried with the kevurat chamor (burial of a donkey), dragged and cast forth outside the Sha’arei Yerushalayim.
20 Go up to the Levanon, and cry out; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry out from Avarim; for all thy lovers are crushed.
21 I spoke unto thee in thy security; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy derech from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not My kol (voice).
22 The ruach shall eat up all thy ro’im (rulers), and thy lovers shall go into captivity [in the Golus]; surely then shalt thou be ashamed and humiliated because of all thy wickedness.
23 O inhabitant of the Levanon, that makest thy ken (nest) in the arazim (cedars), how shalt thou groan when chavalim (birth pangs) come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!
24 As I live, saith Hashem, though Coniyahu [Yehoiakhin, Yechonyahu] Ben Y’hoyakim Melech Yehudah were the chotam (signet ring) upon Yad Yemini (My right Hand), yet would I pluck thee from there [2Kgs 23:33-34].
25 And I will give thee into the yad of them that seek thy nefesh, and into the yad of them of whom thou art afraid, even into the yad of Nevuchadretzar Melech Babylon, and into the yad of the Kasdim.
26 And I will cast thee out, and immecha that bore thee, into ha’aretz acheret (another country), where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.
27 But to HaAretz whereunto they desire to return, to these shall they not return.
28 Is this man Coniyahu a despised broken etzev (image, statue)? Is he a vessel wherein is no chefetz? Why are they cast out, he and his zera, and are cast into ha’aretz which they know not?
29 O eretz, eretz, eretz, hear the Devar Hashem.
30 Thus saith Hashem, Write ye this ish ariri (childless, stripped of the honor that progeny bestows), a gever (man) who shall not prosper in his days; for none of his zera shall prosper, sitting upon the kisse Dovid, or moshel od (rule anymore) in Yehudah.
8 In yamim hahem (those days), again, when there was a great multitude and they had no okhel (food), Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach called his talmidim, and says to them,
2 I have rachmei shomayim (heavenly mercy, compassion) on the multitude, because they already shlosha yamim (three days) have remained with me and they do not have anything they may eat;
3 And if I send them away hungry to their batim (houses), they will give out on the way; and some of them have come from far away.
4 And his talmidim answered him, From where will anyone be able to find enough lechem to feed these ones here in the midbar? [BAMIDBAR 11:21]
5 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was asking them, How many loaves do you have? And they said, Shevah.
6 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach directed the multitude to recline at tish, as it were, on the ground. And having taken the sheva kikrot (loaves), he made a bracha, saying the ha-Motzi, and offered the betziat halechem (the breaking of the bread) and was giving [them] to his talmidim to serve to them, and they served the multitude.
7 And they also had a few small dagim. And after he had made the bracha over them, he directed these to be served as well.
8 And they ate and were satisfied. And there was an abundance of shirayim (Rebbe’s remainders), sheva baskets [full].
9 And there were approximately arbaat elafim (four thousand [people]). And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sent them away.
10 And ofen ort (immediately), having embarked onto the sirah (boat) with his talmidim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach came into the region of Dalmanutha.
11 And the Perushim came out and began to argue with him, seeking from him an ot min HaShomayim (a sign from heaven), testing him.
12 And sighing deeply in his ruach, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, Why does hador hazeh (this generation) seek for an ot? Omein, I say to you, no ot shall be given to hador hazeh (this generation).
13 And having left them, Moshiach again embarked and departed to the other side.
14 And his talmidim had forgotten to take lechem and did not have anything except one kikar (loaf) in the sirah (boat) with them.
15 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was giving orders to them, saying, Take care! Beware of the chametz (leaven) of the Perushim and the chametz of Herod.
16 And the talmidim were beginning to discuss among themselves that they do not have [any] kikrot (loaves).
17 And aware of this, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Why are you discussing that you do not have kikrot? Do you not yet have binah (understanding) nor comprehend? Have your levavot fallen into timtum halev (hardening of the heart), KESHI (hardness, stubbornness, DEVARIM 9:27)? [YESHAYAH 6:9,10]
18 EINAYIM LAKHEM VLO TIRU VOZNAYIM LAKHEM VLO TISHMAU (Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? YIRMEYAH 5:21; YECHEZKEL 12:2) And do you not remember,
19 When I offered the beziat halechem with the chamesh kikrot (five loaves) for the chameshet elafim (five thousand), how many baskets of shirayim you picked up? And they say to him, Shneym Asar.
20 And when I offered the beziat halechem over the shevah (seven) for the arbaat haalafim (four thousand), how many baskets full of shirayim did you pick up? And they say to him, Shiva.
21 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was saying to them, Do you not yet have binah?
22 And they come to Beit-Tzaidah. And they bring to him an ivver (blind man), and entreated him to touch him.
23 And having grasped the hand of the ivver, he took him outside the shtetl; and, having put spittle on his eyes, [and] having laid hands upon him, he was questioning him, Do you see anything?
24 And after looking up, the ivver was saying, I see bnei Adam‖they look like trees walking!
25 Then again Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed his hands upon his eyes; and the man looked intently and was restored, and was seeing everything clearly.
26 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sent the man to his bais, saying, Do not even enter the shtetl.
27 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went out along with his talmidim, to the shtetlach of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he was questioning his talmidim, saying to them, Who do Bnei Adam say that I am?
28 And the talmidim spoke to him, saying, Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva; and others say, Eliyahu HaNavi; but others, One of the neviim. [MALACHI 4:5]
29 And he continued questioning them, But who do you say that I am? In reply, Kefa says to him, You are the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
30 And he warned them to tell no one about him.
31 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach began to teach them that it is necessary [for] the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13-14] to suffer many things and to be rejected by the Zekenim and the Rashei Hakohanim (the Chief Priests) and the Sofrim (Scribes) [YESHAYAH 53:3], and to be killed and after his histalkus (passing) after Shlosha Yamim (Three Days) to undergo the Techiyas HaMoshiach.
32 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was speaking about the matter plainly. And Shimon Kefa took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But having turned around and having looked at his talmidim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach rebuked Kefa, and says, Get behind me, Hasatan; for you are not putting your machshavot (thoughts) on the interests of Hashem but on that of Bnei Adam. [cf Mk 7:9]
34 And having summoned the multitude along with his talmidim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, If anyone wishes to follow after me, let him make denial of himself, and take up his etz shel hakarav atzmo (tree of self-sacrifice), and follow me.
35 For whoever wishes to save his nefesh will lose it; but whoever loses his nefesh for my sake and for the sake of the Besuras HaGeulah will save it.
36 For how is the ben Adam (human being) benefited if he gain the kol haOlam, and forfeit his neshamah?
37 For what shall a ben Adam give in exchange [for] his neshamah?
38 For whoever feels bushah (shame) regarding me and my dvarim in this dor rah umnaef (evil and adulterous generation), the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] will also be ashamed of him, when Moshiach comes in the kavod of his Av with the malachim hakedoshim.
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