Old/New Testament
16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:
(1) Protect me, God,
for you are my refuge.
2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good outside of you.”
3 The holy people in the land are the ones
who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.
4 Those who run after another god
multiply their sorrows;
To such gods I will not offer
drink offerings of blood
or take their names on my lips.
5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:
you safeguard my share.
6 Pleasant places were measured out for me;
I am content with my heritage.
7 I bless Adonai, my counselor;
at night my inmost being instructs me.
8 I always set Adonai before me;
with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;
9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,
and my body too rests in safety;
10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,
you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.
11 You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight.
17 (0) A prayer of David:
(1) Hear a just cause, Adonai, heed my cry;
listen to my prayer from honest lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you,
let your eyes see what is right.
3 You probed my heart,
you visited me at night,
and you assayed me without finding evil thoughts
that should not pass my lips.
4 As for what others do, by words from your lips
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent;
5 my steps hold steadily to your paths,
my feet do not slip.
6 Now I call on you, God, for you will answer me.
Turn your ear to me, hear my words.
7 Show how wonderful is your grace,
savior of those who seek at your right hand
refuge from their foes.
8 Protect me like the pupil of your eye,
hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked, who are assailing me,
from my deadly enemies, who are all around me.
10 They close their hearts to compassion;
they speak arrogantly with their mouths;
11 they track me down, they surround me;
they watch for a chance to bring me to the ground.
12 They are like lions eager to tear the prey,
like young lions crouching in ambush.
13 Arise, Adonai, confront them! Bring them down!
With your sword deliver me from the wicked,
14 with your hand, Adonai, from human beings,
from people whose portion in life is this world.
You fill their stomachs with your treasure,
their children will be satisfied too
and will leave their wealth to their little ones.
15 But my prayer, in righteousness, is to see your face;
on waking, may I be satisfied with a vision of you.
20 After the furor died down, Sha’ul sent for the talmidim and encouraged them, then took his leave and set out on his way to Macedonia. 2 He went through that area, and, after saying much to encourage them, passed on to Greece, 3 where he spent three months. As he was preparing to set sail for Syria, he discovered a plot against him by the unbelieving Jews; so he changed his mind and decided to return by way of Macedonia. 4 Sopater from Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; as did Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on and waited for us in Troas, 6 while we sailed from Philippi after the Days of Matzah. Five days later, we met them in Troas, where we spent a week.
7 On Motza’ei-Shabbat, when we were gathered to break bread, Sha’ul addressed them. Since he was going to leave the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 Now there were many oil lamps burning in the upstairs room where we were meeting, 9 and there was a young fellow named Eutychus sitting on the window-sill. As Sha’ul’s drash went on and on, Eutychus grew sleepier and sleepier; until finally he went sound asleep and fell from the third story to the ground. When they picked him up, he was dead. 10 But Sha’ul went down, threw himself onto him, put his arms around him and said, “Don’t be upset, he’s alive!” 11 Then he went back upstairs, broke the bread and ate. He continued talking with them till daylight, then left. 12 So, greatly relieved, they brought the boy home alive.
13 We went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, where we were planning to take Sha’ul aboard — he had arranged this because he wanted to go there by land. 14 After he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day, we sailed from there and arrived off Chios; the following day, we crossed over to Samos; and the day after that, we reached Miletus. 16 For Sha’ul had decided to bypass Ephesus on his voyage, in order to avoid losing time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to get to Yerushalayim, if possible in time to celebrate Shavu‘ot.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.