Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
74 (A Maskil of Asaph) O Elohim, why hast Thou cast us off lanetzach? Why doth Thine anger smoke against the tzon (sheep) of Thy mireh (pasture)?
2 Remember Thy Edah (congregation), which Thou hast purchased of old; the shevet (tribe) of Thine nachalah, which Thou hast redeemed: this Har Tziyon, wherein Thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up Thy footsteps unto the mashu’ot netzach (perpetual ruins); even all that the oyev hath done wickedly in the Kodesh [the Beis HaMikdash].
4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of Thy Mo’ed (place of meeting); they set up their banners for otot (signs, i.e., their heathen insignia).
5 It had been as though one lifted up kardumim (axes) upon the thicket of etz.
6 But now they break down the carved panels [of the Beis HaMikdash] at once with hammers and chisels.
7 They have set ablaze Thy Mikdash, burning it to the ground; they have brought chillul to the Mishkan Shemecha (the dwelling place of Thy Name).
8 They said in their hearts, Let us crush them altogether; they have burned up all the Mo’adei El in HaAretz.
9 We see not our otot (signs); there is no longer any navi; neither is there among us any that knoweth ad mah (until when).
10 O Elohim ad mosai, (how long) shall the adversary revile? Shall the oyev (enemy) blaspheme Thy Shem lanetzach (forever)?
11 Why withdrawest Thou Thy Yad, even Thy Yamin (Right Hand)? Take it out of Thy Kheyk (bosom) and destroy [them].
12 For Elohim is my Melech mikedem (from of old), working Yeshuah (salvation) in the midst of Ha’Aretz.
13 Thou didst divide the yam by Thy oz (power); Thou didst break the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 Thou didst break the head of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be ma’akhal (food) to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst break open the fountain and the flood; Thou driedst up mighty naharot (rivers).
16 The yom is Thine, the lailah also is Thine; Thou hast prepared the ma’ohr (luminary, moon) and the shemesh.
17 Thou hast set all the boundaries of Eretz; Thou hast made kayitz (summer) and choref (winter).
18 Remember this, that the oyev (enemy) hath reproached Hashem, and that the am naval (foolish people) have blasphemed Shimcha.
19 O deliver not the nefesh of Thy turtledove unto the wild beast; forget not the life of Thy aniyim (poor) lanetzach (forever).
20 Have regard unto the Brit (covenant); for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of chamas.
21 O let not the oppressed return in shame; let the oni and evyon praise Thy Shem.
22 Arise, O Elohim, fight for Thine Own cause; remember how the naval (foolish man) revileth Thee kol hayom.
23 Forget not the kol (voice) of Thine enemies, the tumult of those against Thee that rises up tamid (continually). [T.N. Cf Lk 2:23-24 and Ps 74:19 remembering that the turtledove was the sacrifice of the poor, which Moshiach would be, not a rich man but ani, according to Zech 9:9.]
17 And it came to pass, when Ach’av saw Eliyahu, that Ach’av said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Yisroel?
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Yisroel; but thou, and the Bais Avicha, in that ye have forsaken the Mitzvot Hashem, and thou hast followed after the Ba’alim.
19 Now therefore summon, and gather to me kol Yisroel unto Har HaCarmel and the nevi’im of Ba’al four hundred and fifty, and the nevi’im haAsherah four hundred, which eat at shulchan Izevel.
20 So Ach’av sent unto kol Bnei Yisroel, and gathered the Nevi’im together unto Har HaCarmel.
21 And Eliyahu came unto kol haAm, and said, Ad Mosai (how long) ye be polekhim (limping ones, dancing ones) between two se’ipim (opinions)? If Hashem be HaElohim, follow after him; but if HaBa’al, then follow after him. And HaAm answered him not a word.
22 Then said Eliyahu unto HaAm, I, even I only, am left a navi of Hashem; but Ba’al’s nevi’im are four hundred and fifty ish.
23 Let them therefore give us two parim (bulls); and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no eish under it; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on wood, and put no eish under it;
24 And call ye on the shem eloheichem, and I will call on the Shem of Hashem; and haelohim that answereth by eish, let him be HaElohim. And kol haAm answered and said, Tov hadavar!
25 And Eliyahu said unto the nevi’im of Ba’al, Choose you one bull for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are rabbim (many); and call on the shem eloheichem, but put no eish under it.
26 And they took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the shem of Ba’al from boker even until tzohorayim (noon), saying, O Ba’al, answer us. But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they danced [same word used in verse 21] around the mizbe’ach which had been made.
27 And it came to pass at tzohorayim, that Eliyahu mocked them, taunting, saying, Shout with a kol gadol (loud voice); for he is a g-d; either he is meditating, or he is pursuing [something], or ki derech lo (perhaps he had to travel, he’s relieving himself), or perhaps he sleepeth and must be awakened.
28 And they shouted with a kol gadol, and cut themselves after their mishpat (custom) with charavot (swords) and lances, till the dahm gushed out upon them.
29 And it came to pass, when tzohorayim was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the minchah (evening sacrifice), that there was neither kol (voice), nor any oneh (responder) nor any attender.
30 And Eliyahu said unto kol HaAm, Come near unto me. And kol HaAm came near unto him. And he repaired the Mizbe’ach Hashem that was in ruins.
31 And Eliyahu took twelve avanim (stones), according to the mispar (number) of the Shivtei Bnei Ya’akov, unto whom the Devar Hashem came, saying, Yisroel shall be Shemecha;
32 And with the avanim (stones) he built a Mizbe’ach in the Shem of Hashem; and he made a te’alah (trench) around the Mizbe’ach, as the space of two seahs of zera (seed).
33 And he laid the wood in order, and cut up the bull, and laid it on the wood, and said, Fill four jugs with mayim, and pour it on the olah and on the wood.
34 And Eliyahu said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35 And the mayim ran around about the Mizbe’ach; and even filled the te’alah (trench) also with mayim.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the minchah (evening sacrifice), that Eliyahu HaNavi came near, and said, Hashem Elohei Avraham, Yitzchak and of Yisroel, let it be known this day that Thou art Elohim in Yisroel, and that I am Thy Eved, and that I have done all these things at Thy Davar.
37 Answer me, Hashem, answer me, that HaAm Hazeh may know that Thou art Hashem HaElohim, and that Thou hast turned back their lev.
38 Then the Eish of Hashem fell, and consumed the olah and the wood, and the avanim, and the aphar, and licked up the mayim that was in the te’alah (trench).
39 And when kol HaAm saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, Hashem hu HaElohim; Hashem hu HaElohim.
40 And Eliyahu said unto them, Seize the nevi’im of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them; and Eliyahu brought them down to the Brook Kishon, and slaughtered them there.
7 And when the elef shanim are completed, Hasatan will be released from his beit hasohar (prison),
8 And will go forth to deceive the Goyim in the four corners of ha’aretz, that is, Gog and Magog, to assemble them for milkhamah (war); the mispar (number) of them is like the sand of the seashore. [YESHAYAH 11:12; YECHEZKEL 7:2; 38:2; 39:1; 38:9,15]
9 And they went up over the broad plain of the land and encircled the makhaneh (camp) of the Kadoshim and the Ir HaAhuvah (the beloved city) and Eish came down out of Shomayim and consumed them. [YECHEZKEL 38:9,16; TEHILLIM 87:2; YECHEZKEL 38:22; 39:6]
10 And Hasatan, the one deceiving them, was cast into the Agam HaEish (fire) and gofrit (sulfur), where both the Chayyah [Anti-Moshiach] and the Navi Sheker (False Prophet) were, and they will be tormented yomam v’lailah l’Olemei Olamim (day and night forever and ever).
11 And I saw a Kisse Lavan Gadol (a Great White Throne) and I saw the One sitting on it, from whose presence Ha’Aretz and Shomayim fled, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the Mesim (dead persons), the ketanim and gedolim, having taken their stand before the Kisse (Throne) and Sfarim (Books) were opened and another Sefer was opened, which is the Sefer HaChayyim, and the Mesim were judged by the things having been written in the Sfarim, according to what they had done. [DANIEL 7:10; SHEMOT 32:32; DEVARIM 29:20; DANIEL 12:1; MALACHI 3:16; YIRMEYAH 17:10]
13 And the Yam (Sea) gave up the Mesim in it, and Mavet, and She’ol gave up the Mesim in them, and they were judged, each one according to what they had done. [YESHAYAH 26:19]
14 And Mavet and She’ol were cast into the Agam HaEish (Lake of Fire). This is the Mavet HaSheyni (the Second Death), the Agam HaEish (the Lake of Fire).
15 And if anyone was not found having been written in the Sefer HaChayyim, he was cast into the Agam HaEish.
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