Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

81 (For the one directing. On the gittis. Of Asaph.) Sing with joy unto Elohim uzeinu (our strength); make a joyful noise unto Elohei Ya’akov.

^2 (3) Begin a song, and bring hither the tambourine, the pleasant kinnor (harp) with the nevel (lyre).

^3 (4) Blow the shofar at Rosh Chodesh, at the full moon, on Yom Chageinu.

^4 (5) For this was a chok for Yisroel, and a mishpat of the Elohei Ya’akov.

^5 (6) This He ordained in Yosef for an edut, when He went out over Eretz Mitzra- yim; where a language of one not known did I hear.

^6 (7) I removed his shekhem (shoulder) from the burden; his hands were delivered from the basket.

^7 (8) In tzoros thou calledst, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the seter ra’am (secret place of thunder); I tested thee at the waters of Merivah. Selah.

^8 (9) Shema, O My people, and I will admonish thee; O Yisroel, if thou wilt pay heed unto Me;

^9 (10) There shall no el zar (strange, foreign g-d) be among thee; neither shalt thou worship any el nechar (foreign g-d).

^10 (11) I am Hashem Eloheicha Who brought thee out of Eretz Mitzrayim; open thy mouth wide, I will fill it.

¹² And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

¹³ Speak thou also unto the Bnei Yisroel, saying, Verily My Shabbatot ye shall be shomer over; for it is an ot (sign) between Me and you throughout your dorot; that ye may have da’as that I am Hashem Who doth set thee apart as kodesh.

¹⁴ Ye shall be shomer Shabbos therefore; for it is kodesh unto you; every one that is chillul Shabbos (desecrates Shabbos) shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that nefesh shall be cut off from among his people.

¹⁵ Sheshet yamim may work be done; but in the Yom HaShevi’i is Shabbos HaShabbaton, kodesh to Hashem; whosoever doeth any work in the Yom HaShabbos, he shall surely be put to death.

¹⁶ Wherefore the Bnei Yisroel shall be shomer Shabbos, to observe Shabbos throughout their dorot, for a brit olam.

¹⁷ It is an ot between Me and the Bnei Yisroel l’olam; for in sheshet yamim Hashem made Shomayim and HaAretz, and on Yom HaShevi’i He rested (shavat, ceased working), and was refreshed.

¹⁸ And He gave unto Moshe, when He had made an end of speaking with him upon Mt. Sinai, two Luchot HaEdut (Tablets of the Testimony), Luchot Even (Tablets of Stone), written with the Etzba Elohim (Finger of G-d).

25 Therefore Festus, having arrived in the Province, after shloshah yamim went up from Caesarea to Yerushalayim,

² Where the Rashei Hakohanim and manhigim of the Yehudim explained to Festus the charges keneged Rav Sha’ul, and they were begging him,

³ Asking a favor from him, that Festus might summon Rav Sha’ul to Yerushalayim, while at the same time they were forming a kesher to kill him along the way.

⁴ Festus answered that Rav Sha’ul was to be kept in Caesarea and that Festus himself intended quickly to go there.

⁵ "Therefore, those in authority among you," Festus says, "should come down with me, and if there is anything in the wrong about Rav Sha’ul, then let them bring charges against him."

⁶ And having stayed with them no more than shmonah or asarah yamim, Festus went down to Caesarea; the next day he sat on the Kes HaMishpat and ordered Rav Sha’ul to be brought in.

⁷ When Rav Sha’ul came in, the Judeans who had come down from Yerushalayim stood around him and brought serious charges keneged (against) him, which they were not able to prove.

⁸ Rav Sha’ul defended himself, saying, "Neither keneged the Torah nor keneged the Beis Hamikdash nor keneged Caesar have I done anything wrong."

⁹ But Festus, wishing to grant the Judeans a favor, said in reply to Rav Sha’ul, "Do you want to go up to Yerushalayim to be judged by me there concerning these things?"

¹⁰ And Rav Sha’ul said, "I am standing before the Kes HaMishpat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be tried. I have done no wrong to my Jewish people, as you also have da’as very well.

¹¹ "Now if I have done wrong and am worthy of mavet, I am not trying to escape the penalty. But if there is nothing to the charges these bring against me, no one is able to hand me over to them. Therefore, I appeal to Caesar."

¹² Then Festus, having talked with his council, answered, "To Caesar you have appealed, to Caesar you will go."