Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

16 (A mikhtam Dovid). Be shomer over me, O El: for in Thee do I hide myself.

² I said unto Hashem, Thou art Adonoi of me; besides Thee I have no good;

³ But to the Kedoshim that are in ha’aretz, they are the glorious ones, in whom is all my delight.

⁴ Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after other g-ds; their nesakhim (drink offerings) of dahm will I not offer, nor take up their shmot (names [of idols]) on my lips.

⁵ Hashem is the chelek (allotted share) of mine inheritance and of my kos (cup [of blessing]); Thou maintainest my goral (lot, allotment by the divine will).

⁶ The boundary lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly nachalah (inheritance).

⁷ I will bless Hashem, Who hath given me counsel; my mind also instructs me in the night seasons.

⁸ I have set Hashem always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my lev is glad, and my kavod rejoiceth; my basar also shall dwell securely [see 1Th 5:23 OJBC].

¹⁰ For Thou wilt not abandon my nefesh in Sheol; neither wilt Thou allow Thine Chasid to see shachat (corruption, the pit, the grave, the abyss of corruption; see Ac 2:24).

¹¹ Thou wilt show me the Orach Chayyim (the path of life); in Thy presence is fulness of joy, at Thy right hand there are pleasures netzach (for evermore).

²² And Aharon lifted up his hand toward the people, and pronounced a barucha upon them, and came down from offering of the chattat (sin offering), and the olah (burnt offering), and shelamim (peace offerings).

²³ And Moshe and Aharon went into the Ohel Mo’ed, and came out, and pronounced a barucha over the people; and the kavod Hashem appeared unto kol HaAm.

²⁴ And there came an eish out from before Hashem, and consumed upon the Mizbe’ach the olah (burnt offering) and the chalavim (fat portions); which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

10 And Nadav and Avihu, the bnei Aharon, each took his censer, and put eish therein, and put ketoret (incense) thereon, and offered eish zarah (strange, unauthorized fire) before Hashem, which He commanded them not.

² And there went out eish (fire) from the presence of Hashem, and devoured them, and they died before Hashem.

³ Then Moshe said unto Aharon, This is it that Hashem spoke, saying, I will show Myself kadosh among them that come near Me, and before kol HaAm (all the People) I will be honored. And Aharon was silent.

⁴ And Moshe called Mishael and Eltzaphan, the bnei Uzziel the dod (uncle) of Aharon, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the Kodesh to the outside of the machaneh.

⁵ So they went near, and carried them in the kuttanot of them out of the machaneh; as Moshe had said.

⁶ And Moshe said unto Aharon, and unto Eleazar and unto Itamar, his banim, Don’t uncover your head, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon kol HaEdah; but let your brethren, the kol Bais Yisroel, bewail the burning which Hashem hath kindled.

⁷ And ye shall not go out from the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed, lest ye die; for the shemen mishchat (anointing oil) of Hashem is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moshe.

⁸ And Hashem spoke unto Aharon, saying,

⁹ Do not drink yayin nor strong drink, thou, nor thy banim with thee, when ye go into the Ohel Mo’ed, lest ye die; it shall be chukkat olam throughout your generations;

¹⁰ And that ye may put difference between kodesh and chol (common, profane), and between tameh (unclean) and tahor (clean);

¹¹ And that ye may teach the Bnei Yisroel all the chukkim which Hashem hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moshe.

⁵ Perform a bedikah (examination) on yourselves to see if you are in the [Orthodox Jewish] emunah (faith). Test and prove yourselves [1C 11:28]. Or do you yourselves not have da’as that Moshiach is in you? Unless you are reprobate and unapproved. [EKHAH 3:40]

⁶ But I have tikvah that you will have da’as that we are not unapproved.

⁷ Now we daven (pray) to Hashem that you do not do any rah (evil), not that we Shlichim may appear to have stood the test, but that you may do hatov (the good), though we may seem to have failed.

⁸ For we are not able to do anything against HaEmes, but only for HaEmes. [1C 13:6]

⁹ For we have lev same’ach when we are megareia (weakened) and you are strong, for this also we daven (pray), that is, for your shelemut (perfection), your tikkun (restoration repair).

¹⁰ Therefore, while I am absent I write this iggeret so that when I am present I may not treat you with severity, according to the samchut (authority) which Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu gave me for your chozek (strength) and not for your churban. [2C 2:3; 10:8,11]