Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
2 Blow ye the shofar in Tziyon, and sound an alarm on My Har Kodesh; let all the yoshvei ha’aretz tremble; for the Yom Hashem cometh, for it is near at hand;
2 A day of choshech and of gloominess, a day of anan (cloud) and of thick darkness, as the shachar (dawn) spread upon the mountains; an am rav (great people, army) and strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of dor v’dor.
12 Therefore also now, saith Hashem, turn ye back to Me with all your lev, and with tzom, and with weeping, and with mourning;
13 And rend your lev, and not your garments, and turn unto Hashem Eloheichem; for He is channun (gracious) and rachum (merciful), slow to anger, and of rav chesed, and He relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knoweth but that He will return and have pity, and leave behind Him a brocha; even a minchah and a nesekh unto Hashem Eloheichem?
15 Blow the shofar in Tziyon, sanctify a tzom, call an atzarah (solemn assembly);
16 Gather the people, set apart as kodesh the kahal (congregation), assemble the zekenim, gather the olalim, even those nursing at the breast; let the choson go forth of his cheder, and the kallah out of her chuppah (canopy).
17 Let the kohanim, the mesharetim of Hashem, weep between the Ulam and the Mizbe’ach, and let them say, Spare Thy people, Hashem, and make not Thine nachalah (inheritance) an object of scorn, a byword among the Goyim. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their G-d?
58 Cry aloud, restrain not, lift up thy kol (voice) like the shofar, and preach to My people their peysha (transgression, rebellion) and Bais Ya’akov their chattot.
2 Yet they seek Me yom yom (daily), and for the da’as of My Drakhim they seem eager, like a Goy (Nation) that doeth tzedakah, like one that did not forsake mishpat Elohav; they ask of Me the mishpeteitzedek; they seem eager for kirvat Elohim (getting close to G-d, revival).
3 Why have we done a tzom, say they, and Thou seest not? Why have we afflicted nafsheinu, and Thou takest no notice? See, in your yom tzom ye find chefetz (pleasure, personal advantage) and exploit all your toilers.
4 See, ye undergo a tzom for grievance and strife, and to strike with the fist of resha; ye shall not do a tzom as ye do today, to make your voice to be heard on marom.
5 Is such as this a tzom that I have chosen? Merely for adam to afflict his nefesh? To bow down his rosh like a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and efer (ashes) under him? Wilt thou call this a tzom, and a yom ratzon (a day of acceptance, an acceptable day) unto Hashem?
6 Is not this the tzom that I have chosen? To loose the chartzubbot resha (chains of wickedness, injustice), to undo the aguddot motah (bindings of the yoke bar), and to let the retzutzim (oppressed ones) go as chafeshim (free ones), and that ye break kol motah (every yoke of oppression)?
7 Is it not paras lechem (breaking bread of thine, i.e., serving food) to the hungry, and that thou bring the homeless aniyyim (poor) to thy bais? When thou seest the arom (naked), that thou cover him with clothing; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own basar (flesh and blood, kinspeople)?
8 Then shall thy light break forth like the shachar (dawn), and thine healing titzmach (shall spring forth; Tzemach) speedily; and thy tzedek shall go before thee; the kavod Hashem shall be thy rearguard.
9 Then shalt thou call, and Hashem shall answer; thou shalt cry for help, and He shall say, Hineni! If thou remove from the midst of thee the motah (yoke), the pointing of the etzba (finger [of contempt]) and speaking aven (evil, lashon hora);
10 And if thou draw out thy nefesh to the hungry, and satisfy the nefesh of the afflicted, then shall thy ohr rise in choshech, and thy darkness shall be as the noon;
11 And Hashem shall guide thee tamid, and satisfy thy nefesh in drought, and strengthen thy atzmot; and thou shalt be like a gan raveh (well-watered garden), and like a motzah mayim (spring of water), whose mayim fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall rebuild the charevot olam (ancient ruins); thou shalt raise up the mosedei dor vador (the foundations of many generations); and thou shalt be called, Goder Peretz; Meshovev Netivot Lashevet (Repairer of the Breach; Restorer of the Streets For Habitation).
51 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid. When Natan HaNavi confronted him after he went into Bat- Sheva—2Sm. 11:2) Have mercy upon me, O Elohim, according to Thy chesed; according unto the multitude of Thy rachamim blot out my peysha’im (transgressions, rebellions).
2 (4) Wash me thoroughly from mine avon (iniquity), and cleanse me from my chattat (sin).
3 (5) For I acknowledge my peysha’im (transgressions, rebellions); and my chattat (sin) is ever before me.
4 (6) Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done the rah in Thy sight; that Thou mightest be found just when Thou speakest, and be blameless when Thou judgest.
5 (7) Surely, I was brought forth in avon; and in chet did immi conceive me [i.e., I was a sinner from conception].
6 (8) Surely Thou desirest emes in the inward parts; and in the inmost place Thou shalt make me to know chochmah.
7 (9) Purge me with ezov (hyssop), and I shall be tahor; wash me, and I shall be whiter than sheleg (snow).
8 (10) Make me to hear sasson and simchah; that the atzmot which Thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 (11) Hide Thy face from my chatta’im, and blot out all mine avonot.
10 (12) Create in me a lev tahor, O Elohim; and renew a ruach nekhon (steadfast spirit [i.e., regeneration Ezek 36:26; Yn 3:3,6]) within me.
11 (13) Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Ruach Hakodesh from me.
12 (14) Restore unto me the sasson of Thy salvation; and uphold me with a ruach nedivah (a willing spirit; see Jer 31:31-34).
13 (15) Then will I teach poshe’im (transgressors) Thy drakhim; and chatta’im (sinners) shall be converted [have a spiritual turnaround; see Isa 6:10] unto Thee.
14 (16) Save me from damim (bloodguiltiness), O Elohim, Thou Elohei Teshuati; and my leshon shall sing aloud of Thy tzedakah.
15 (17) Adonoi, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy tehillah (praise).
16 (18) For Thou desirest not zevach (sacrifice); else would I give it; Thou delightest not in olah (burnt offering).
17 (19) The zivkhei Elohim are a ruach nishbarah (broken spirit); a broken and contrite lev, O Elohim, Thou wilt not despise.
20 On behalf of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, therefore, we are emissaries of shalom [YESHAYAH 27:5; 52:7; Ep 6:20], as if Hashem were entreating through us, we ask on behalf of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach: be reconciled to Hashem!
21 The one who in his person had no da’as of chattat (sin) [Ac 3:14; Yn 8:46; MJ 4:15; 7:26; 1K 2:22; 1Y 3:5], this one Hashem made a chattat sin offering [Ga 3:13; YESHAYAH 53:10; VAYIKRA 4:24 TARGUM HASHIVIM] on our behalf that we might become the Tzidkat Hashem [DANIEL 9:24] in Moshiach. [1C 1:30; Pp 3:9] [T.N. In this next chapter Rav Sha’ul warns against associations or worldly influences or fascinations that will contaminate the believer, who should not think he can have both the world’s evil pleasures and the House of G-d’s holy chelek.]
6 As we work together with him, we also urge you not to receive the Chen v’Chesed Hashem in vain. [2C 5:20]
2 For he says "In a time acceptable I heard you and in a day of salvation I helped you" [YESHAYAH 49:8]. Hinei, now is the acceptable time; now is the Yom Yeshu’ah, [Ps 69:13; Isa 55:6; Lk.4:19-21]
3 Not giving in anything a cause for michshol, lest the Messianic Avodas Kodesh (holy worship, service) be blamed;
4 But in everything presenting ourselves [2C 4:2] as mesharetim of Hashem in much savlanut (patience), in tzoros, in hardships, in distresses,
5 In beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in tzomot;
6 In purity, in da’as, in longsuffering, in chesed, in the Ruach Hakodesh, in ahavah amittit,
7 In the dvar HaEmes, in the gevurat Hashem, through the weapons of Tzedek of the right hand and of the left.
8 Through honor and dishonor, through ill repute and good repute; as "deceivers" and yet true,
9 As being unknown and yet being well known, as dying and hinei, we live! As given the mishpat mavet and yet not penalized with death;
10 As having agmat nefesh but always having simcha, as poor but enriching many, as having nothing and yet possessing everything.
6 Be careful that you don’t practice your tzedakah (charity giving) before Bnei Adam in order to varf (show off, flaunt) to be seen by Bnei Adam; for then you have no sachar (reward) with your Av shbaShomayim.
2 Therefore, whenever you contribute tzedakah, don’t blow the shofar before you, as the tzevuim (hypocrites) do in the shuls and in the streets, in order that they may receive kavod (glory) from Bnei Adam. Omein, truly I say to you, they have their sachar (reward).
3 But when you contribute tzedakah, do not let your left hand have da’as (knowledge) of what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your tzedakah may be nistar (hidden, in secret), and your Av HaRoeh b’seter (Father, the One seeing in secret) [His] sachar (reward) will give you.
5 And whenever you daven (pray), do not be as the tzevuim (hypocrites); for they love to stand and daven in the shuls and on the street corners so that they may be seen by an audience. Omein, truly I say to you, they have their sachar.
6 But you, whenever you daven, enter into the secret place, your secret cheder, and, having shut your door, offer tefillos to your Av Asher bSeter (Father Who is in Secret), and your Av haRoeh b’seter (Father the One seeing in secret) [His] sachar will give you.
16 And whenever you undergo a tzom (fast), don’t be like the sullen tzevuim (hypocrites), for they disfigure their faces to parade their tzom (fast). Omein, truly I say to you, they have received their sachar (reward).
17 But when you undergo a tzom, anoint your rosh with shemen (oil) and wash your face
18 so that your tzom is concealed from Bnei Adam but not from your Av Asher b’Seter (Father Who is in Secret). And your Av HaRoeh b’seter (Father the One seeing in secret) will give you sachar.
19 Do not store up for yourselves otzarot (treasures) on haaretz, where moth and rust destroy and where ganavim (thieves) break in and steal.
20 But zamlet (collect) for yourselves otzarot (treasures) in Shomayim, where neither moth nor rust destroys, neither do ganavim break in and steal.
21 For where your otzar (treasure) is, there also will be your lev (heart).
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International