Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 Thus saith Hashem, In a time of [My] ratzon (favor) have I answered Thee {Moshiach], and in a Yom Yeshuah have I helped Thee; and I will preserve Thee, and give Thee for a Brit Am [See Jer. 31:31-34; Mk 14:24 OJBC] to raise up Eretz, to reapportion desolate nechalot (inheritances; Josh chp 13-21). [T.N. Notice that in the previous verse the Moshiach is depicted as a new Yehoshua, which is also his namesake, Yehoshua Tzemach Shmo, Zech 6:11-12.]
9 That thou mayest say to the asurim (the prisoners, those of the Golus) to them that are in choshech, Reveal yourselves. They shall feed in the derakhim and their pastures shall be in kol shefayim (high hills).
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the sharav [35:7] nor shemesh beat on them; for He that hath rachamim on them shall guide them, even by the springs of mayim shall He lead them.
11 And I will make all My harim into derech, and My highways shall be exalted.
12 Hinei, these shall come from afar; and, hinei, these from the tzafon and from the yam; and these from Eretz Sinim [Sinites].
13 Sing joyfully, O Shomayim; and rejoice, O Eretz; and break forth into singing, O Harim; for Hashem hath comforted His people, and will have rachamim upon his afflicted ones.
14 But Tziyon said, Hashem hath forsaken me, and Adonoi hath forgotten me.
15 Can an isha forget her nursing baby, that she should not have rachamim on her ben beten? Indeed, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee.
16 Behold, I have engraved thee upon the palms of My hands; thy chomot are continually before Me.
131 (Shir HaMa’alot, of Dovid). Hashem, my lev is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in gedolot, or in things too high for me.
2 Surely I have stilled and quieted my nefesh, as a child that is weaned of immo; my nefesh is even as a weaned child.
3 Let Yisroel hope in Hashem from henceforth and ad olam.
4 So let a man consider us as Gabba’im of Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach and mefakkechim (stewards, supervisors) of the sodot (mysteries) of Hashem.
2 Moreover, it is sought in mefakkechim that one be found that has ne’emanut (faithfulness).
3 But to me it is a very small thing that I be brought, as it were, before your Bet Din for you to play dayanim (religious judges) judging me, or that I am judged by Bnei Adam on their merely human Yom HaDin; I do not even act as Dayan (Judge of a Rabbinical Court) of myself.
4 I am aware of nothing against myself, but not in this have I been yitzdak (justified); it is the L-rd who is my Shofet (Judge BERESHIS 18:25; DANIEL 7:13 14).
5 Therefore, do not judge anything before the time, until the Bias Adoneinu [Moshiach], who both will bring to Ohr (Light) the hidden things of the choshech (darkness) and manifest the motives of the levavot. And then the tehillah (praise) each one will receive will be from Hashem. [IYOV 12:22; TEHILLIM 90:8]
24 No one is able to serve two adonim (masters). For either he will have sinah (hatred) for the one and ahavah (love) for the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve Hashem and Mammon (Money).
25 Therefore, I say to you, Do not have a LEV ROGEZ (anxious heart, [DEVARIM 28:65]) about your life, what you might wear or what you might drink, nor for your basar, what you might put on. Is not life more than okhel (food) and basar more than malbush (clothing)?
26 Look to the OPH HASHOMAYIM (birds of heaven, IYOV 35:11), for they do not sow nor reap nor gather into storehouses, and your Av shbaShomayim feeds them. Are you yourselves not worth more than they?
27 And who among you by a LEV ROGEZ (DEVARIM 28:65) is able to add to his life span one cubit?
28 And why have a LEV ROGEZ (anxious heart) about malbush (clothing)? Observe the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not labor nor spin.
29 But I say to you that not even Shlomo HaMelech in all his kavod (glory) was clothed as one of these.
30 And if Hashem thus clothes the grass of the field that exists today and tomorrow is thrown into a furnace, how much more will he clothe you, you ones of little emunah?
31 Therefore, do not have a LEV ROGEZ (DEVARIM 28:65), saying, What might we eat? or What might we drink? or With what might we clothe ourselves?
32 For all these things the Goyim strive. For your Av shbaShomayim bavorn (anticipates) that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the Malchut Hashem and the Tzidkat Hashem, and all these things will be added to you.
34 Therefore, do not have a LEV ROGEZ (DEVARIM 28:65) for tomorrow, for makhar (tomorrow) will care for itself. Each day has enough tzoros of its own.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International