Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

48 (Shir. Mizmor. Of the Bnei Korach.) Gadol is Hashem, and greatly to be praised in the Ir Eloheinu, in His Har Kodesh.

^2 (3) Yafeh in its loftiness, the joy of kol ha’aretz, is Mt Tziyon, on the sides of the north, the City of Melech Rav.

^3 (4) Elohim is in her citadels, known as her fortress.

^4 (5) For, hinei, the melachim were assembled, they advanced together.

^5 (6) They saw, and ken (thus) they marvelled; they were troubled, and fled.

^6 (7) Trembling took hold upon them sham (there), and pain, as of a woman in labor.

^7 (8) Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

^8 (9) As we have heard, so have we seen in the Ir Hashem Tzvaos, in the Ir Eloheinu; Elohim will establish it ad olam. Selah.

^9 (10) We meditate on Thy chesed, O Elohim, in the midst of Thy Heikhal.

^10 (11) According to Thy Shem, O Elohim, so is Thy tehillah unto the ends of ha’aretz; Thy right hand is full of tzedek.

^11 (12) Let Mt Tziyon rejoice, let the Banot Yehudah (Daughters of Judah) be glad, because of Thy mishpatim.

^12 (13) Walk about Tziyon, and go around her; count the towers thereof.

^13 (14) Mark ye well her ramparts, consider her citadels; that ye may tell it to the dor acharon.

^14 (15) For this Elohim is Eloheinu olam vaed; He will be our guide even unto death. [T.N. Notice v.8(9)-9(10) in Psa 49, which tells why Moshiach can not be a mere man, in which case he could not redeem another, or be Hashem’s Isa 53 redemption lamb or the Isa 53 sa’ir l’azazel kapporah.]

3 Now there was long milchamah between the Bais Sha’ul and the Bais Dovid; but Dovid grew stronger and stronger, and the Bais Sha’ul grew weaker and weaker.

² And unto Dovid were banim born in Chevron; and his bechor was Amnon, of Achinoam the Yizre’elit;

³ And his second, Kile’av, of Avigal eshet Naval the Carmeli; and the third, Avshalom ben Maachah bat Talmai Melech Geshur;

⁴ And the fourth, Adoniyah Ben Chaggit; and the fifth, Shephatyah Ben Avital;

⁵ And the sixth, Yitre’am, by Eglah eshet Dovid. These were born to Dovid in Chevron.

⁶ And it came to pass, while there was milchamah between the Bais Sha’ul and the Bais Dovid, that Avner was strengthening his grip on the Bais Sha’ul.

⁷ And Sha’ul had a pilegesh (concubine), whose shem was Ritzpah Bat Ayah; and he [Ishboshet] said to Avner, why hast thou gone in unto pilegesh avi?

⁸ Then was Avner very angry at the devarim of Ishboshet, and said, Am I Yehudah’s rosh kelev? Today do I show chesed unto the Bais Sha’ul avicha, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the yad Dovid, and then thou chargest me today with an avon concerning this isha?

⁹ So do Elohim to Avner, and more also! As Hashem hath sworn to Dovid, even so I do for him [Dovid];

¹⁰ To transfer the Mamlachah from the Bais Sha’ul, and to set up the Kisse Dovid over Yisroel and over Yehudah, from Dan even to Beer-Sheva.

¹¹ And he could not answer Avner a davar again, because he feared him.

¹² And Avner sent malachim to Dovid on his behalf, saying, Whose is the eretz? Saying also, Cut thy brit with me, and, hinei, my yad shall be with thee, to bring about kol Yisroel unto thee.

⁷ You look at things according to outward appearance. If anyone has persuaded himself that he belongs to Moshiach, have zikaron (recollection) of this: as he is of Moshiach, so also are we.

⁸ Now even if I should glory a little too much [2C 12:6] in our samchut (authority) [as Shlichim of Moshiach] [2C 13:10] which Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will make good my claim. [Jer1:10]

⁹ I did not intend to seem as if my iggrot were meant to frighten you.

¹⁰ For they say, "His iggrot indeed are weighty and strong but his physical presence is weak and his shprach (diction), as far as rhetoric is concerned, is despicable."

¹¹ Let such a one consider this: that the dvar we speak through iggrot when absent will become action we will very well do when present! [2C 13:2,10]