Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

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).

⁹ How is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among nashim? How is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

¹⁰ Dodi (my beloved) is radiant and ruddy, unrivaled by ten thousand.

¹¹ His head is like the purest gold, his hair is wavy and shachor (black) as the raven.

¹² His eyes are like yonim (doves) by the streams of mayim, washed with cholov, jewels fitly set.

¹³ His cheeks are like beds of spices, like sweet flowers; his lips like shoshanim (lilies), dripping sweet scented myrrh.

¹⁴ His hands are like rods of zahav set with chrysolites; his body is like a polished work of ivory decorated with sapphires.

¹⁵ His legs are like pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine zahav; his countenance is like the Levanon, bachor (one being choice) like the cedars.

¹⁶ His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is machamaddim (altogether desirable [see Shir HaShirim 2:3; Chaggai 2:7 says Moshiach is the Desired of all Nations]). This is dodi (my beloved), and this is my friend, O banot Yerushalayim. [T.N. The next chapter is commented on extensively beginning at page vii. This section is one of the most important Scriptures in the Bible because it buttresses Isa 7:14 and its foundational meaning.]

6 Where is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among nashim? Where is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee?

² Dodi (my beloved) is gone down into his gan (garden), to the beds of spices, to feed in the ganim (gardens), and to gather shoshanim (lilies).

³ I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; he feedeth among the shoshanim.

15 Now, Achim b’Moshiach, I draw your attention to the Besuras HaGeulah which I proclaimed to you, which also you received, in which also you stand firm, [Isa 40:9]

² Through which also you are brought to Yeshua’at Eloheinu, provided you hold fast to the dvar Torah which I proclaimed to you, unless you received it in vain (cf. 15:12-14, 10).

³ For I transmitted and handed on to you as authoritative Torah, rishon (first), that which was also transmitted and handed on to me as authoritative Torah (Ga 1:18): that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach died on behalf of avoneinu (our averos YESHAYAH 1:4, iniquities, gross wickedness, depravities) according to the Kitvei Hakodesh (YESHAYAH 53:8-9; DANIEL 9:26),

⁴ And that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was buried in a kever (grave, burial place, YESHAYAH 53:9), and that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was raised in a Techiyah from the mesim on YOM HASHLISHI (BERESHIS 1:11-13 [T.N. Chag HaBikkurim Lev 23:10-11, see 1C 15:20]; SHEMOT 19:11,15-16; YEHOSHUA 1:11; BAMIDBAR 19:11 13; YONAH 1:17; HOSHEA 6:2; MELACHIM BAIS 20:5,8; EZRA 6:15) according to the Kitvei Hakodesh (TEHILLIM 16:10),

⁵ And that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was seen by Kefa, then by the Sheneym Asar,

⁶ Afterward Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was seen by over five hundred Achim b’Moshiach at one time, of whom most remain alive until now, though some sleep the sleep of the mesim.

⁷ Afterward, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was seen by Ya’akov (Ga 1:19, also see p.848), then by all the Shlichim.

⁸ And, last of all, even as if to one born not normally [like the rest], Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was seen by me also (cf. 9:1).

⁹ For I am the least of Moshiach’s Shlichim, not qualified to be called a Shliach, because I brought redifah (persecution) upon the Kehillah of Hashem.

¹⁰ But by the Chen v’Chesed Hashem I am what I am. And the Chen v’Chesed Hashem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach to me was not in vain, but more abundantly than all the Moshiach’s Shlichim I labored, yet it was not I, but the Chen v’Chesed Hashem with me.

¹¹ Whether it was I or those others, so we preached as Moshiach’s maggidim, and so you had emunah and became Moshiach’s ma’aminim.