Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

126 Ascents]) When Hashem brought the return of the captivity of Tziyon, we were like the cholemim (them that dream).

² Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and leshoneinu (our tongue) with rinnah (Shir HaMa’alot, [Song of (joyful song); then said they among the Goyim, Hashem hath done great things for them.

³ Hashem hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

⁴ Return our captivity and restore our fortunes, Hashem, like torrents in the Negev.

⁵ They that sow in dimah (tears) shall reap in rinnah (joyful song).

⁶ He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing meshek hazara (seed to be sown) shall doubtless come again with rinnah, bearing his alummot (sheaves [of harvest]).

[CHAYYE SARAH]

23 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty shanah old: these were the shnei chayyai Sarah.

² And Sarah died in Kiryat- Arba; the same is Chevron in eretz Kena’an: and Avraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

³ And Avraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the bnei Chet, saying,

⁴ I am a ger and a sojourner with you: give me an achuzzah (possession) of a kever with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

⁵ And the bnei Chet answered Avraham, saying unto him,

⁶ Hear us, adoni: thou art a nasi Elohim among us; in the choice of kevareinu bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his kever, that thou mayest bury thy dead.

⁷ And Avraham stood up, and bowed himself to the am ha’aretz, even to the bnei Chet.

⁸ And he spoke to them, saying, If it be your nefesh (will) that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intercede for me to Ephron ben Tzochar,

⁹ That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his sadeh; for the kesef maleh (full price) he shall give it me for an achuzzah (possession) of a kever amongst you.

¹⁰ And Ephron dwelt among the bnei Chet: and Ephron the Chitti answered Avraham in the hearing of the bnei Chet, even of all that went in at the sha’ar of his city, saying,

¹¹ Lo, adoni, hear me; the sadeh give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the bnei ammi give I it thee; bury thy dead.

¹² And Avraham bowed down himself before the am ha’aretz.

¹³ And he spoke unto Ephron in the hearing of the am ha’aretz, saying, But if thou wilt give it, now, hear me; I will give thee kesef for the sadeh; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.

¹⁴ And Ephron answered Avraham, saying unto him,

¹⁵ Pay heed, adoni, unto me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of kesef; what is that between me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

¹⁶ And Avraham paid heed unto Ephron; and Avraham weighed to Ephron the kesef, which he had named in the hearing of the bnei Chet four hundred shekels of kesef, according to current merchant value.

¹⁷ And the sadeh of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was near Mamre, the sadeh, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the sadeh, that were in all the borders round about, were deeded

¹⁸ Unto Avraham for a property in the presence of the bnei Chet, before all that went in at the sha’ar of his city.

¹⁹ And after this, Avraham buried Sarah his isha in the cave of the sadeh of Machpelah near Mamre; the same is Chevron in the eretz Kena’an.

3 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we resolved to be left behind alone in Athens.

² Also we sent Timotiyos, acheinu and fellow po’el of Hashem in the Besuras HaGeulah of Moshiach. We sent Timotiyos in order to give you chozek (strength) and to speak divrei chizzuk to you on behalf of our [orthodox Jewish] Emunah [of the true Dat haYehudit].

³ This was for the tachlis that no one be unsettled because of ES TZARAH. For you yourselves have da’as that we have a divine calendar date with ES TZARAH.

⁴ For, hinei, when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were going to suffer redifah, just as also it came to pass, of which you have da’as.

⁵ For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent in order to know your emunah, lest somehow [Hasatan Samma’el] the Tempter [HaMenasseh] had ensnared you by nissayon and our labor should be for nothing.