Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
3 Hineni, I will send malachi, and he shall prepare the Derech before me: and HaAdon (the L-rd [Moshiach] Zech 4:14), whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His Heikhal, even the Malach HaBrit, in whom ye have chafetz (delight): hinei, He is coming, saith Hashem Tzva’os.
2 But who may abide the Yom Bo’o (day of His coming)? Who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s eish, and like fullers’ soap:
3 And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of kesef; and He shall purify the Bnei Levi, and purge them as zahav and kesef, that they may offer unto Hashem an offering in tzedakah.
4 Then shall the offering of Yehudah and Yerushalayim be pleasing unto Hashem, as in the yamei olam (days of old), and as in shanim kadmoniyyot (former years).
68 BARUCH HASHEM ELOHEI YISROEL, for Adonoi has visited his Am Berit and accomplished a pedut kofer ransom for the Geulah of his people.
69 And Hashem raised up a Keren Yeshuah (Horn of Salvation), a mighty Moshia, for us in the Beis Dovid, His eved,
70 Just as Hashem spoke through the mouth of His neviim hakedoshim meOlam (holy prophets from long ago), [YIRMEYAH 23:5]
71 That we should have Yeshuat Eloheinu from our oyvim (enemies) and from the hand of all the ones who regard us with sinas chinom (baseless hatred).
72 Thus Hashem has demonstrated his rachamim (mercy) to Avoteinu (our Fathers) and has remembered his Brit HaKodesh (Holy Covenant), [MICHOH 7:20; TEHILLIM 105:8,9; 106:45; YECHEZKEL 16:60]
73 The Brit HaShevuah (the Covenant of the oath) which He swore to Avraham Avinu to grant us, [BERESHIS 22:16-18]
74 Having been delivered from the yad haoyvim (hand of enemies) of us to serve Hashem fearlessly,
75 In kedushah (holiness) and tzedek (righteousness) before Him all our yamim (days).
76 And you also, yeled (child), will be called Navi HaElyon (Prophet of the Most High); for you will go LIFNEI HAADON (before the L-rd) to prepare the DERECH HASHEM (The Way of the L-rd) [MALACHI 3:1; YESHAYAH 40:3]
77 To give daas (knowledge) of Yeshuat Eloheinu (the Salvation of our G-d) to Hashem’s Am Berit (People of the Covenant) by the selichat (forgiveness) of their avon (sin) [YIRMEYAH 31:34]
78 Through the rav rachamim of Eloheinu (through the great mercy of our G-d), by which has visited us the rising SHEMESH [Sun, Moshiach] from Shomayim, [MALACHI 3:20 (4:2)]
79 To appear to the ones in CHOSHECH (darkness) and YOSHVEI BERETZ TZALMAVET (sitting in the land of the shadow of death), to direct our feet into the Derech Shalom. [Psa 107:14; Isa 9:1-2; 59:9]
3 Modeh Ani (I thank) my G-d upon every zikaron (remembrance) of you,
4 Always in every tefillah of mine on behalf of all of you, davening with simcha, making techinnah (supplication)
5 In view of your deveykus Hashem, your chavrusa partnership in the Besuras HaGeulah from day one until now.
6 Being convinced of this: that He who began a pe’ulah hatovah (good work 2:13) in you, will bring that mitzvoh to completion [TEHILLIM 138:8] by Yom Hashem, the Yom Adoneinu, Moshiach Yehoshua [1:10; 2:16].
7 It is in fact b’tzedek for me to have hitbonenut (profound contemplation) about you all because I hold you in my lev with hartzige (heartfelt) sincerity, both in regard to my sharsherot (prison chains) and in the apologetic hitstaddekut (defense) and vindicatory work for the Besuras HaGeulah, you being all deveykus (attachment to G-d) participators in the Chen v’Chesed Hashem given to me.
8 For der Oybershter is mine eidus (G-d is my witness) how I yearn for all of you with the ahavas Moshiach Yehoshua.
9 And my tefillah (prayer) is this, that your ahavah (love) [in Moshiach] may yet increase more and more in profound da’as and binah
10 To help you approve the feste (excellent) things of musar (moral discipline) that matter, that you may be sincere and without michshol (stumbling block) of blame [2:15] in the Yom HaMoshiach [1:6; 2:16],
11 Having been filled with the p’ri Tzedek (fruit of righteousness) through Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua to the kavod Hashem and His tiferet (splendor).
3 In the shenat chamesh esreh (15th year) of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governing Yehudah, when Herod [Antipas] was tetrarch of the Galil, and when Philip the brother of Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, and at the same time Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
2 And when, during the same historical period, Anan and Caiapha were Kohanim Gedolim, then it was that the dvar Hashem came to [the kohen-navi] Yochanan Ben Zecharyah bamidbar (in the wilderness).
3 And Yochanan went into all the surrounding region of the Yarden preaching a tevilah of teshuva for the selichat avon,
4 As it has been written in the sefer divrei Yeshayah Hanavi, KOL KOREY BAMIDBAR (A voice of one shouting in the wilderness, YESHAYAH 40:3): Prepare the Derech Hashem (the Way of the L-rd). Make his paths straight!
5 KOL GEY YINNASE VKHOL HAR VGIVAH YISHPALU (Every valley will be filled in and every mountain and hill will be leveled off), VHAYAH HEAKOV LEMISHOR VHARKHASIM LVIKAH (The crooked will be made straight, the rough paths made into smooth roads);
6 VRAU CHOL BASAR ES YESHUAT ELOHEINU (and all basar will see the salvation of our G-d). [YESHAYAH 40:3-5; TEHILLIM 98:2; YESHAYAH 42:16; 52:10]
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International