Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Let Your Heart Take Courage
Psalm 27
1 Of David.
Adonai is my light and my salvation:
whom should I fear?
Adonai is the stronghold of my life:
whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers approached me to devour my flesh
—my adversaries and my foes—they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army camp besieges me, my heart will not fear.
Though war breaks out against me, even then will I be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of Adonai,
that will I seek:
to dwell in the House of Adonai
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of Adonai,
and to meditate in His Temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His sukkah,
conceal me in the shelter of His tent,
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then will my head be high above my enemies around me.
In His Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy.
I will sing, yes, sing praises to Adonai.
7 Hear, Adonai, when I call with my voice,
be gracious to me and answer me.
8 To You my heart says: “Seek My face.”
Your face, Adonai, I seek.
9 Do not hide Your face from me.
Do not turn Your servant away in anger.
You have been my help.
Do not abandon me or forsake me,
O God my salvation.
10 Though my father and my mother
forsake me, Adonai will take me in.
11 Teach me Your way, Adonai,
and lead me on a level path—
because of my enemies.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes.
For false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
13 Surely I trust that I will see the goodness
of Adonai in the land of the living.
14 Wait for Adonai.
Be strong, let Your heart take courage,
and wait for Adonai.
10 Do we not all have one Father?
Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously
—a man against his brother—
defiling the covenant of our fathers?
11 Judah has dealt treacherously,
an abomination done in Israel, even in Jerusalem!
For Judah has defiled Adonai’s Sanctuary,
which He loves,
and married the daughter of a foreign god.
12 Adonai will cut off the man who does this,
until he is cast from the tents of Jacob,
and from offering a gift to Adonai-Tzva’ot.
Covenant With Your Wife
13 Secondly, you do this:
Tears cover the altar of Adonai—
you are weeping and groaning
because He no longer accepts the offering
or receives it favorably from your hand.
14 Yet you say, “Why?”
Because Adonai bears witness
between you and the wife of your youth,
whom you have treated deceitfully.
Yet she had been your companion
and your wife by covenant.
15 Did the One not make her with a remnant of Ruach?
Then what is the One seeking?
Offspring of God!
So protect your spirit—
do not betray the wife of your youth.
16 “For I hate[a] divorce,”
—says Adonai the God of Israel—
“and the one who covers his garment with injustice,”
says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
So protect your spirit—do not act treacherously.
17 You wearied Adonai with your words.
Yet you say: “How did we weary Him?”
When you say: “Everyone doing evil is good in the sight of Adonai, and He delights in them.” Or, “Where is the God of justice?”
My Messenger is Coming
Prophecy of Birth to the Barren
5 In the days of Herod, King of Judah, there was a kohen named Zechariah from the priestly division of Abijah.[a] Elizabeth, his wife, was from the daughters of Aaron. 6 Together they were righteous before Adonai, walking without fault in all His commandments and instructions. 7 But they were childless, because Elizabeth was barren and both of them were elderly.
8 Now it happened to be Zechariah’s time to serve as kohen before Adonai in the order of his division. 9 According to the custom of the priestly office, it became his lot to enter the Holy Place of Adonai to burn incense. [b] 10 And the whole crowd of people was praying outside at the hour of incense burning. 11 An angel of Adonai appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was in turmoil when he saw the angel, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give birth to your son, and you will name him John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 He will be great before Adonai; and he should not drink wine and intoxicating beverage,[c] but he will be filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh just out of his mother’s womb. 16 Many of Bnei-Yisrael will turn to Adonai their God. 17 And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to the children[d] and the disobedient ones to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for Adonai a prepared people.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.