Book of Common Prayer
Be Still My Soul
Psalm 131
1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.
Adonai, my heart is not proud,
nor my eyes lofty,
nor do I go after things too great
or too difficult for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul—
like a weaned child with his mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in Adonai
from this time forth and forever.
Promise of Ben-David
Psalm 132
1 A Song of Ascents.
Adonai, remember David,
all his afflictions,
2 and how he swore to Adonai,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “I will not enter the tent of my house
nor lie on my bed,
4 nor will I will give sleep to my eyes,
nor slumber to my eyelids,
5 till I find a place for Adonai,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephratha,
we found it in the fields of Joar.
7 Let us go into His dwelling place,
let us bow at His footstool.
8 Arise, Adonai, to Your resting place—
You, and the Ark of Your might.
9 Let Your kohanim wear righteousness,
and let Your godly ones sing for joy.
10 For Your servant David’s sake
do not turn away the face of Your anointed.[a]
11 Adonai has sworn to David
a true promise He will not revoke:
“From the fruit of your body
I will set one upon your throne—[b]
12 if your children keep My covenant
and My law that I will teach them,
then their sons will sit on your throne forever.”
13 For Adonai has chosen Zion,
He has desired it for His dwelling:
14 “This is My resting place forever.
Here I dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her food.
I will satisfy her needy ones with bread.
16 I will clothe her kohanim with salvation,
and her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
17 There will I make a horn spring up for David,[c]
I have set up a lamp for My anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon himself his crown will shine.”
Blessing of Unity
Psalm 133
1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
coming down upon the beard—Aaron’s beard—
coming down on the collar of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
coming down upon the mountains of Zion.
For there Adonai commanded the blessing
—life forevermore!
Protection from the Wicked
Psalm 140
1 For the music director: a psalm of David.
2 Rescue me, Adonai, from the evil man.
Protect me from the violent men—
3 who devise evil in their heart—
every day they stir up wars.
4 They sharpen their tongue like a serpent’s
—viper’s venom is under their lips.[a] Selah
5 Keep me safe, Adonai, from the clutches of the wicked.
Protect me from the man of violence who planned to push me off my feet.
6 The proud have hidden a trap and cords for me.
They spread out a net by the path.
They set snares for me. Selah
7 I said to Adonai: “You are my God!”
Hear, Adonai, the sound of my supplications.
8 God my Lord, the strength of my deliverance,
You shield my head in the day of battle.
9 Grant not, Adonai, the desires of the wicked.
Do not let their evil plan succeed,
or they will exalt themselves. Selah
10 As for the head of those surrounding me,
may the mischief of their lips overwhelm them.
11 Let burning coals fall upon them.
May they be cast into the fire, into deep pits,
never to rise again.[b]
12 May a slanderer not endure in the land.
May calamity hunt down a violent man.
13 I know Adonai will vindicate the poor,
and secure justice for the needy.
14 Surely, the righteous ones will praise Your name.
The upright will dwell in Your presence.
A Refuge from Trouble
Psalm 142
1 A contemplative poem of David, when he was in the cave, a prayer.
2 I cry aloud with my voice to Adonai.
With my voice I seek favor from Adonai.
3 I pour out my complaint before Him,
before Him I tell my trouble.
4 When my spirit grows faint within me,
You know my path.
In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
5 Look at my right hand and see,
for no one cares about me.
I have no refuge—
no one cares for my soul.
6 I have cried out to You, Adonai.
I said: “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
7 Listen to my cry,
for I am brought very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
8 Bring my soul out of prison,
so I may praise Your Name.
The righteous will triumph through me,
for You will reward me.
Surviving a Death Sentence
26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from Adonai, saying, 2 thus says Adonai: “Stand in the court of Adonai’s House, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in Adonai’s House all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not omit a word! 3 Perhaps they will listen, and turn every man from his evil way, so I may relent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.”
4 Then you will say to them, thus says Adonai: “If you will not listen to Me, by walking in My Torah, which I have set before you, 5 and by listening to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you, early and often—but you have not listened— 6 then I will make this House like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.”
7 So the kohanim, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the House of Adonai.
8 Now when Jeremiah finished speaking all that Adonai had commanded him to speak to all the people, the kohanim and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying: “You will surely die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the Name of Adonai, saying, ‘This House will be like Shiloh, and this city will be an uninhabited ruin?’” Then all the people gathered against Jeremiah in the House of Adonai.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s palace to the House of Adonai, and sat in the entrance of the New Gate of Adonai’s House. 11 The kohanim and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying: “A death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying: “Adonai sent me to prophesy all the words you have heard against this House and against this city. 13 So now, mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of Adonai your God; so Adonai will relent of the calamity that He has pronounced against you.
14 “But as for me, here I am in your hand; do with me as is good and right in your eyes. 15 Only know for certain that, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants. For in truth Adonai has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
16 Then said the princes and all the people to the kohanim and to the prophets: “No death sentence for this man! For he has spoken to us in the Name of Adonai our God.”
Israel Not Rejected
11 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?[a] May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He knew beforehand.[b] Or do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Adonai, they have killed your prophets, they have destroyed your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” [c] 4 But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” [d] 5 So in the same way also at this present time there has come to be a remnant[e] according to God’s gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer by works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained; but the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened— 8 just as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes not to see and ears not to hear,
until this very day.”[f]
9 And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so they do not see,
and bend their back continually.”[g]
11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they?[h] May it never be! But by their false step salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke Israel to jealousy. [i] 12 Now if their transgression leads to riches for the world, and their loss riches for the Gentiles, then how much more their fullness!
19 Again a division arose among the Judeans because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon. He’s insane! Why listen to Him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the sayings of someone who is plagued by a demon. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can it?”
Some Despise the Light and Harden
22 Then came Hanukkah;[a] it was winter in Jerusalem. 23 Yeshua was walking in the Temple around Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 Then the Judean leaders surrounded Him, saying, “How long will You hold us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us outright!”
25 Yeshua answered them, “I told you, but you don’t believe! The works I do in My Father’s name testify concerning Me. 26 But you don’t believe, because you are not My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life! They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. And no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 Again the Judean leaders picked up stones to stone Him. 32 Yeshua answered them, “I’ve shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone Me?”
33 The Judean leaders answered, “We aren’t stoning you for a good work, but for blasphemy. Though You are a man, You make Yourself God!”
34 Yeshua answered them, “Isn’t it written in your Writings,[b] ‘I have said you are gods’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the Word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You speak blasphemy,’ because I said, ‘I am Ben-Elohim’?
37 “If I don’t do the works of My Father, don’t believe Me! 38 But if I do, even if you don’t trust Me, trust the deeds. Then you may come to know and continue to understand that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father.” 39 Therefore they tried to capture Him again, but He escaped from their hand.
40 Again He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first started immersing, and He stayed there. 41 Many people came to Him and were saying, “John performed no sign, but all John said about this man was true.” 42 And many trusted in Him there.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.