Book of Common Prayer
The Path of Eternal Life
Psalm 16
1 A Michtam of David.
Keep me safe, O God, for in You I have found shelter.
2 I said to Adonai: “You are my Lord—
I have no good apart from You.”
3 As for the kedoshim who are in the land,
they are noble—in them is all my delight.
4 As for those who run after another god,
may their sorrows multiply.
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
nor lift up their names with my lips.
5 Adonai is my portion and my cup.
You cast my lot.
6 My boundary lines fall in pleasant places
—surely my heritage is beautiful.
7 I will bless Adonai, who counsels me.
Even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I have set Adonai always before me.
Since He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 So my heart is glad and my soul rejoices.
My body also rests secure.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol
nor let Your faithful one see the Pit.[a]
11 You make known to me the path of life.
Abundance of joys are in Your presence,
eternal pleasures at Your right hand.[b]
A Plea for Vindication
Psalm 17
1 A prayer of David.
Hear, Adonai, a just plea, listen to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer—from lips with no deceit.
2 From Your presence comes my vindication.
Your eyes see what is right.
3 You have examined my heart.
You searched me at night.
Though You test me, You find nothing.
I resolved that my mouth will not sin.
4 As for the deeds of mankind—
by the word of Your lips
I have kept out of the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have kept on Your paths.
My feet have not slipped.
6 I called upon You, O God,
for You will answer me.
Incline Your ear to me,
hear my speech.
7 Be wonderful with Your lovingkindness,
O Savior of those taking refuge at Your right hand
from those rising up against them.
8 Protect me like the pupil of the eye.
Hide me in the shadow of Your wings,
9 from the wicked who attack me—
my enemies, who surround me.
10 Their callous heart they shut tight.
With their mouth they speak proudly.
11 Our steps are now surrounded.
They set their eyes to throw us down to the ground,
12 like a lion eager to tear to pieces,
like a young lion crouching in cover.
13 Arise, Adonai! Confront him!
Make him bow down!
Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword,
14 from men, with Your hand, Adonai,
from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their belly with Your treasure
—with plenty of children—
and leave their surplus to their babes.
15 I in righteousness will behold Your face!
When I awake,
I will be satisfied with Your likeness.
Call to Evening Worship
Psalm 134
1 A Song of Ascents.
Behold, bless Adonai, all servants of Adonai,
who stand by night in the House of Adonai.
2 Lift up your hands to the Sanctuary
and bless Adonai.
3 May Adonai bless you out of Zion—
Maker of heaven and earth.
Jacob as His Treasure
Psalm 135
1 Halleluyah! Praise the Name of Adonai.
Give praise, O servants of Adonai—
2 standing in the House of Adonai,
in the courts of the House of our God.
3 Praise Adonai, for Adonai is good.
Sing praises to His Name, for it is delightful.
4 For Adonai has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel as His treasured possession.[a]
5 For I have known that Adonai is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever Adonai pleases, He does,
in heaven and in earth,
in the seas and in all deeps.
7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain.
He brings wind out of His storehouses.
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders among you,
O Egypt, on Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations
and slew mighty kings:
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to His people Israel.
13 Adonai, Your Name endures forever,
Your renown, Adonai, from generation to generation.
14 For Adonai will vindicate His people,
and have compassion on His servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see;
17 they have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them—
so will all who keep trusting in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless Adonai!
O house of Aaron, bless Adonai!
20 O house of Levi, bless Adonai!
You who revere Adonai, bless Adonai!
21 Blessed be Adonai out of Zion,
who dwells in Jerusalem. Halleluyah!
A Gold Idol and a Blazing Furnace
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the authorities of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, administrators, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the authorities of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “You are commanded O peoples, nations and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will that same hour be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and pipes, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and languages fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 At that time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They spoke up and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 You, O king, made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, must fall down and worship the golden image, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12 There are certain Jews whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego—those men pay no heed to you, O king. They do not serve your gods, nor will they worship the golden image that you have set up.”
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to be summoned. When these men were brought before the king, 14 Nebuchadnezzar responded to them saying, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you don’t serve my gods or worship the golden image that I set up? 15 Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and pipes and all kinds of music you must fall down and worship the image that I have made. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire! Then what god will be able to deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king saying, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you concerning this matter. 17 If it is so, our God whom we serve is able to save us from the furnace of blazing fire and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 Yet even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image that you set up.”
3 See how glorious a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children—and so we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 2 Loved ones, now we are God’s children; and it has not yet been revealed what we will be. But we do know that when it’s revealed, we shall be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Everyone practicing sin also practices lawlessness—indeed, sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that Yeshua appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who sins has seen Him or known Him. 7 Children, let no one mislead you! The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Yeshua is righteous. 8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. Ben-Elohim appeared for this purpose—to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God practices sin, because God’s seed remains in him. He cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Loving Children Emulate His Actions
10 It is clear who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil by this—anyone who does not act righteously or love his brother is not of God.
15 Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were wondering in their hearts about John, whether he might be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, saying, “As for me, I immerse you with water. But One is coming who is mightier than I am; I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals! He will immerse you in the Ruach ha-Kodesh and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” [a] 18 So with many other exhortations, John proclaimed Good News to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch—after being rebuked by John because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things Herod had done— 20 added even this on top of them all: he shut up John in prison.
21 Now when all the people were immersed, Yeshua also was immersed. And while He was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Ruach ha-Kodesh came down upon Him in bodily form like a dove. And from out of heaven came a voice, “You are My Son, whom I love—with You I am well pleased!”[b]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.