Psalms 1
The praises of a man are that he did not follow the counsel of the wicked, neither did he stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the company of scorners. But his desire is in the law of the L-rd, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be as a tree planted beside rivulets of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season, and its leaves do not wilt; and whatever he does prosper. Not so the wicked, but [they are] like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked shall not stand up in judgment, nor shall the sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the L-rd knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
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Psalms 6
To the conductor with melodies on the sheminith, a song of David. O L-rd, do not rebuke me in Your anger, and do not chastise me in Your wrath. Be gracious to me, O L-rd, because I languish; heal me, O L-rd, because my bones are frightened. And my soul is very frightened, and You, O L-rd, how long? Return, O L-rd, rescue my soul; save me for the sake of Your loving- kindness. For there is no memory of You in death; in the grave, who will thank You? I am weary from my sighing; every night I sully my bed; I wet my couch with my tears. My eye is dimmed from anger; it has aged because of all my adversaries. Turn away from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the L-rd has hearkened to the voice of my weeping. The L-rd has hearkened to my supplication; the L-rd has accepted my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and very frightened; they shall return and be ashamed in a moment.
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Psalms 8
To the conductor, on the gittith, a song of David. O L-rd, our Master, how mighty is Your name in all the earth, for which You should bestow Your majesty upon the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have established strength because of Your adversaries, in order to put an end to enemy and avenger. When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You have established, what is man that You should remember him, and the son of man that You should be mindful of him? Yet You have made him slightly less than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and majesty. You give him dominion over the work of Your hands; You have placed everything beneath his feet. Flocks and cattle, all of them, and also the beasts of the field; the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, he traverses the ways of the seas. O L-rd, our Master, how mighty is Your name in all the earth!
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Psalms 13
To the conductor, a song of David. How long, O L-rd? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long will I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart by day; how long will my enemy have the upper hand over me? Look and answer me, O L-rd my G-d; enlighten my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death. Lest my enemy say, "I have overwhelmed him"; my adversaries will rejoice when I totter. But I trusted in Your loving-kindness, my heart will rejoice in Your salvation; I will sing to the L-rd for He has bestowed [it] upon me.
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Psalms 18
For the conductor; of the servant of the L-rd, of David, who spoke to the L-rd the words of this song on the day that the L-rd saved him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said, "I love You, O L-rd, my strength. O L-rd, my rock and my fortress and my rescuer; my G-d, my rock, I will take refuge in Him; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my refuge. With praise I call to the L-rd, and from my enemies I will be saved. Bands of death have encompassed me, and streams of scoundrels would affright me. Bands of the nether world have surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. When I am in distress, I call upon the L-rd; yes, I cry out to my G-d; out of His temple He hears my voice, and my cry comes before Him in His ears. The earth shook and quaked, the foundations of the mountains did tremble; and they were shaken when He was angered. Smoke went up in His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth did devour; coals flamed forth from Him. And He bent the heavens, and He came down, and thick darkness was under His feet. And He rode on a cherub and did fly; He swooped on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His hiding-place about Him as His booth; the darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him, His thick cloud passed, hail and coals of fire. The L-rd thundered from Heaven; and the Most High gave forth His voice with hail and coals of fire. And He sent out arrows and He scattered them; He shot lightning and He discomfited them. And the depths of the water appeared; the foundations of the world were laid bare by Your rebuke, O L-rd, by the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. He sent forth from on high [and] He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my mighty enemy, and from those that hated me, for they were too powerful for me. They confronted me on the day of my calamity, but the L-rd was a support to me. And He brought me forth into a wide space; He delivered me because He took delight in me. The L-rd rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the L-rd and have not wickedly departed from [the commandments of] my G-d. For all His ordinances were before me; and His statutes I will not remove from myself. And I was single-hearted with Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. And the L-rd has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands before His eyes. With a kind one, You show Yourself kind, with a sincere man, You show Yourself sincere. With a pure one, You show Yourself pure, but with a crooked one, You deal crookedly. For You deliver a humble people, and You humble haughty eyes. For You light my lamp; the L-rd, my G-d, does light my darkness. For by You I run upon a troop, and by my G-d I scale a wall. [He is] the G-d Whose way is perfect; the word of the L-rd is refined; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is G-d save the L-rd? And who is a Rock, save our G-d? The G-d is He Who girds me with strength; and He makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like hinds, and sets me upon my high places. He trains my hands for war so that a copper bow is bent by my arms. You have given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has supported me, and You have treated me with great humility. You have enlarged my step[s] beneath me, and my ankles have not slipped. I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them, never turning back until they were consumed. I have crushed them so that they cannot rise; yea, they are fallen under my feet. For You have girded me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those that rose up against me. And of my enemies, You have given me the back of their necks; those that hate me, that I may cut them off. They pray but no one saves them; [even] to the L-rd, but He answered them not. Then I ground them as dust before the wind; as the mud in the streets I did pour them. You allowed me to escape from the contenders of the people; You shall make me the head over nations; may a people that I do not know serve me. As soon as they hear they shall obey me; foreigners shall lie to me. Foreigners shall wither, and they shall fear their imprisonments. The L-rd lives, and blessed be my Rock, and exalted be the G-d of my salvation. The G-d Who grants me vengeance and destroys peoples instead of me. Who delivers me from my enemies; even above those that rise against me You have lifted me; from the violent man You deliver me. Therefore, I will give thanks to You, O L-rd, among the nations, and to Your name I will sing praises. He gives great salvations to His king, and He performs kindness to His anointed; to David and to his seed forever.
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Psalms 19
For the conductor, a song of David. The heavens recite the glory of G-d, and the sky tells of the work of His hands. Day to day utters speech, and night to night tells knowledge. There is neither speech nor words; their voice is not heard. Their line goes forth throughout the earth, and their words are at the end of the world; for the sun He made a tent therein. And it is like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber; it rejoices like a mighty man running a course. From the end of the heavens is its source, and its circuit is to their ends, and none is hidden from its heat. The law of the L-rd is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the L-rd is faithful, making the simple one wise. The orders of the L-rd are upright, causing the heart to rejoice; the commandment of the L-rd is clear, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the L-rd is pure, existing forever; the judgments of the L-rd are true, altogether just. They are to be desired more than gold, yea more than much fine gold, and are sweeter than honey and drippings of honeycombs. Also Your servant was careful with them; for in observing them there is great reward. Who understands errors? Cleanse me of hidden [sins]. Also withhold Your servant from willful sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be perfect and I will be cleansed of much transgression. May the sayings of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable before You, O L-rd, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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Psalms 22
For the conductor, on the ayeleth hashachar, a song of David. My G-d, my G-d, why have You forsaken me? [You are] far from my salvation [and] from the words of my moaning. My G-d, I call out by day and You do not reply, and at night I do not keep silent. But You are holy; You await the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in You; they trusted and You rescued them. They cried out to You and they escaped; they trusted in You and they were not shamed. But I am a worm and not a man; a reproach of man, despised by peoples. All who see me will mock me; they will open their lips, they will shake their head. One should cast his trust upon the L-rd, and He will rescue him; He will save him because He delights in him. For You drew me from the womb; You made me secure on my mother's breasts. Upon You, I was cast from birth; from my mother's womb You are my G-d. Do not distance Yourself from me, for distress is near; for there is none to help. Great bulls have surrounded me; the mighty ones of Bashan encompassed me. They opened their mouth against me [like] a tearing, roaring lion. I was spilled like water, and all my bones were separated; my heart was like wax, melting within my innards. My strength became dried out like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my palate; and You set me down in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me, like a lion, my hands and feet. I tell about all my bones. They look and gloat over me. They share my garments among themselves and cast lots for my raiment. But You, O L-rd, do not distance Yourself; my strength, hasten to my assistance. Save my soul from the sword, my only one from the grip of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth, as from the horns of the wild oxen You answered me. I will tell Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You. You who fear the L-rd, praise Him; all the seed of Jacob, honor Him, and fear Him, all the seed of Israel. For He has neither despised nor abhorred the cry of the poor, neither has He hidden His countenance from him; and when he cried out to Him, He hearkened. Because of You is my praise in the great congregation; I pay my vows in the presence of those who fear Him. The humble shall eat and be sated; they shall praise the L-rd, those who seek him; your hearts shall live forever. All the ends of the earth shall remember and return to the L-rd, and all the families of the nations shall prostrate themselves before You. For the kingship is the L-rd's, and He rules over the nations. They shall eat all the best of the earth and prostrate themselves; before Him shall all those who descend to the dust kneel, and He will not quicken his soul. The seed that worships Him; it shall be told to the generation concerning the L-rd. They shall come and tell His righteousness to the newborn people, that which He has done.
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Psalms 23
A song of David. The L-rd is my shepherd; I shall not want. He causes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even when I walk in the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they comfort me. You set a table before me in the presence of my adversaries; You anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. May only goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the L-rd for length of days.
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Psalms 24
Of David, a song. The land and the fullness thereof are the L-rd's; the world and those who dwell therein. For He founded it upon seas and established it upon rivers. Who will ascend upon the L-rd's mount and who will stand in His Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not taken My name in vain and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the L-rd and charity from the G-d of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your presence-Jacob, forever. [You] gates, lift your heads and be uplifted, [you] everlasting portals, so that the King of Glory may enter. Who is this King of Glory? The L-rd, Who is strong and mighty, the L-rd Who is a mighty warrior. [You] gates, lift your heads and lift up, [you] everlasting portals, so that the King of Glory may enter. Who is this King of Glory? The L-rd of Hosts-He is the King of Glory forever.
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Psalms 25
Of David. To You, O L-rd, I will lift up my soul. My G-d, I trusted in You; let me not be ashamed. Nor shall my enemies rejoice over me. Neither shall any of those who hope for You be ashamed; let those who betray [to the extent of] destitution be ashamed. O L-rd, let me know Your ways; teach me Your paths. Direct me with Your truth and teach me, for You are the G-d of my salvation; I hope for You all day long. Remember Your mercies, O L-rd, and Your kindnesses, for they have been since time immemorial. The sins of my youth and my transgressions, do not remember; what is worthy of Your kindness, You remember for me, for the sake of Your goodness, O L-rd. The L-rd is good and upright; therefore, He leads sinners on the road. He leads the humble with just rules and He teaches the humble His way. All the L-rd's ways are kindness and truth for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name's sake, O L-rd, You shall forgive my iniquity, for it is great. Who is this man who fears the L-rd? He will guide him on the road that he chooses. His soul shall abide in prosperity, and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the L-rd is with those who fear Him, and His covenant is to let them know [it]. My eyes are always to G-d for He will take my feet out of the net. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and poor. The troubles of my heart have increased; deliver me from my straits. See my affliction and my toil, and forgive all my sins. See my enemies for they have increased, and they hate me with unjust hatred. Guard my soul and save me; let me not be shamed for I have taken refuge in You. Sincerity and uprightness shall guard me, for I have hoped for You. O G-d, redeem Israel from all its troubles.
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Psalms 27
Of David. The L-rd is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The L-rd is the stronghold of my life; from whom shall I be frightened? When evildoers draw near to me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies against me-they stumbled and fell. If a camp encamps against me, my heart shall not fear; if a war should rise up against me, in this I trust. One [thing] I ask of the L-rd, that I seek-that I may dwell in the house of the L-rd all the days of my life, to see the pleasantness of the L-rd and to visit His Temple every morning. That He will hide me in His tabernacle on the day of calamity; He will conceal me in the secrecy of His tent; He will lift me up on a rock. And now, my head will be raised over my enemies around me, and I will sacrifice in His tent sacrifices with joyous song; I will sing and chant praise to the L-rd. Hearken, O L-rd, to my voice [which] I call out, and be gracious to me and answer me. On Your behalf, my heart says, "Seek My presence." Your presence, O L-rd, I will seek. Do not hide Your presence from me; do not turn Your servant away with anger. You were my help; do not forsake me and do not abandon me, O G-d of my salvation. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the L-rd gathers me in. Instruct me, O L-rd, in Your way, and lead me in the straight path because of those who lie in wait for me. Do not deliver me to the desires of my adversaries, for false witnesses and speakers of evil have risen against me. Had I not believed in seeing the good of the L-rd in the land of the living! Hope for the L-rd, be strong and He will give your heart courage, and hope for the L-rd.
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Psalms 29
A song of David. Prepare for the L-rd, [you] sons of the mighty; prepare for the L-rd glory and might. Prepare for the L-rd the glory due His name; prostrate yourselves to the L-rd in the place beautified with sanctity. The voice of the L-rd is upon the waters; the G-d of glory thunders; the L-rd is over the vast waters. The voice of the L-rd is in strength; the voice of the L-rd is in beauty. The voice of the L-rd breaks the cedars, yea, the L-rd breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He causes them to dance like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the L-rd cleaves with flames of fire. The voice of the L-rd causes the desert to quake; the L-rd causes the desert of Kadesh to quake. The voice of the L-rd will frighten the hinds and strip the forests, and in His Temple everyone speaks of His glory. The L-rd sat [enthroned] at the flood; the L-rd sat as King forever. The L-rd shall grant strength to His people; the L-rd shall bless His people with peace.
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Psalms 31
To the conductor, a song of David. I took refuge in You, O L-rd; let me not be shamed forever; rescue me with Your righteousness. Incline Your ear to me, quickly rescue me; be a rock of strength to me, a stronghold to save me. For You are my Rock and my Stronghold, and for Your name's sake, You shall lead me and guide me. You shall free me from this net which they have hidden for me, for You are my stronghold. In Your hand I entrust my spirit; You have redeemed me, O L-rd, G-d of truth. I hated those who await worthless vanities, but I hoped for the L-rd. I will exult and rejoice in Your kindness, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul. And you did not deliver me into the hands of an enemy; You have placed my feet in a broad place. Be gracious to me, O L-rd, for I am in distress; my eye is dimmed from anger, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent in grief and my years in sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my bones have decayed. From all my tormentors I have become a reproach-and very much so to my neighbors-and fright to my acquaintances; those who see me outside avoid me. I was forgotten like a dead person, out of mind; I was like a lost utensil. For I heard the gossip of many, terror from all sides when they take counsel together against me; they plotted to take my soul. But I trusted in You, O L-rd; I said, "You are my G-d." My times are in Your hands; rescue me from the hands of my enemies and from my pursuers. Cause Your countenance to shine upon Your servant; save me with Your kindness. O L-rd, let me not be shamed because I called out to You; let the wicked be shamed, let them be silenced to the grave. Let lying lips become mute, those that speak against a righteous man falsely, with haughtiness and disdain. How great is Your goodness that You have laid away for those who fear You, that You have worked for those who take refuge in You, in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secrecy of Your countenance, from bands of men; protect them in a shelter from the strife of tongues. Blessed is the L-rd for He has been wondrously kind to me in a besieged city. But I said in my haste, "I have been cut off from before Your eyes," but You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to You. Love the L-rd, all His pious ones. The L-rd guards those who believe [in Him] and He pays with a bowstring him who works with haughtiness. Strengthen yourselves, and He will give your heart courage, all who hope to the L-rd.
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Psalms 32
Of David, a maskil Praiseworthy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is concealed. Praiseworthy is the man to whom the L-rd ascribes no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I was silent, my bones decayed with my moaning all day long. For [both] day and night Your hand is heavy upon me; my freshness was transformed as in the droughts of summer, forever. I would inform You of my sin, and I did not conceal my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the L-rd," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin forever. For this let every pious man pray to You at the time that You are found, only about a flood of vast waters [that] should not reach him. You are a shelter for me, from an adversary You guard me; with songs of deliverance You encompass me forever, "I will enlighten you and instruct you which way [to go]; I will wink My eye to you." Be not like a horse, like a mule that does not discern; whose mouth must be held with bit and bridle, so that when he is being groomed, he does not come near you. Many are the pains of the wicked, but as for him who trusts in the L-rd- kindness will encompass him. Rejoice with the L-rd and exult, You righteous, and cause all those of upright hearts to sing praises.
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Psalms 37
Of David. Do not compete with the evildoers; do not envy those who commit injustice. For they will be speedily cut off like grass and wither like green vegetation. Trust in the L-rd and do good; dwell in the land and be nourished by faith. So shall you delight in the L-rd, and He will give you what your heart desires. Commit your way to the L-rd, and trust in Him and He will act. And He will reveal your righteousness like the light, and your judgments like noon. Wait for the L-rd and hope for Him; do not compete with one whose way prospers, with a man who executes malicious plans. Desist from anger and forsake wrath; do not compete only to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off, and those who hope for the L-rd-they will inherit the land. A short while longer and the wicked man is not here, and you shall look at his place and he is not there. But the humble shall inherit the land, and they shall delight in much peace. The wicked man plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him. The L-rd will scoff at him because He saw that his day will come. The wicked initiated war and bent their bow to cast down the poor and the needy, to slay those who walk on a straight path. Their sword shall enter their heart, and their bows shall be broken. The few of the righteous are better than the multitude of many wicked men. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the L-rd supports the righteous. The L-rd knows the days of the innocent, and their inheritance will be forever. They will not be ashamed in time of calamity, and in days of famine they shall still be satisfied. For the wicked will perish, and the enemies of the L-rd are like disappearing light on the plains; they are consumed in smoke, yea they are consumed. A wicked man borrows and does not pay, but the Righteous one is gracious and gives. For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, and those cursed by Him will be cut off. From the L-rd a mighty man's steps are established, for He delights in his way. If he falls, he will not be cast down, for the L-rd supports his hand. I was young, I also aged, and I have not seen a righteous man forsaken and his seed seeking bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, and his seed is due for a blessing. Shun evil and do good, and dwell forever. For the L-rd loves justice, and He shall not forsake His pious ones; they will be guarded forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell forever in it. The righteous man's mouth utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks judgment. The law of his G-d is in his heart; his feet do not falter. The wicked man watches for the righteous man and seeks to put him to death. The L-rd shall not leave him in his hands, and He shall not condemn him [the righteous] when he [the wicked] is judged. Hope to the L-rd and keep His way; He will exalt you to inherit the land, and you will witness the destruction of the wicked. I saw a wicked man, powerful, well-rooted as a native who is fresh. And he passed away and behold! he is not here, and I sought him and he was not found. Observe the innocent and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors were destroyed together; the future of the wicked was cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the L-rd, their stronghold in time of distress. The L-rd helped them and rescued them; He rescued them from the wicked and saved them because they took refuge in Him.
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Psalms 38
A song of David, to make remembrance. O L-rd, do not reprove me with Your anger, nor chastise me with Your wrath. For Your arrows have been shot into me, and Your hand has come down upon me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your fury; there is no peace in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities passed over my head; as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My boils are putrid; they fester because of my folly. I am very much stunned and bowed; all day I go around in gloom. For my loins are full of self-effacement; there is no soundness in my flesh. I passed out and was very crushed; I moaned from the turmoil in my heart. O L-rd, all my desire is before You, and my sigh is not hidden from You. My heart is engulfed; my strength has left me, and the light of my eyes- they too are not with me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my affliction, and those close to me stood afar. And those who seek my life lay traps, and those who seek my harm speak treachery, and all day long they think of deceits. But I am as a deaf person, I do not hear, and like a mute, who does not open his mouth. And I was as a man who does not understand and in whose mouth are no arguments. Because I hoped for You, O L-rd; You shall answer, O L-rd, my G-d. For I said, "Lest they rejoice over me; when my foot faltered, they magnified themselves over me."For I am ready for disaster, and my pain is always before me. For I relate my iniquity; I worry about my sin. But my enemies are in the vigor of life, and those who hate me for false reasons have become great. And they repay evil for good; they hate me for my pursuit of goodness. Do not forsake me, O L-rd, my G-d; do not distance Yourself from me. Hasten to my aid, O L-rd, my salvation.
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Psalms 39
For the conductor, to Jeduthun, a song of David. I said, "I will guard my ways from sinning with my tongue; I will guard my mouth [as with] a muzzle while the wicked man is still before me. I made myself dumb in silence; I was silent from good although my pain was intense. My heart is hot within me; in my thoughts fire burns; I spoke with my tongue, O L-rd, let me know my end, and the measure of my days, what it is; I would know when I will cease. Behold You made my days as handbreadths, and my old age is as nought before You; surely all vanity is in every man; this is his condition forever. Man walks but in darkness; all that they stir is but vanity; he gathers yet he knows not who will bring them in. And now, what have I hoped, O L-rd? My hope to You is; Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of an ignoble man. I have become mute; I will not open my mouth because You have done it. Remove Your affliction from me; from the fear of Your hand I perish. With rebukes for iniquity You have chastised man; You have caused his flesh to decay as by a moth. Surely all man is vanity forever. Hear my prayer, O L-rd, and hearken to my cry. Be not silent to my tears, for I am a stranger with You, a dweller as all my forefathers. Turn away from me that I may recover, before I go and am here no longer."
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Psalms 42
For the conductor, a maskil of the sons of Korah. As a hart cries longingly for rivulets of water, so does my soul cry longingly to You, O G-d. My soul thirsts for G-d, for the living G-d; when will I come and appear before G-d? My tears were my bread day and night when they say to me all day long, "Where is your G-d?" These things I will remember, and I will pour out my soul [because of the pain which is] upon me, how I passed on with the throng; I walked slowly with them until the house of G-d with a joyful shouting and thanksgiving, a celebrating multitude. Why are you downcast, my soul, and why do you stir within me? Hope to G-d, for I will yet thank Him for the salvations of His presence. My G-d, my soul is downcast upon me; therefore, I will remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from the young mountain. Deep calls to deep to the sound of Your water channels; all your breakers and waves passed over me. By day, may the L-rd command His kindness, and at night, may His resting place be with me, a prayer to the G-d of my life. I will say to G-d, my Rock, "Why have You forgotten me? Why should I walk in gloom under the oppression of the enemy?". With murder in my bones, my oppressors have reproached me by saying to me all day long, "Where is your G-d?" Why are you downcast, my soul, and why do you stir within me? Hope to G-d, for I will yet thank Him for the salvations of my countenance and my G-d.
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Psalms 50
A song of Asaph; G-d, G-d the L-rd, spoke and called to the earth, from the rising of the sun until its setting. From Zion, the finery of beauty, G-d appeared. Our G-d shall come and not be silent; fire shall devour before Him, and around Him it storms furiously. He shall call to the heavens above and to the earth to avenge His people. Gather to Me My devoted ones, who made a covenant with Me over a sacrifice. And the heavens will tell His righteousness, for He is a G-d Who judges forever. Hearken, My people, and I will speak, Israel, and I will admonish you; G-d, even your G-d am I. I will not reprove you concerning your sacrifices, neither are your burnt offerings before Me constantly. I will not take from your household a bull, from your pens any goats. For all the beasts of the forest are Mine, the behemoth of the thousand mountains. I know all the fowl of the mountains, and the creeping things of the field are with Me. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine. Will I eat the flesh of bulls or do I drink the blood of he-goats? Slaughter for G-d a confession and pay the Most High your vows. And call to Me on a day of distress; I will rescue you and you will honor Me. But to the wicked man G-d said, "For what reason do you recount My statutes, and bring up My covenant on Your mouth? For you hated discipline and threw My words behind you. If you saw a thief, you agreed [to be] with him, and with adulterers is your portion. You let loose your mouth for evil, and you accustomed your tongue to deceit. You sit and talk against your brother; you slander your mother's son. You did these and I remained silent; you thought that I would be like you. I will contend with you and set up before your eyes. Understand this now, you who forget G-d, lest I tear [you] to pieces, and there will be no one to save [you]. One who slaughters a confession sacrifice honors Me, and [I will] prepare the way; I will show him the salvation of G-d."
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Psalms 51
For the conductor, a song of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him when he went to Bath-sheba. Be gracious to me, O G-d, according to Your kindness; according to Your great mercies, erase my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity, and purify me of my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You alone have I sinned, and I have done what is evil in Your sight, in order that You be justified in Your conduct, and right in Your judgment. Behold, with iniquity I was formed, and with sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desired that truth be in the hidden places, and in the concealed part You teach me wisdom. Purify me with a hyssop, and I will become pure; wash me, and I will become whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You crushed exult. Hide Your countenance from my sins, and erase all my iniquities. Create for me a pure heart, O G-d, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from before You, and do not take Your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and let a noble spirit support me. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Save me from blood, O G-d, the G-d of my salvation; let my tongue sing praises of Your charity. O L-rd, You shall open my lips, and my mouth will recite Your praise. For You do not wish a sacrifice, or I should give it; You do not desire a burnt offering. The sacrifices of G-d are a broken spirit; O G-d, You will not despise a broken and crushed heart. With Your will, do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will desire sacrifices of righteousness, a burnt offering and a whole offering; then they will offer up bulls on Your altar.
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Psalms 53
For the conductor, on machalath, a maskil of David. The fool said in his heart, "There is no G-d"; they have dealt corruptly; they have committed abominable injustice; no one does good. G-d looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see whether there is a man of understanding, who seeks G-d. They are all dross; together they have spoiled; no one does good, not even one. Did not the workers of iniquity know? Those who devoured My people partook of a feast; they did not call upon the L-rd. There they were in great fear; there was never such fear, for G-d scattered the bones of those who camp around you; You have put them to shame, for G-d rejected them. O that the salvations of Israel would come out of Zion; when G-d returns the captivity of His people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.
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Psalms 55
For the conductor, on neginoth, a maskil of David. Incline Your ear, O G-d, to my prayer and do not disregard my supplication. Hearken to me and answer me; I lament in my speech and I moan, From the voice of the enemy, because of the distress of the wicked; for they accuse me of iniquity and they hate me with a vengeance. My heart shudders within me, and terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overcomes me. And I said, "If only I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Behold I would wander far away; I would lodge in the desert forever. I would quickly find myself a refuge from a sweeping wind, from a tempest." Destroy, O L-rd, divide their tongue, for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they surround it on its walls, and iniquity and sin are in its midst. Destruction is within it, and blows and deceit do not move out of its square. For no enemy reviled me that I should bear it; my enemy did not open his mouth wide against me, that I should hide from him. And you are a man of my equal, my prince and my esteemed one. That together we would devise counsel; in the house of G-d we would walk with a multitude. May He incite Death upon them; may they descend to the grave alive, for there are evils in their dwelling, in their midst. I shall call to G-d, and the L-rd will save me. Evening, morning, and noontime, I speak and moan, and He hearkened to my voice. He redeemed my soul with peace from the battle that came upon me, because of the many [people who] were with me. May G-d hear and answer them, and the One who dwells from time immemorial forever, for there is no passing for them, and they did not fear G-d. He stretched forth his hands against him who was at peace with him; he profaned his covenant. Smooth were the buttery words of his mouth but his heart was set on war; his words were softer than oil, but they are curses. Cast your burden on the L-rd, and He will bear you; He shall never allow a righteous man to falter. But You, O G-d, shall lower them to the Pit of Destruction; men of blood and deceit shall not live half their days, but I will trust in You.
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Psalms 56
For the conductor, regarding the distant dove of silence, of David a michtam, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O G-d, because men yearn to swallow me; all day long the warrior oppresses me. Those who eye me have yearned to swallow me all day long, for many fight against me, O Most High. The day I fear, I will hope to You. With G-d, I will praise His word; in G-d I trusted, I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? All day long, my words grieve [me]; all their thoughts about me are for evil. They lodge, they hide, they watch my steps, when they hope for my life. For iniquity, they expect rescue. Bring down nations with anger, O G-d. You counted my wanderings; place my tears in Your flask. Is it not in Your accounting? Then my enemies will retreat on the day that I call. Thereby I will know that I have a G-d. With G-d['s justice] I will praise a word; with the L-rd['s kindness] I will praise a word. In G-d I trusted, I will not fear. What can man do to me? Upon me, O G-d, are Your vows; I will pay thanksgiving offerings to You. For You saved my soul from death, even my feet from stumbling, to walk before G-d in the light of life.
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Psalms 62
For the conductor, on jeduthun, a song of David. Only to G-d does my soul hope; from Him is my salvation. Only He is my Rock and my salvation, my stronghold so that I shall not falter greatly. How long will you plan destruction to man? You shall be murdered, all of you, as a leaning wall, a tottering fence. Only because of his loftiness have they plotted to topple him; they delight in lies; with his mouth they bless, but inwardly they curse forever. Only to G-d should you hope, my soul, for my hope is from Him. Only He is my Rock and my salvation; my stronghold, I shall not falter. Upon G-d rests my salvation and my honor; [He is] the Rock of my strength, my shelter is in G-d. Trust in Him at all times; people, pour out your hearts before Him. G-d is our shelter forever. The sons of men are but vanity, and men of distinction are deceitful; were they to be put on a scale, together they would equal vanity. Do not trust in oppresion, and do not put vain hope in robbery; if wealth burgeons, pay it no heed. G-d spoke one thing, I heard two, for G-d has strength. And You, O L-rd, have kindness, for You repay a man according to his deed.
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Psalms 63
A song of David when he was in the desert of Judah. O G-d, You are my G-d, I seek You. My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You, in an arid and thirsty land, without water. As I saw You in the Sanctuary, [so do I long] to see Your strength and Your glory. For Your kindness is better than life; my lips will praise You. Then I shall bless You in my lifetime; in Your name I shall lift my hands. [As] with choice foods and fat, my soul will be sated, when my mouth praises with expressions of song. When I remember You on my couch; in the watches I meditate about You. For You were my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I shall praise. My soul has clung after You; Your right hand has supported me. But they seek my soul to make it desolate; may they come into the depths of the earth. May he be dragged by the sword; they will be the portion of foxes. And may the king rejoice with G-d; may all who swear by Him boast, for the mouth of those who speak lies will be closed.
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Psalms 64
For the conductor, a song of David. Hear, O G-d, my voice in my prayer; from fear of the enemy You shall guard my life. You shall hide me from the counsel of evildoers, from the gathering of workers of iniquity, Who whetted their tongue like the sword; who aimed a bitter word like their arrow, To shoot at the innocent in secret places; they shoot at him suddenly and do not fear. They strengthen the evil word for themselves; they tell to hide snares. They say, "Who will see us?" They seek pretexts; they have completed a diligent search, hidden within man and in the depths of the heart. And G-d cast them down; their wounds were [like] a sudden arrow. That which they hoped would make him stumble, their tongue brought upon them; all who see them will shake their heads. Then all men feared, and they declared the work of G-d and understood His deed. The righteous will rejoice with G-d and take shelter in Him, and all upright of heart will boast.
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Psalms 65
For the conductor, a psalm of David, a song. Silence is praise to You, O G-d in Zion, and to You a vow is paid. You, Who hearken to prayer, to You all flesh shall come. Words of iniquities have overcome me; as for our transgressions, You shall atone for them. Praiseworthy is he whom You choose and draw near to dwell in Your courts; let us be sated with the goodness of Your house, the sanctity of Your Temple. With awesome deeds, through [Your] charity You shall answer us, G-d of our salvation, the trust of all the distant ends of the earth and the sea. Who sets mountains with His strength, Who is girded with might. Who humbles the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the multitude of kingdoms. And the dwellers of the ends fear Your signs; with the emergence of morning and evening, You cause [them] to sing praises. You remember the earth and water it; You enrich it greatly with the stream of G-d which is full of water; You prepare their corn for so do You prepare it. To sate its furrows, to afford pleasure to its troops; with raindrops You dissolve it, You bless its plants. You crowned a year of Your goodness, and Your paths drip with fatness. They drip upon the dwellings of the desert, and hills gird themselves with joy. Meadows are clothed with flocks, and valleys are enwrapped with corn; they shout for joy, yea, they sing.
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Psalms 66
For the conductor, a song of praise; shout for joy to G-d, all the earth. Sing the glory of His name; make glorious His praise. Say to G-d, "How awesome are Your deeds! Through the greatness of Your might, Your enemies will admit their lies to You. All the earth will prostrate themselves to You and sing praises to You; they will sing praises to Your name forever." Go and see the deeds of G-d, awesome in His deeds toward mankind. He turned the sea into dry land; in the river they crossed by foot; there we rejoiced with Him. With His might, He rules the world; His eyes oversee the nations; the rebellious ones will not exalt themselves, ever. O peoples, bless our G-d, and make the voice of His praise heard. He, Who kept our souls alive and did not let our foot falter. For You tested us, O G-d; You refined us as though refining silver. You brought us into a trap; You placed a chain on our loins. You caused man to ride at our head; we came in fire and water, and You took us out to satiety. I shall come to Your house with burnt offerings; I shall pay You my vows, Which my lips uttered and my mouth spoke in my distress. Burnt offerings of fat animals I shall offer up to You with the burning of rams; I shall prepare cattle with he-goats forever. Come, hearken and I shall tell all you who fear G-d what He did for my soul. My mouth called out to Him, and He was exalted under my tongue. If I saw iniquity in my heart, the L-rd does not hear it. But G-d heard; He hearkened to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be G-d, Who did not remove my prayer and His kindness from me.
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Psalms 69
For the conductor, on shoshannim, of David. Save me, O G-d, for water has come up to my soul. I have sunk in muddy depths and there is no place to stand; I have come into the deep water, and the current has swept me away. I have become weary from calling out; my throat has become parched; my eyes fail while I wait for my G-d. Those who hate me for nothing are more numerous than the hairs of my head; mighty are those who would cut me off, who are my enemies because of lies; what I did not steal, I will then return. O G-d, You know my folly, and my acts of guilt are not concealed from You. Do not let those who hope for You be shamed through me, O L-rd G-d of Hosts; let those who seek You not be disgraced through me, O G-d of Israel. For I have borne humiliation because of You; disgrace has covered my face. I was strange to my brothers, and alien to the sons of my mother. For the envy of Your house has consumed me, and the humiliations of those who blaspheme You have fallen upon me. And I bewailed my soul in fast, and it was a disgrace for me. And I made sackcloth my raiment, and I became a byword to them. They talk about me, those who sit in the gate, and [they make] melodies [about me] for those who imbibe strong drink. But, as for me, may my prayer to You, O L-rd, be in an acceptable time. O G-d, with Your abundant kindness, answer me with the truth of Your salvation. Save me from mud that I not sink, that I be saved from my enemies and from the depths of water. Let neither the current of water sweep me away, nor the deep swallow me, and let a well not close its mouth over me. Answer me, O L-rd, for Your kindness is good; according to Your abundant mercies, turn to me. And do not hide Your face from Your servant, because I am distressed, hasten to answer me. Come close to my soul, redeem it; because of my enemies, redeem me. You know my humiliation, my shame, and my disgrace; all my oppressors are before You. Humiliation has broken my heart and I have become ill; I hoped for sympathy but there was none, and for comforters but I found none. They put gall into my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. May their table before them become a trap, and [their hope] for peace become a snare. May their eyes become dark, so they cannot see; constantly cause their loins to slip. Pour out Your fury upon them, and may Your burning wrath overtake them. May their palace be desolate; in their tents let there be no dweller. For You-those whom You smote they pursued, and about the pain of those whom You wounded they tell. Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not come into Your charity. May they be erased from the book of life, and may they not be inscribed with the righteous. But I am poor and in pain; may Your salvation, O G-d, exalt me. I shall praise the name of G-d with song, and I shall magnify Him with a thanksgiving offering. And it will appeal to the L-rd more than a young bull that is mature, with horns and hooves. When the humble see, they rejoice, yea, those who seek G-d, and your heart will be invigorated. For G-d hearkens to the needy, and He does not despise His prisoners. Heaven and earth will praise Him, the seas and everything that moves therein, When G-d saves Zion and builds the cities of Judah, and they dwell there and take possession of it. And the seed of His servants inherit it, and those who love His name dwell therein.
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Psalms 71
In You, O L-rd, have I taken refuge; let me never be ashamed. With Your charity, You shall save me and rescue me; extend Your ear to me and save me. Be for me a sheltering rock in which to enter continually; You commanded [others] to save me because You are my rock and my fortress. My G-d, rescue me from the hands of the wicked, from the palm of him who treats unjustly and robs. For You are my hope, O L-rd G-d, my trust since my youth. I relied on You from birth; from my mother's womb You drew me; my praise is always in You. I was an example for the multitude, but You were my strong shelter. My mouth will be filled with Your praise, all the days with Your glory. Do not cast me away at the time of old age; when my strength fails, do not forsake me. For my enemies said of me, and those who watch for my soul took counsel together, Saying, "G-d has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is no rescuer." O G-d, do not distance Yourself from me; my G-d, hasten to my assistance. The adversaries of my soul will be shamed and will perish; enwrapped in humiliation and disgrace will be those who seek to harm me. As for me, I shall constantly hope, and I shall add to all Your praise. My mouth will recite Your righteousness, all the days Your salvation, for I do not know their number. I shall come with the mighty deeds of the L-rd G-d; I shall mention Your righteousness alone. O G-d, You have taught me since my youth, and until now I shall recite your wonders. And even until old age and hoary hairs, O G-d, do not forsake me, until I tell [of] Your strength to the generation, to everyone who comes-Your might. And Your charity, O G-d, [which is] up to the heights, for You do great things. O G-d, who is like You? That You showed me great and evil troubles, You will revive me again, and from the depths of the earth You will again raise me up. You will increase my greatness, and You will turn and comfort me. I too shall thank You with a stringed instrument for Your truth, my G-d; I shall play music to You with a harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will sing praises when I play music to You, and my soul, which You redeemed. Also my tongue will utter Your righteousness all the days, for those who seek my harm are shamed, yea, for they are disgraced.
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Psalms 79
A song of Asaph. O G-d! Nations have come into Your heritage, they have defiled Your Holy Temple, they have made Jerusalem into heaps. They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the heaven, the flesh of Your pious ones to the beasts of the earth. They have spilt their blood like water around Jerusalem, and no one buries [them]. We were a disgrace to our neighbors, ridicule and derision to those around us. How long, O L-rd? Will You be wroth forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out Your wrath upon the nations that do not know You and upon the kingdoms that did not call out in Your name. For they devoured Jacob and made his dwelling desolate. Do not remember for us the early iniquities; may Your mercies quickly come before us for we have become very poor. Help us, O G-d of our salvation, on account of the glory of Your name, and save us and atone for our sins for Your name's sake. Why should the nations say, "Where is their G-d?" Let it be known among the nations before our eyes the revenge of the spilt blood of Your servants.. May the cry of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your arm, set free the children of the mother who died. And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom, their reproach with which they reproached You, O L-rd. But we, Your people and the flock of Your pasture, shall thank You forever; to all generations we shall recite Your praise.
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Psalms 80
For the conductor, to the roses, a testimony, of Asaph a song. O Shepherd of Israel, hearken, He Who leads Joseph like flocks, He Who dwells between the cherubim, appear. Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh arouse Your might, and it is for You to save us. O G-d, return us; cause Your countenance to shine and we shall be saved. O L-rd G-d of Hosts, how long have You been wroth at Your people's prayer? You have fed them bread of tears, and You have given them to drink tears in large measure. You have made us the target of strife to our neighbors, and our enemies mock themselves. O G-d of Hosts, return us; cause Your countenance to shine and we shall be saved. You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out nations and planted it. You cleared [a place] before it; it took root and filled the land. Mountains were covered [by] its shade, and its branches were great cedars. It sent forth its branches until the sea, and to the river its tender shoots. Why have You breached its fences, so that all wayfarers have plucked its fruit? The boar from the forest gnaw at it, and the creeping things of the field graze on it? O G-d of Hosts, return now; look from heaven and see, and be mindful of this vine, And of the foundation that Your right hand has planted and over the son You have strengthened for Yourself. Burned with fire [and] cut off; from the rebuke of Your countenance they perish. May Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You strengthened for Yourself. And let us not withdraw from You; grant us life, and we shall call out in Your name. O L-rd G-d of Hosts, return us; cause Your countenance to shine, and we shall be saved.
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Psalms 84
For the conductor, on the gittith, of the sons of Korah, a song. How beloved are Your dwelling places, O L-rd of Hosts! My soul yearns, yea, it pines for the courts of the L-rd; my heart and my flesh pray fervently to the living G-d. Even a bird found a house and a swallow her nest, where she placed her chicks upon Your altars, O L-rd of Hosts, my King and my G-d. Fortunate are those who stay in Your house; they will continually praise You forever. Fortunate is the man who has strength in You, in whose heart are the highways. Transgressors in the valley of weeping make it into a fountain; also with blessings they enwrap [their] Teacher. They go from host to host; he will appear to G-d in Zion. O L-rd, G-d of Hosts, hearken to my prayer; bend Your ear, O G-d of Jacob, forever. See our shield, O G-d, and look at the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand; I chose to sit on the threshold of the house of My G-d rather than dwell in tents of wickedness. For a sun and a shield is the L-rd G-d; the L-rd will give grace and glory; He will not withhold good from those who go with sincerity. O L-rd of Hosts, fortunate is the man who trusts in You.__________________________________________________________
Psalms 90
A prayer of Moses, the man of G-d. O L-rd, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born, and You brought forth the earth and the inhabited world, and from everlasting to everlasting, You are G-d. You bring man to the crushing point, and You say, "Return, O sons of men." For a thousand years are in Your eyes like yesterday, which passed, and a watch in the night. You carry them away as a flood; they are like a sleep; in the morning, like grass it passes away. In the morning, it blossoms and passes away; in the evening, it is cut off and withers. For we perish from Your wrath, and from Your anger we are dismayed. You have placed our iniquities before You, [the sins of] our youth before the light of Your countenance. For all our days have passed away in Your anger; we have consumed our years as a murmur. The days of our years because of them are seventy years, and if with increase, eighty years; but their pride is toil and pain, for it passes quickly and we fly away. Who knows the might of Your wrath, and according to Your fear is Your anger. So teach the number of our days, so that we shall acquire a heart of wisdom. Return, O L-rd, how long? And repent about Your servants. Satiate us in the morning with Your loving-kindness, and let us sing praises and rejoice with all our days. Cause us to rejoice according to the days that You afflicted us, the years that we saw evil. May Your works appear to Your servants, and Your beauty to their sons. And may the pleasantness of the L-rd our G-d be upon us, and the work of our hands establish for us, and the work of our hands establish it.
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Psalms 97
The L-rd has reigned, the earth will exult; many islands will rejoice. Cloud and thick darkness are around Him; righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne. Fire will go before Him and will burn His enemies all around. His lightnings illuminated the world; the earth saw and quaked. Mountains melted like wax from before the L-rd, from before the Master of all the earth. The heavens told His righteousness, and all the earth saw His glory. All worshippers of graven images will be ashamed, yea those who boast of idols; all G-ds, prostrate yourselves before Him. Zion heard and rejoiced, and the daughters of Judah exulted, because of Your judgments, O L-rd. For You, O L-rd, are Most High above all the earth; You are very much exalted above all G-ds. You who love the L-rd, hate evil; He watches the souls of His pious ones, He rescues them from the hands of the wicked. A light is sown for the righteous, and for the upright of heart, joy. Rejoice, you righteous, with the L-rd, and give thanks to His holy name.
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Psalms 98
A song. Sing to the L-rd a new song, for He performed wonders; His right hand and His holy arm have saved Him. The L-rd has made known His salvation; to the eyes of the nations He has revealed His righteousness. He remembered His kindness and His faith to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our G-d. Shout to the L-rd, all the earth, open [your mouths] and sing praises and play music. Play to the L-rd with a harp, with a harp and a voice of song. With trumpets and the sound of a shofar, raise your voices before the King, the L-rd. The sea and the fullness thereof will roar, the inhabited world and the inhabitants thereof. Rivers will clap hands; together mountains will sing praises. Before the L-rd, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the inhabited world justly and the peoples with equity.
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Psalms 101
Of David, a song. I shall sing of kindness and judgment; to You, O L-rd, I shall sing. I shall concern myself with the way of integrity. When will it come to me? I shall walk with the innocence of my heart within my house. I do not place before my eyes any base thing; I hate doing wayward deeds; it does not cling to me. A perverse heart turns away from me; I know no evil. He who slanders his neighbor in secret, I cut him down; one whose eyes are raised up high and his heart is expansive, I cannot tolerate him. My eyes are upon the faithful of the land to dwell with me; he who goes on the way of the innocent, he will serve me. He will not dwell within my house; he who practices deceit, who speaks lies, will not be established before my eyes. Betimes I cut down all the wicked of the earth; to cut down from the city of the L-rd all workers of violence.
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Psalms 102
A prayer for a poor man when he enwraps himself and pours out his speech before the L-rd. O L-rd, hearken to my prayer, and may my cry come to You. Do not hide Your countenance from me; on the day of my distress extend Your ear to me; on the day I call, answer me quickly. For my days have ended in smoke, and as a hearth my bones are dried up. Beaten like grass and withered is my heart, for I have forgotten to eat my bread. From the sound of my sigh my bones clung to my flesh. I was like a bird of the wilderness; I was like an owl of the wasteland. I pondered, and I am like a lonely bird on a roof. All day long my enemies revile me; those who scorn me swear by me. For ashes I ate like bread, and my drinks I mixed with weeping. Because of Your fury and Your anger, for You picked me up and cast me down. My days are like a lengthening shadow, and I dry out like grass. But You, O L-rd, will be enthroned forever, and Your mention is to all generations. You will rise, You will have mercy on Zion for there is a time to favor it, for the appointed season has arrived. For Your servants desired its stones and favored its dust. And the nations will fear the name of the L-rd, and all the kings of the earth Your glory. For the L-rd has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory. He has turned to the prayer of those who cried out, and He did not despise their prayer. Let this be inscribed for the latest generation, and a [newly] created people will praise Yah. For He has looked down from His holy height; the L-rd looked from heaven to earth, To hear the cry of the prisoner, to loose the sons of the dying nation; To proclaim in Zion the name of the L-rd and His praise in Jerusalem. When peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to serve the L-rd. He has afflicted my strength on the way; He has shortened my days. I say, "My G-d, do not take me away in the middle of my days, You Whose years endure throughout all generations. In the beginning You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish but You will endure, and all of them will rot away like a garment; like raiment You will turn them over and they will pass away. But You are He, and Your years will not end. The children of Your servants will dwell, and their seed will be established before You."
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Psalms 103
Of David. My soul, bless the L-rd, and all my innards, His holy name. My soul, bless the L-rd and do not forget any of His benefits. Who forgives all your iniquity, Who heals all your illnesses. Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with kindness and mercy. Who sates your mouth with goodness, that your youth renews itself like the eagle. The L-rd performs charitable deeds and judgment for all oppressed people. He makes His ways known to Moses, to the children of Israel His deeds. The L-rd is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and with much kindness. He will not quarrel to eternity, and He will not bear a grudge forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor has He repaid us according to our iniquities. For, as the height of the heavens over the earth, so great is His kindness toward those who fear Him. As the distance of east from west, He distanced our transgressions from us. As a father has mercy on sons, the L-rd had mercy on those who fear Him. For He knows our creation; He remembers that we are dust. As for man-his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so does he sprout. For a wind passes over him and he is no longer here; and his place no longer recognizes him. But the L-rd's kindness is from everlasting to everlasting, and His charity to sons of sons. To those who keep His covenant and to those who remember His commandments to perform them. The L-rd established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. Bless the L-rd, His angels, those mighty in strength, who perform His word, to hearken to the voice of His word. Bless the L-rd, all His hosts, His ministers, those who do His will. Bless the L-rd, all His works, in all the places of His dominion; my soul, bless the L-rd.
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Psalms 104
My soul, bless the L-rd. My G-d, You are very great, You are attired with majesty and beauty. [You] enwrap Yourself with light like a garment; [You] extend the heavens like a curtain. Who roofs His upper chambers with water; Who makes clouds His chariot, which goes on the wings of the wind. He makes winds His messengers, burning fire His ministers. He founded the earth on its foundations that it not falter to eternity. You covered the deep as [with] a garment; the waters stand on the mountains. From Your rebuke they fled; from the sound of Your thunder they hastened away. They ascended mountains, they descended into valleys to this place, which You had founded for them. You set a boundary that they should not cross, that they should not return to cover the earth. He sends the springs into the streams; they go between the mountains. They water every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the fowl of the heavens dwell; from between the branches they let out their voices. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; from the fruit of Your works the earth is sated. He causes grass to sprout for the animals and vegetation for the work of man, to bring forth bread from the earth. And wine, which cheers man's heart, to make the face shine from oil, and bread, which sustains man's heart. The L-rd's trees are sated, the cedars of Lebanon, which He planted. Where birds nest; as for the stork-the high junipers are its home. The lofty mountains for the ibexes; the rocks a shelter for the hyraxes. He made the moon for the appointed seasons; the sun knows its setting. You make darkness and it is night, in which every beast of the forest moves about. The young lions roar for prey and to beg their food from G-d. When the sun rises they gather in and couch in their dens. Man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening. How great are Your works, O L-rd! You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your possessions! This sea-great and wide; there are creeping things and innumerable beasts, both small and large. There the ships go; You formed this leviathan with which to sport.. They all look to You with hope, to give their food in its time. You give them that they may gather; You open Your hand that they may be sated with goodness. You hide Your countenance and they are frightened; You gather in their spirit and they perish and return to their dust. You will send forth Your spirit and they will be created, and You will renew the surface of the ground. The glory of the L-rd will be forever; the L-rd will rejoice with His works. He Who looks at the earth and it quakes; He touches the mountains and they emit smoke. I shall sing to the L-rd while I am alive; I shall sing praises to my G-d as long as I exist. May my speech be pleasing to Him; I shall rejoice with the L-rd. Sinners will be destroyed from the earth and the wicked will be no more; my soul, bless the L-rd. Hallelujah.
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Psalms 107
Give thanks to the L-rd because He is good, for His kindness is eternal. Those redeemed by the L-rd shall say it, those whom He redeemed from the hands of an oppressor. And gathered them from lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the sea. They strayed in the desert, on a road of desolation; they did not find an inhabited city. Hungry as well as thirsty, their soul enwraps itself in them. And they cried out to the L-rd in their distress; from their straits He rescued them. And He led them on a straight road, to go to an inhabited city. They shall give thanks to the L-rd for His kindness, and for His wonders to the children of men. For He sated a yearning soul, and a hungry soul He filled with goodness. Those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, prisoners of affliction and iron. For they rebelled against the words of G-d, and they scorned the counsel of the Most High. And He humbled their heart with toil; they stumbled with no one to help them. And they cried out to the L-rd in their distress; from their straits He saved them. He took them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and He broke open their bonds. They shall give thanks to the L-rd for His kindness, and for His wonders to the children of men. For He broke copper doors, and cut off iron bars. Fools, because of the way of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul despises all food, and they reach the portals of death. And they cried out to the L-rd in their distress; from their straits He saved them. He sent His word and healed them, and extricated them from their pit. They shall give thanks to the L-rd for His kindness, and for His wonders to the children of men. And they shall slaughter sacrifices of thanksgiving, and they shall tell of His deeds with song. Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do work in mighty waters. They saw the deeds of the L-rd and His wonders in the deep. He spoke, and He set up a tempest, and it raised its waves. They went up to the heavens, they came down to the depths; their soul melted with trouble. They were frightened and staggered like a drunkard, and all their wisdom was destroyed. They cried out to the L-rd from their distress, that He take them out of their straits. The tempest He had set up [settled] into a calm, and their waves were stilled. They rejoiced that they were stilled, and He led them to the region of their desire. They shall thank the L-rd for His kindness, and for His wonders to the children of men. And they shall exalt Him in an assembly of people, and in a sitting of elders, praise Him. He makes rivers into a desert, and springs of water into an arid place; A fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He makes a desert into a pool of water, and a wasteland into springs of water. And He settles the hungry there, and they establish an inhabited city. And they sow fields and plant vineyards, which produce fruits and grain. And He blessed them, and they multiplied exceedingly, and their animals did not decrease. Whereas they were few and they sank down from dominion, trouble, and sorrow. He pours contempt upon princes and leads them astray in a wasteland where there is no path. And He strengthened the needy from poverty and made him families like flocks. The upright see and rejoice, and all injustice shuts its mouth. He who is wise will keep these in mind, and they will ponder the kind deeds of the L-rd.
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Psalms 109
For the conductor. Of David, a song. O G-d of my praise, be not silent. For the mouth of a wicked man and the mouth of a deceitful man have opened upon me; they spoke with me with a lying tongue. And with words of hatred they have surrounded me, and they have fought with me without cause. Instead of my love, they persecute me, but I am at prayer. They have imposed upon me evil instead of good and hatred instead of my love. Set a wicked man over him, and let an adversary stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him emerge guilty, and let his prayer be accounted as a sin. May his days be few, and may someone else take his office of dignity. May his sons be orphans and his wife a widow. May his sons wander, and [people] should ask and search from their ruins. May a creditor search out all he has, and may strangers despoil his labor. May he have none who extends kindness, and may no one be gracious to his orphans. May his end be to be cut off; in another generation may their name be blotted out. May the iniquity against his forefathers be remembered by the L-rd, and may the sin against his mother not be erased. May they be before the L-rd constantly, and may He cut off their remembrance from the earth. Because he did not remember to do kindness, and he pursued a poor and needy man, and a broken-hearted one, to kill [him]. And he loved a curse, and it came upon him; and he did not desire a blessing, and it distanced itself from him. And he donned a curse like his garment, and it came into his midst like water and into his bones like oil. May it be to him as a garment with which he envelops himself and as a girdle with which he constantly girds himself. This is the recompense of my adversaries from the L-rd, and those who speak evil upon my soul. But You, O G-d, my L-rd, do with me for Your name's sake, for Your kindness is good; save me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart has died within me. Like a shadow when it lengthens, I was driven about; I was stirred up like a locust. My knees stumbled from fasting, and my flesh became emaciated from fat. And I was a disgrace to them; they would see me, they would shake their head. Help me, O L-rd, my G-d; save me according to Your kindness. And they should know that this is Your hand; You, O L-rd, have done it. Let them curse and You will bless; they rose up and were ashamed, but Your servant will rejoice. May my adversaries don disgrace and enwrap themselves with their shame like a cloak. I shall thank the L-rd exceedingly with my mouth, and among many people I shall praise Him. For He will stand to the right of the needy to save [him] from those who judge his soul.
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Psalms 112
Hallelujah. Praiseworthy is the man who fears the L-rd, who greatly desires His commandments. His seed will be mighty in the land, a generation of upright ones, which shall be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. He shone a light in the darkness for the upright, [for He is] gracious and merciful and righteous. Good is the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with moderation. For he will never falter; for an everlasting memorial will the righteous man be. He will not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the L-rd. His heart is steadfast, he will not fear until he sees in his adversaries. He distributed, he gave to the needy; his charity endures forever, his horn will be raised with glory. A wicked man will see and become angry; he will gnash his teeth and melt; the desire of the wicked will be lost.
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Psalms 114
When Israel left Egypt, the house of Jacob [left] a people of a strange tongue, Judah became His holy nation, Israel His dominion. The sea saw and fled; the Jordan turned backward. The mountains danced like rams, hills like young sheep. What frightens you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn backward? You mountains, that you dance like rams; you hills, like young sheep? From before the Master, Who created the earth, from before the G-d of Jacob, Who transforms the rock into a pond of water, the flint into a fountain of water.
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Psalms 119:81-119:112
My soul pines for Your salvation; for Your word I hope. My eyes pine for Your word, saying, "When will You console me?" For I have become like a wineskin in smoke; I have not forgotten Your statutes. How many are Your servant's days? When will You execute judgments upon my pursuers? Willful sinners have dug pits for me, which is not according to Your Torah. All Your commandments are faithful; they pursued me in vain; help me. They almost destroyed me on earth, but I did not forsake Your precepts. According to Your kindness, sustain me, and I shall keep the testimony of Your mouth. Forever, O L-rd, Your word stands in the heavens. Your faith is to every generation; You established the earth and it endures. For Your judgments they stand today, for all are Your servants. Were not Your Torah my occupation, then I would have perished in my affliction. I shall never forget Your precepts for through them You have sustained me. I am Yours; save me for I sought Your precepts. Concerning me: the wicked hoped to destroy me; I shall ponder Your testimonies. Of every finite thing I have seen the end; Your commandments are very broad. How I love Your Torah! All day it is my conversation. Each of Your commandments makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always mine. From all my teachers I gained understanding, for Your testimonies are my conversation. From the wise elders I gain understanding, for I kept Your precepts. From every evil way I restrained my feet in order that I keep Your word. From Your judgments I did not turn away, for You guided me. How sweet are Your words to my palate, more than honey to my mouth!. From Your precepts I shall gain understanding; therefore, I hate all ways of falsehood. Your words are a lamp for my foot, and light for my path. I swore and I fulfilled, to keep the judgments of Your righteousness. I have been exceedingly humbled; O L-rd, sustain me according to Your word. The freewill offerings of my mouth accept now, O L-rd, and teach me Your judgments. My soul is constantly in my hand, and I have not forgotten Your Torah. The wicked laid a snare for me, but I did not stray from Your precepts. I inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever on their paths.
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Psalms 126
A song of ascents. When the L-rd returns the returnees to Zion, we shall be like dreamers. Then our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with songs of praise; then they will say among the nations, "The L-rd has done great things with these." "The L-rd has done great things with us; we were happy." Return, O L-rd, our captivity like rivulets in arid land. Those who sow with tears will reap with song.He will go along weeping, carrying the valuable seeds; he will come back with song, carrying his sheaves.
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Psalms 128
A song of ascents. Praiseworthy is every man who fears the L-rd, who walks in His ways. If you eat the toil of your hands, you are praiseworthy, and it is good for you. Your wife will be as a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold that so will a man who fears the L-rd be blessed. May the L-rd bless you from Zion, and see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. And may you see children [born] to your children, [and see] peace upon Israel.
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Psalms 131
A song of ascent by David. O L-rd, my heart was not haughty, nor were my eyes raised on high, and I did not pursue matters greater and more wondrous than I. I swear that I calmed and quieted my soul like a suckling on its mother; like a suckling was my soul with me. Israel, hope to the L-rd from now to eternity.
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Psalms 133
A song of ascents of David. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers also to dwell together! As the good oilon the head runs down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, which runs down on the mouth of his garments. As the dew of Hermon which runs down on the mountains of Zion, for there the L-rd commanded the blessing, life forever.
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Psalms 137
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, we also wept when we remembered Zion. On willows in its midst we hung our harps. For there our captors asked us for words of song and our tormentors [asked of us] mirth, "Sing for us of the song of Zion." "How shall we sing the song of the L-rd on foreign soil?" If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget [its skill]. May my tongue cling to my palate, if I do not remember you, if I do not bring up Jerusalem at the beginning of my joy. Remember, O L-rd, for the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem, those who say, "Raze it, raze it, down to its foundation!" O Daughter of Babylon, who is destined to be plundered, praiseworthy is he who repays you your recompense that you have done to us. Praiseworthy is he who will take and dash your infants against the rock.
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Psalms 138
Of David. I shall thank You with all my heart; before the princes I shall sing Your praises. I shall prostrate myself toward Your holy Temple, and I shall give thanks to Your name for Your kindness and for Your truth, for You magnified Your word over all Your names. On the day that I called and You answered me; You made me great, [putting] strength into my soul. O L-rd, all the kings of the earth will acknowledge You, for they heard the words of Your mouth. And they will sing of the ways of the L-rd, for great is the glory of the L-rd. For the L-rd is high but He sees the lowly, and He chastises the haughty from afar. If I walk in the midst of distress, You revive me; against the wrath of my enemies, You stretch forth Your hand and Your right hand saves me. May the L-rd agree with me; O L-rd, may Your kindness be eternal. Do not let go of the works of Your hands.
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Psalms 139
For the conductor. Of David, a song. O L-rd, You have searched me out and You know. You know my sitting and my rising; You understand how to attach me from afar. My going about and my lying down You encompassed, and You are accustomed to all my ways. For there is no word on my tongue; behold, O L-rd, You know it all. From the rear and the front You encompassed me, and You placed Your pressure upon me. Knowledge is hidden from me; it is hard, I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from Your spirit, and where shall I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to the heavens, there You are, and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there. [If] I take up the wings of dawn, [if] I dwell at the end of the west, There too, Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will grasp me. I said, "Darkness will darken me, and the night will be dark about me." Even darkness will not obscure [anything] from You, and the night will light up like day; as darkness so is the light.. For You created my reigns, You covered me in my mother's womb. I shall thank You for in an awesome, wondrous way I was fashioned; Your works are wondrous, and my soul knows it very well. My essence was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, I was formed in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body, and on Your book they were all written; days have been formed and one of them is His. And to me, how dear are Your friends, O L-rd! How great is their sum! I shall count them; they are more numerous than sand; I have come to the end, and I am still with You. If only You would slay the wicked, O G-d, and men of blood, "Turn away from me." Who mention You with wicked thought; Your enemies took it up in vain. Did I not hate Your enemies, O L-rd? With those who rise up against You, I quarrel. I hate them with utmost hatred; they have become my enemies. Search me out, O G-d, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. And see whether there is any vexatious way about me, and lead me in the way of the world.
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Psalms 143
A song of David. O L-rd, hearken to my prayer, lend ear to my supplications; with Your faith, answer me with Your righteousness. And do not come to judgment with Your servant, for no living being will be innocent before You. For an enemy pursued my soul; he crushed my soul to the earth; he has made me dwell in dark places like those who are long dead. And my spirit enwrapped itself upon me; within me my heart is appalled. I remember the days of yore; I meditate over all Your works; I speak of the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; my heart is like a weary land to You forever. Answer me quickly, O L-rd, my spirit pines. Do not hide Your countenance from me, lest I be likened to those who descend into the pit. Let me hear Your kindness in the morning, for I hope in You; let me know the way in which I am to go, for to You I have lifted up my soul. Save me from my enemies, O L-rd; to You I have hidden. Teach me to do Your will for You are my G-d; may Your good spirit lead me in an even land. For the sake of Your name, O L-rd, revive me; with Your righteousness, deliver my soul from distress. And with Your kindness, You shall cut off my enemies, and You shall destroy all the oppressors of my soul, for I am Your servant.
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Proverbs 3:1-3:4
My son, forget not My instruction, and may your heart keep My commandments; for they shall add length of days and years of life and peace to you. Kindness and truth shall not leave you; bind them upon your neck, inscribe them upon the tablet of your heart; and find favor and good understanding in the sight of G-d and man.
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Proverbs 4:20-4:27
My son, hearken to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; guard them within your heart, for they are life for those who find them, and for all his flesh a healing. From every interdict guard your heart, for the issues of life [come] out of it. Take crooked speech away from yourself, and put devious lips far away from you. Let your eyes look forward, and let your eyelids look straight ahead of you. Weigh the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Turn neither right nor left; keep your feet from evil.
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Proverbs 5:15-5:23
Drink water from your own cistern and running water from your own spring. May your springs spread out rivulets of water in the squares. You alone shall have them, and strangers shall have nothing with you. Your fountain shall be blessed, and you shall rejoice with the wife of your youth; a lovely hind and a graceful mountain goat, her breasts will satisfy you at all times; you shall always be intoxicated with her love. Now why should you, my son, be intoxicated by a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien one? For man's ways are opposite the L-rd's eyes, and He weighs all his paths. His iniquities shall trap the wicked man, and he shall be hanged with the ropes of his sin. He shall die without discipline, and he shall err with his exceeding foolishness.
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Proverbs 8:22-8:31
The L-rd acquired me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. From the distant past I was enthroned, from the beginning, of those that preceded the earth. I was created when there were yet no deeps, when there were no fountains replete with water. I was created before the mountains were sunk, before the hills; when He had not yet made the land and the outsides and the beginning of the dust of the earth. When He established the heavens, there I was, when He drew a circle over the face of the deep; when He made the skies above firm, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep; when He gave the sea its boundary, and the water shall not transgress His command, when He established the foundations of the earth I was a nursling beside Him, and I was [His] delight every day, playing before Him at all times; playing in the habitable world of His earth, and [having] my delights with the children of man.
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Proverbs 11:24
There is one who scatters and yet is given more, and one who withholds from [giving] what is proper, only for a loss.
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Proverbs 12:28
In the road of charity is life, and [on] the way of its path there is no death.
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Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
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Proverbs 14:2
He who fears the L-rd goes in his uprightness, but he whose ways are perverse despises Him.
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Proverbs 15:11
The grave and Destruction are opposite the L-rd- surely people's hearts.
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Proverbs 18:20-18:21
With the fruit of his mouth does a man's stomach become sated; with the produce of his lips he is sated. Death and life are in the hand of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its produce.
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Proverbs 19:15
Laziness causes one to fall into a deep sleep, and a deceitful soul shall suffer hunger.
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Proverbs 19:19
A hot-tempered man incurs punishment, but if you save you will yet increase.
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Proverbs 29:19-29:20
A slave cannot be chastised with words, because he will understand, but without response. If you see a man hasty with his words, there is more hope for a fool than for him.
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Proverbs 30:1-30:6
The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, the prophecy; the words of the man concerning, "G-d is with me; yea, G-d is with me, and I will be able." For I am more boorish than any man, neither do I have man's understanding. Neither have I learned wisdom, nor do I know the knowledge of the holy ones. Who ascended to heaven and descended? Who gathered wind in his fists? Who wrapped the waters in a garment? Who established all the ends of the earth? What is his name and what is the name of his son, if you know? Every word of G-d is refined; He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He prove to you, and you be found a liar.
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Proverbs 30:18-30:21
There are three things that are concealed from me, and four that I do not know; The way of the eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a young woman. So is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats and wipes her mouth, and she says, "I have committed no sin." Under three things the earth quakes, and under four it cannot endure;
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Proverbs 31:10- 31:31
An accomplished woman who can find? Far beyond pearls is her value.
Her husband's heart relies on her, and he shall lack no fortune.
She bestows goodness upon him, never evil, all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax, and her hands work willingly.
She is like a merchant's ships; from afar she brings her sustenance.
She arises while it is yet night, and gives food to her household and a portion to her maidens.
She envisions a field and buys it; from the fruit of her handiwork she plants a vineyard.
With strength she girds her loins, and invigorates her arms.
She discerns that her enterprise is good; her lamp is not snuffed out by night.
She stretches her hands to the distaff, and her palms support the spindle.
She spreads out her palm to the poor, and extends her hands to the destitute.
She fears not the snow for her household, for all her household is clothed in scarlet wool.
She made herself luxurious bedspreads; linen and purple wool are her clothing.
Her husband is distinctive in the councils, when he sits with the elders of the land.
She makes a cloak and sells it, and delivers a belt to the peddler.
Strength and majesty are her raiment, and she joyfully awaits the last day.
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She anticipates the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of laziness.
Her children have risen and praised her; her husband, and he extolled her:
Many women have amassed achievement, but you surpassed them all."
Grace is false, and beauty vain; a woman who fears G-d, she should be praised.
Give her the fruits of her hands; and let her be praised in the gates by her very own deeds.
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Job 1:6-1:12
Now the day came about, and the angels of G-d came to stand beside the L-rd, and the Adversary, too, came among them. The L-rd said to the Adversary, "Where are you coming from?"
And the Adversary answered the L-rd and said, "From going to and fro on the earth and from walking in it."
Now the L-rd said to the Adversary, "Have you paid attention to My servant Job? For there is none like him on earth, a sincere and upright man, G-d-fearing and shunning evil."
And the Adversary answered the L-rd and said, "Does Job fear G-d for nothing?
Haven't You made a hedge around him, his household, and all that he has on all sides? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock has spread out in the land. But now, stretch forth Your hand and touch all that he has, will he not blaspheme You to Your face?"
Now the L-rd said to the Adversary, "Behold, all that he has is in your hands; only upon him do not stretch forth your hand." Now the Adversary left the presence of the L-rd.
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Job 1:21-1:22
And he said, "From my mother's womb, I emerged naked, and I will return there naked. The L-rd gave and the L-rd took; may the name of the L-rd be blessed." Despite all this, Job did not sin, neither did he ascribe unseemliness to G-d.
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Job 2:3-2:5
And the L-rd said to the Adversary, "Have you paid attention to My servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a sincere and upright man, G-d-fearing and shunning evil, and he still maintains his sincerity. Yet you enticed Me against him."
Now the Adversary replied to the L-rd and said, "Skin for skin, and whatever a person has he will give for his life. But, stretch forth Your hand now and touch his bones and his flesh, will he not blaspheme You to Your face?"
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Job 2:10
And he said to her, "You talk as one of the disgraceful women talks. Shall we also accept the good from G-d, and not accept the evil?" Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
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Job - Chapter 4:12-4:21
Now a word was conveyed secretly to me, and my ear grasped a bit of it. In the thoughts of the visions of night, when slumber falls on people, terror and quaking befell me, and He frightened most of my bones. And a spirit passed by my face; it made the hair of my flesh stand on end. It was standing, but I did not recognize its appearance, this image before my eyes; I heard a faint voice. Can a mortal be more righteous than G-d, or can a man be purer than his Maker? Behold, He does not trust His servants and He casts reproach upon His angels. Surely those who dwell in mud houses, whose foundation is in dust; they crush them before the worms. From morning to evening they are crushed without giving [a thought]; they perish to eternity. Their haughtiness, which is absorbed within them-does it not leave [them]? They die, and not with wisdom.
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Job 5:6-5:27
For not from the dust does ruin emerge, and not from the soil does trouble spring, because man is born for trouble, but flying creatures fly upward.
But I would seek of G-d, and to G-d I would commit my cause,
Who does things great and unsearchable, wonders without number, Who gives rain upon the face of the land and sends water upon the face of outside places, to place the humble on high, and those blackened are exalted by salvation. He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so that their hands do not carry out their plans. He takes the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the crooked is hasty. By day, they meet darkness, and they grope at noon as at night. And He saved [them] from the sword of their mouth, and the needy from the hand of the mighty. So it was hope for the poor, and libel shut its mouth.
Behold, fortunate is the man whom G-d reproves; so do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He brings pain and binds it; He wounds, and His hands heal. In six troubles He will save you, and in the seventh no harm will touch you. In famine, He redeemed you from death, and in war, from the power of the sword. You shall be hidden from the scourging tongue, and you shall not fear plunder when it comes. You shall mock plunder and hoarding, and you shall not fear the beasts of the land. But you have a treaty with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field made peace with you. Then you shall know that there is peace in your tent, and you shall visit your habitation and miss nothing. And you shall know that your seed shall be many, and your offspring [as numerous] as the grass of the earth. You shall come to the grave at a ripe old age, as the grain stack is taken away in its time. Behold this; we have inquired into it, so it is. Listen to it, and you-know for yourself. "
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Job 6:1-6:7
Now Job replied and said,
"If only my anger and my calamity were weighed, placed together on a scale, for now, it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; therefore, my words stammer. For the Almighty's arrows are with me, whose venom my spirit drinks; the terrors of G-d wage war with me. Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass or does an ox low over its fodder? Can bland food be eaten without salt, or is there a taste in the saliva of strong-tasting food? What my body refused to touch-they are as cloths for my food.
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Job 7:1-9:13
Is not man on earth for a limited time, and are his days [not] like the days of a hireling? As a slave, who longs for the shadow, and as a hireling who hopes for his wages, so was I made to possess months of futility, and they appointed wearisome nights for me. If I would lie down, I would say, 'When shall I arise, and [when will] the evening depart?' And I was sated with restlessness until twilight. My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of earth; my skin wrinkled and melted. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle and are spent without hope.
Remember that my life is wind; my eye will not return to see good. The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more; set Your eyes upon me and I will be here no longer. Just as a cloud is consumed and goes away, so will one who descends to the grave not ascend. He shall never again return to his house, neither shall his place recognize him again. Neither will I restrain my mouth; I will speak with the anguish of my spirit, I will complain with the bitterness of my soul.
Am I a sea or a sea monster, that You place a watch over me? Should I say that my bed shall comfort me, that my couch shall bear my speech You terrify me with dreams, and You frighten me with visions, so that my soul chooses strangling; death rather than these my bones. I despised [my life]; I will not live forever; desist from me for my life is futility.
What is man that You should give him importance, or that You should pay attention to him? That you should visit him every morning and try him every moment. How long will You not desist from me, will You not let me go until I swallow my spit? I have sinned; what do I do to You? O watcher of man, why have You made me as a mark for You, so that I have become a burden to myself? Now why do You not forgive my transgression and remove my iniquity, for now I will lie on the dust; and You shall seek me but I am not here.
Now Bildad the Shuhite replied and said: "How long will you speak such things, seeing that the words of your mouth are [like] a mighty wind? Does G-d pervert judgment, or does the Almighty pervert justice? If your children sinned against Him, He sent them away in the hands of their transgression. If you seek G-d and supplicate the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, He shall arouse [your merit] over you, and will complete your righteous home. And your beginning shall be small, but your end shall increase exceedingly.
For inquire now about the past generation and apply yourself to what their fathers have searched out, For we are of yesterday and know nothing, because our days on earth are like a shadow. Will they not instruct you and tell you, and utter words out of their heart?
Can papyrus shoot up without a marsh? Can the reed-grass grow without water? When it is still in its greenness, it will not be plucked, but before any other grass, it will dry up. So are the ways of all those who forget G-d, and the hope of the flatterer shall be lost, whose confidence shall be cut off, and whose trust is a spider's web. He leans on his house but it does not stand; he grasps it but it does not endure. It is fresh before the sun, and on its garden its tender branch emerges. Beside the fountain, its roots are entwined; he sees a stone house. If one destroys him from his place, then it shall deny him, [saying] 'I have not seen you.' Behold this is the joy of his way, and from the earth, others will spring forth. Behold G-d will not reject the innocent, nor will he uphold evildoers. Until He fills your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting. Your enemies will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked shall be no more."
Then Job replied and said,
"Indeed, I know that it is so, but why should a man be righteous with G-d? If he would wish to contend with Him He would not answer him one out of a thousand. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who hardened [his heart] against Him and remained whole? He Who moved mountains but they knew not that He had overturned them in His wrath; He Who causes the earth to quake from its place, and its pillars shudder; He Who spoke to the sun and it did not shine, and He sealed up the stars;
8. He Who alone stretched out the heavens and treads on the high places of the sea; He Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; He Who performs great deeds without limit, and wonders until they have no number
11. Behold, He goes by me but I do not see [Him]; and He passes but I do not perceive Him. Behold, He strikes suddenly, and who can hold Him back; who will say to Him, 'What are You doing?' G-d will not hold back His wrath; all the helpers of Rahab stoop under Him.
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Job 9:27-9:31
If I say, 'Let me forget my complaint, I will abandon my anger and restrain myself.' I will gather in all my sadness, I know that You will not declare me innocent. If I am wicked, why should I toil in vain? I washed myself with snow water and cleansed my hands with purity. Then You will plunge me in the ditch, and my garments shall abhor me.
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Job 12:12-12:25
In elders there is wisdom and in longevity there is understanding. With Him is wisdom and might; He has counsel and understanding. Behold, He breaks down and it cannot be rebuilt; He shuts up a man and there can be no opening. Behold He withholds the water and it dries up; He sends it away and it overturns the earth. With Him is might and counsel; His are the misled and the misleader. He leads counselors away with madness and He makes judges into fools. He loosens the bond of kings and He binds a girdle to their loins. He leads princes away with madness and He overthrows the mighty. He removes the speech from trusty men, and takes away the sense of the elders. He pours contempt upon princes and loosens the belt of the strong. He uncovers deep things out of darkness and brings to light the shadow of death. He makes nations great and destroys them; He spreads out the nations and leads them. He takes away the intelligence of the heads of the people of the land, and He causes them to wander in a wasteland [that is] not a road. They grope in the darkness without light, and he causes them to wander like a drunkard.
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Job 13:25-13:28
Will You frighten a rattling leaf? Will You pursue dry stubble? That You should write disobediences against me and cause me to inherit the iniquities of my youth? And that You should put my feet in the stocks and guard all my ways; You engrave my footsteps. And it is like rot that decays like a moth-eaten garment.
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Job 14:4-14:20
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean one? Not one.
If his days are limited, and the number of his months is with You, You set his bounds and he cannot cross. Turn away from him that he may rest, until, like a hireling, he desires his day.
For a tree has hope; if it is cut it will again renew itself, and its bough will not cease. If its root ages in the earth, and in the dust its trunk dies, from the smell of water it will blossom, and it will produce a branch like a sapling. But a man will die and he is weakened; man perishes and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the river is drained dry. So does a man lie down and not rise; until the heavens are no more, they will not awaken, nor will they be aroused from their sleep. Would that You hide me in the grave, that You would keep me secret, until Your wrath has subsided; give me a set time and remember me.
If a man dies, will he live? All the days of my lifespan, I will hope, until the coming of my passing.
Call and I will answer You; You desire the work of Your hands. But now, You count my steps; You do not wait for my sin. My transgression is sealed up in a bundle, and You have attached Yourself to my iniquity.
And surely the falling mountain gives forth produce and the rock that moves from its place. Stones [which] the water eroded; it washes away into dust its aftergrowth, but the hope of man You have destroyed. You overpower him to eternity and he goes away, [You] change his countenance and You send him away.
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Job 16:1-16:22
Now Job replied and said,
"I have heard such [things] many [times]; you are all troublesome consolers. Is there an end to words of wind? Or what will bring clarity to you that you should answer? I, too, could speak like you; if your soul were instead of my soul, I would join words together against you and shake my head at you. I would encourage you with my mouth, and the movement of my lips would cease. Should I speak, my pain will not cease, and should I stop, what will leave me?
Oh, how it has wearied me; you have silenced all my company. You have shrivelled me up; it has become a witness. My leanness has risen against me; it testifies before me. His wrath has torn me; yea, He hates me, He has gnashed His teeth at me. My Adversary sharpens his eyes upon me. They open their mouth at me, with disdain they strike my cheeks; united they assemble against me.
G-d delivers me to a fool and heals me through the hands of the wicked. I was tranquil, but he crumbled me to pieces; He held me by my nape and shattered me, and stood me up as a target for him. His archers surround me; he splits my kidneys and does not have compassion. He spills out my gall upon the ground. He breached me [with] breach upon breach; he runs toward me like a mighty warrior. I sewed sackcloth on my scabs and sullied my radiance in the dust. My face became shrivelled from crying, and upon my eyelids is the shadow of death. But not because of any violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure. O earth! do not cover my blood, and let there be no place for my cry.
Even now, behold my Witness is in heaven and He Who testifies for me is on high. My intercessors, my friends, to G-d my eye pours out tears. Would that a man could reason with G-d as a man with his fellow. For numbered years will come, and I will go on a way from which I will not return.
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Job 26:1-26:14
Then Job replied and said,
"How have you helped the powerless, saved the one who has no strength in his arm? How have you advised the one without wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge? Whom did you tell these words, and whose breath emerged from you? Gehinnom is hollow beneath the water and its denizens.
Sheol is naked before Him, and there is no cover for Abaddon. He stretches out the north over chaos; He suspends the earth on nothing. He binds water in His clouds, and the cloud does not split beneath it. He closes in the face of His throne; He spreads His cloud over it. He encircled a boundary on the face of the water, until the ending of light with darkness. The pillars of the heavens trembled and are astonished from His rebuke. With His strength, the sea wrinkled, and with His understanding, He smote Rahab. By His breath He made the heavens a tent; His hand caused pain to the bar- like serpent.
Behold these are the outskirts of His ways, and what implication of any matter can be understood therein, and who understands the thunder of His mighty deeds?"
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Job 28:1-28:28
For silver has a mine, and gold has a place where it is refined.
Iron is taken from earth and copper is smelted from stone.
He made an end to darkness, and every end He fathoms-a stone of darkness and the shadow of death.
A stream burst forth from the place of its flow; those who cause the foot to be forgotten are removed, yea, from man they are lifted up.
A land from which bread emerged, and its place was as though turned into fire.
Its stones [were] a place of sapphire, and it had gold dust.
A path unknown to brigands and which the eye of a vulture did not see.
Proud beasts did not tread it, neither did a lion pass by it.
He stretched His hand upon the flinty rock; He turned it over from the root of the mountains.
In the rocks, He split rivers, and His eye saw all precious things.
He bound up the depths of the rivers, and [from] Taalumah He brings out light.
But wisdom-whence will it be found, and where is the place of understanding?
No mortal knows its value, and it will not be found in the land of the living.
The deep says, "It is not in me," and the sea says, "It is not with me."
Fine gold cannot be given in its place, neither can silver be weighed out as its price.
It cannot be praised with jewelry of Ophir, with precious onyx and sapphire.
Neither gold nor glass can equal it, nor is a pure golden vessel its exchange.
Coral and crystal cannot be mentioned, and the striving for wisdom [is more precious] than pearls.
The topaz of Kush cannot equal it; it cannot be praised with jewelry of pure gold.
Now whence does wisdom come, and where is the place of understanding?
It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and it is concealed from the winged creatures of the heavens.
Destruction and death said, "With our ears we heard its report."
G-d understood its way, and He knew its place.
For He looks to the ends of the earth, and He sees under all the heavens.
To make a weight for the wind, and He meted out the water with a measure,
when He made a decree for the rain and a way for the clouds [and] the thunders.
Then He saw and counted it, prepared it, yea, searched it out.
And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the L-rd is wisdom and shunning evil is understanding.' "
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Job 30:1-30:31
But now, those younger in days than I laugh at me; those whose fathers I despised, to put them with the sheep dogs. Moreover, why did I need the strength of their hands; old age was wasted on them. Because of want and because of hunger, they sat in solitude; they would flee to desolation, to the darkness of waste and desolation. They pluck salt-wort on shrubs, and the roots of juniper bushes were their fare. They are driven forth from the midst [of the city], they shout at them as [at] a thief. To dwell in the crevices of the valleys, in holes of earth and rocks. Among the shrubs they bray; under the nettles they gather. Sons of churls, sons of ignoble men were broken from the land.
But now I have become their song, and I have become their conversation piece.
They abhor me, they have distanced themselves from me, and from my face they have spared no spittle. For He untied my bowstring and afflicted me, and they have cast off the bridle before me. On my right, "little sprouts" stand; they push away my feet and they cast up against me their ways of destruction. They break up my path; they serve to increase my calamity, although they derive no help therefrom. As [through] a wide breach they come; under [cover of] darkness they roll upon [me]. Terrors turned upon me; they pursue my nobility as a spirit, and my salvation passed by like a cloud.
And now, my soul pours out upon me; days of affliction seize me. At night, my bones are picked off me and my sinews have no rest. By great force is my garment changed; like the opening of my shirt it girds me. It directed me to the mud, and I was compared to dust and ashes. I cry out to You but You do not answer me; I stood, and You ponder me. You became cruel to me; with the strength of Your hand You manifest hatred to me. You lift me up to the spirit, You cause me to ride [on it], and weakness melts me away.
For I knew that You would return me to death and to the meeting place of all living. But not with destruction does He stretch forth his hand; if with His misfortune, He would dandle them. Whether I did not weep for one who had a difficult time, or whether my soul was [not] grieved for the needy. For I hoped for good and evil came, and I looked forward to light and pitch darkness came. My innards seethed and did not become silent; days of affliction came before me. I went blackened without the sun; I rose in the congregation and I would cry out. I was a brother to jackals and a companion to ostriches. My skin, which was upon me, was blackened, and my bones dried out from the heat. And my harp became mournful, and my flute [turned] into the voice of weepers.
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Job 34:13-34:15
Who gave Him a charge over the earth, and who disposed the entire world? If He puts His heart to it, His spirit and His soul He would gather in to Himself. All flesh would perish together, and man would return to the dust.
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Job 37:20-37:21
Need it be told to Him when I speak, or need a man tell what is kept a secret?
And now, they did not see the rain; it is [like] bright [clouds] in the skies, and a wind came and cleared them away.
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Job 38:1-39:30
Then the L-rd answered Job from the tempest and said,
"Who is this who gives dark counsel, with words, without knowledge?
Now gird your loins like a man, and I will ask you and [you] tell Me.
Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell if you know understanding. Who placed its measures if you know, or who extended a line over it? On what were its sockets sunk, or who laid its cornerstone? When the morning stars sing together, and all the angels of G-d shout? And [who] shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth and issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud its raiment and the dark cloud its wrapping? And broke for it My prescribed limit, and placed a bar and doors? And said, 'Until here you may come but no further, and here [your strength] shall place your waves with pride.'
In [all] your days, did you command the morning? Did you tell the dawn its place? To grasp the corners of the earth so that the wicked shall be shaken from it? The seal changes like clay and they shall stand like a garment. And their light shall be withheld from the wicked, and the high arm shall be broken.
Have you come until the locks of the sea, and have you walked in the searching out of the deep?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you, and do you see the gates of the shadow of death?
Do you understand [everything] until the breadths of the earth? Tell if you know it all. Which is the way to [the place] where the light dwells, and as for darkness-where is its place? That you should take it to its border and that you should understand the paths of its house? You knew- for then you were born, and the number of your days would be many.
Have you come to the treasures of snow, and did you see the treasures of hail? That I saved for a time of trouble, for a day of battle and war?
Which way is the light parted, [which way] does the eastern one spread it over the earth?
Who has separated a place for the hair and a way for the cloud of the thunderclaps? To rain on the earth where no man is; a desert in which there is no man. To sate darkness and desolation and to cause a source of grass to sprout. Has the rain a father, or who begot the waves of dew? From whose womb did the ice emerge, and the frost of the heaven-who bore it? Like a stone, the water hides, and the face of the deep is caught.
Can you tie the chains of the Pleiades or loose the straps of Orion?
Can you take out the constellations each in its time, and can you console Ayish for her children? Do you know the ordinances of heaven; can you place his dominion upon the earth?
Can you lift up your voice to the cloud, or will an abundance of water cover you? Will you send forth lightning bolts so that they should go and say to you, 'Here we are'?
Who placed wisdom in the inward parts or who gave the rooster understanding?
Who charges the skies with wisdom, and who brings down the bottles of heaven? When the dust was poured into a mass and the clods cleaved together?
Do you hunt the prey for the old lion, or do you fill the appetite of the young lions? When they crouch in their dens, they abide in the covert to lie in wait? Who prepares for the raven his prey, when his young cry out to G-d, they wander for lack of food?
Do you know the time for the mountain goats to give birth? Do you wait for the hinds to calve? Do you count the months when they will be filled, and do you know the time of their birth? They kneel; they bring forth their young; they send forth their pangs. Their children grow strong; they grow up on the grain; they go forth and do not return to them.
Who sent the wild donkey free, or who loosed the bands of the wild donkey? Whose house I have made the wilderness, and whose dwellings the salt land. He mocks the tumult of the city; he does not hearken to the shouts of the driver. He spies out the mountains for his pasture, and he searches after every green thing. Does the wild ox wish to serve you; will it lodge by your manger? Can you tie a wild ox to a furrow with his rope or will he harrow the valleys after you? Will you rely on him because his strength is great, or will you leave your toil for him? Will you believe him that he will return your seed or that he will gather in your threshing floor?
The wing of the renanim rejoices, or the winged stork or the nozah. For she leaves her eggs on the ground, and she warms herself on the earth. She forgets that a foot will crack it, and the beast of the field will step on it. She is hardened against her young ones as though they were not hers; though her toil is in vain, she has no fear. For G-d caused her to forget wisdom, and He did not give her a share of understanding. Like the time that she goes off on high; she scorns the horse and its rider.
Did you give the horse his strength? Did you clothe his neck with fierceness? Do you make him leap like a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible. They spy in the valley and rejoice with strength; he goes forth toward the arms. He scorns fear and is not dismayed; neither does he retreat because of the sword. The quiver upon him rattles, the blade of the spear and the javelin. With tumult and shaking he hollows out the ground, and he does not believe that it is the sound of a shofar. To many shofaroth he says, 'Hurrah!' He smells battle from afar, the thunder of princes and shouting.
Is it because of your understanding that the hawk grows a wing, that it spreads out its wings to the south? Or is it by your order that the eagle flies high, and that he lifts up his nest? He dwells on the rock and lodges, on the crag of the rock and the stronghold. From there he searches for food; his eyes behold it afar off. And his eaglets gulp down blood; and where there are slain, there he is."
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Song Of Songs 1:12-1:15
"While the king was still at his table, my spikenard gave forth its fragrance. A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me; between my breasts he shall lie. A cluster of henna-flowers is my beloved to me, in the vineyards of Ein-Gedi." "Behold, you are comely, my beloved; behold, you are comely; your eyes are like doves."
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Song Of Songs 3:6-3:8
Who is this coming up from the desert, like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, of all the powder of the peddler? Behold the litter of Solomon; sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel. They all hold the sword, skilled in warfare; each one with his sword on his thigh because of fear at night.
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Song Of Songs 4:3-4:16
Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your speech is comely; your temple is like a split pomegranate from within your kerchief. Your neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model; a thousand shields hanging on it, all the quivers of the mighty men. Your two breasts are like two fawns, the twins of a gazelle, who graze among the roses.
Until the sun spreads and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. You are all fair, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you.
With me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon shall you come; you shall look from the peak of Amanah, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from mountains of leopards.
You have captivated my heart, my sister, [my] bride; you have captivated my heart with one of your eyes, with one link of your necklaces. How fair is your love, my sister, [my] bride; how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than all spices!
Your lips drip flowing honey, O bride; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. A locked up garden is my sister, [my] bride; a locked up spring, a sealed fountain. Your arid fields are as a pomegranate orchard with sweet fruit, henna and spikenard. Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all frankincense trees, myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices. A garden fountain, a well of living waters and flowing streams from Lebanon."
"Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out; let my beloved come to his garden and eat his sweet fruit."
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Song Of Songs 5:9-6:3
"What is your beloved more than another beloved, O fairest of women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you have so adjured us?"
"My beloved is white and ruddy, surrounded by myriads. His head is as the finest gold; his locks are curled, [they are as] black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves beside rivulets of water, bathing in milk, fitly set. His jaws are like a bed of spice, growths of aromatic plants; his lips are [like] roses, dripping with flowing myrrh. His hands are [like] wheels of gold, set with chrysolite; his abdomen is [as] a block of ivory, overlaid with sapphires. His legs are [as] pillars of marble, founded upon sockets of fine gold, his appearance is like the Lebanon, chosen as the cedars. His palate is sweet, and he is altogether desirable; this is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."
"Where has your beloved gone, O fairest of women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?"
"My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the spice beds, to graze in the gardens and to gather roses. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine, who grazes among the roses."
"You are fair, my beloved, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, awesome as the bannered legions.
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Song Of Songs 7:2-7:10
How fair are your feet in sandals, O daughter of nobles! The curves of your thighs are like jewels, the handiwork of a craftsman. Your navel is [like] a round basin, where no mixed wine is lacking; your belly is [like] a stack of wheat, fenced in with roses. Your two breasts are like two fawns, the twins of a gazelle. Your neck is like an ivory tower; your eyes are [like] pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-Rabbim; your face is as the tower of Lebanon, facing towards Damascus.
Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the braided locks of your head are like purple; the king is bound in the tresses. How fair and how pleasant you are, a love with delights! This, your stature, is like a palm tree, and your breasts are like clusters [of dates].
I said: Let me climb up the palm tree, let me seize its boughs, and let your breasts be now like clusters of the vine and the fragrance of your countenance like [that of] apples. And your palate is like the best wine, that glides down smoothly to my beloved, making the lips of the sleeping speak."
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Song Of Songs 8:10-8:14
I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers, then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace.
Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-Hamon; he gave the vineyard to the keepers; each one brought for the fruit thereof one thousand pieces of silver.
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me; you, O Solomon, shall have the thousand, and those who watch its fruit, two hundred.
You, who sit in the gardens the friends hearken to your voice; let me hear [it].
Flee, my beloved, and liken yourself to a gazelle or to a fawn of the hinds on the spice mountains."
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Lamentations 1:8
Jerusalem sinned grievously, therefore she became a wanderer; all who honored her despised her, for they have seen her shame; moreover, she herself sighed and turned away.
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Lamentations 1:12-1:16
All of you who pass along the road, let it not happen to you. Behold and see, if there is any pain like my pain, which has been dealt to me, [with] which the L-rd saddened [me] on the day of His fierce anger.
From above He has hurled fire into my bones, and it broke them; He has spread a net for my feet, He has turned me back, He has made me desolate [and] faint all day long.
The yoke of my transgressions was marked in His hand, they have become interwoven; they have come upon my neck and caused my strength to fail; the L-rd delivered me into the hands of those I could not withstand.
The L-rd has trampled all my mighty men in my midst, He summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men; the L-rd has trodden as in a wine press the virgin daughter of Judah.
For these things I weep; my eye, yea my eye, sheds tears, for the comforter to restore my soul is removed from me; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed.
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Lamentations 2:8-2:11
The L-rd determined to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; He stretched out a line; He did not restrain His hand from destroying; indeed, He caused rampart and wall to mourn, [and] they languish together.
Her gates are sunk into the ground; He has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are [exiled] among the heathens, [and] there is no more teaching; moreover, her prophets obtain no vision from the L-rd.
The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence, they laid dust on their heads [and] put on sackcloth; the maidens of Jerusalem bowed their heads to the ground.
My eyes are spent with tears, my innards burn; my heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, while infant and suckling faint in the streets of the city.
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Lamentations 2:13
What shall I testify for you? What shall I compare to you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is as vast as the sea-who can heal you?
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Lamentations 3:1-3:24
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
He has led me and made me walk [in] darkness and not [in] light.
Only against me would He repeatedly turn His hand the whole day long.
He has made my flesh and my skin waste away [and] has broken my bones.
He has built up [camps of siege] against me, and encompassed [me with] gall and travail.
He has made me dwell in darkness like those who are forever dead.
He has fenced me in, so that I cannot get out; He has made my chains heavy.
Though I cry out and plead, He shuts out my prayer.
He has walled up my roads with hewn stones, He has made my paths crooked.
He is to me a bear lying in wait, a lion in hiding.
He scattered thorns on my ways, He caused me to spread my legs apart, and made me desolate.
He bent His bow and set me up as a target for the arrow.
He has caused the arrows of His quiver to enter into my reins.
I have become the laughing stock of all my people, their song [of derision] all day long.
He has filled me with bitterness; He has sated me with wormwood.
Indeed, He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and caused me to wallow in ashes.
And my soul is far removed from peace, I have forgotten [what] goodness [is].
So I said, "Gone is my life, and my expectation from the L-rd."
Remember my affliction and my misery, wormwood and gall.
My soul well remembers and is bowed down within me.
This I reply to my heart; therefore I have hope.
Verily, the kindnesses of the L-rd never cease! Indeed, His mercies never fail!
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
"The L-rd is my portion," says my soul; "therefore I will hope in Him."
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Lamentations 3:43-3:51
You have enveloped Yourself with anger and pursued us; You have slain without mercy.
You have enveloped Yourself in a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
You make us as scum and refuse among the peoples.
All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
We had terror and pitfalls, desolation and ruin.
My eyes shed torrents of water over the destruction of the daughter of my people.
My eye streams and is not silent, without respite.
Till the L-rd looks down from the heavens and beholds.
My eye sullies my soul more than all the daughters of my city.
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Lamentations 4:12-4:22
The kings of the earth did not believe, nor all the inhabitants of the world, that a foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
[It was] for the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests, who shed in her midst the blood of the righteous.
The blind stagger through the streets, they are defiled with blood, and none can touch their garments.
"Depart, unclean!" they called out to them, "Depart, depart, do not touch!" for they are foul, even slipping; they said, "They shall no more sojourn among the nations."
The anger of the L-rd divided them; He will regard them no longer; they respected not the presence of the priests; they favored not the elders.
Our eyes still strained for our futile help; in our expectations we hoped for a nation that could not save [us].
They dogged our steps [and prevented us] from walking in the streets; our end drew near, our days were fulfilled, for our end had come.
Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens; they chased us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
The breath of our nostrils, the L-rd's anointed, was captured in their pits, of whom we had said, "Under his protection we shall live among the nations."
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, who dwells in the land of Uz; upon you also shall the cup pass, you shall become drunk and vomit.
[The punishment of] your iniquity is complete, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into exile; [but] your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He shall punish-He will reveal your sins.
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Ecclesiastes 1:2-1:18
Vanity of vanities, said Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What profit has man in all his toil that he toils under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth endures forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and to its place it yearns and rises there. It goes to the south and goes around to the north; the will goes around and around, and the will returns to its circuits. All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers flow, there they repeatedly go.
All things are wearisome; no one can utter it; the eye shall not be sated from seeing, nor shall the ear be filled from hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. There is a thing of which [someone] will say, "See this, it is new." It has already been for ages which were before us. [But] there is no remembrance of former [generations], neither will the later ones that will be have any remembrance among those that will be afterwards.
I am Koheleth; I was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to inquire and to search with wisdom all that was done under the heaven. It is a sore task that G-d has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. I saw all the deeds that were done under the sun, and behold, everything is vanity and frustration. What is crooked will not be able to be straightened, and what is missing will not be able to be counted.
I spoke to myself, saying, "I acquired and increased great wisdom, more than all who were before me over Jerusalem"; and my heart saw much wisdom and knowledge. And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I know that this too is a frustration. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge, increases pain.
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Ecclesiastes 2:14-2:23
The wise man has eyes in its beginning, but the fool goes in the darkness, and I too know that one event happens to them all. And I said to myself, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen to me too, so why then did I become wiser?" And I said to myself that this too is vanity. For there is no remembrance of the wise man even as of the fool forever, seeing that in the coming days, all is forgotten. And how shall the wise die with the fool?
So I hated the living, for the deed that was done under the sun grieved me, for everything is vanity and frustration.
And I hated all my toil that I toil under the sun, that I should leave it to the man who will be after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish. And he will rule over all my toil that I have toiled and that I have gained wisdom under the sun; this too is vanity. And I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the toil that I toiled under the sun. For there is a man whose toil is with wisdom and with knowledge and with honesty and to a man who did not toil for it he will give it as his portion; this too is vanity and a great evil. For what has a man out of all his toil and the breaking of his heart that he toils under the sun? For all his days are pains and his occupation is vexation; even at night his heart does not rest; this too is vanity.
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Ecclesiastes 3:1-3:22
Everything has an appointed season, and there is a time for every matter under the heaven.
A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot that which is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break and a time to build.
A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time of wailing and a time of dancing.
A time to cast stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to seek and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away.
A time to rend and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
What profit has the one who works in that which he toils?
I have seen the occupation that G-d gave to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. He has made everything beautiful in its time; also the [wisdom of] the world He put into their hearts, save that man should not find the deed which G-d did, from beginning to end.
I knew that there is nothing better for them but to rejoice and to do good during his lifetime. And also, every man who eats and drinks and enjoys what is good in all his toil, it is a gift of G-d.
I knew that everything that G-d made, that will be forever; we cannot add to it, nor can we subtract from it; and G-d made it so that they fear Him. That which was is already [done], and that which is [destined] to be, already was, and G-d seeks the pursued.
And moreover, I saw under the sun, [in] the place of justice, there is wickedness, and [in] the place of righteousness, there is wickedness. I said to myself, "G-d will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every deed there."
I said to myself, [that this is] because of the children of men, so that G-d should clarify for them, so that they may see that they are [like] beasts to themselves. For there is a happening for the children of men, and there is a happening for the beasts-and they have one happening-like the death of this one is the death of that one, and all have one spirit, and the superiority of man over beast is nought, for all is vanity. All go to one place; all came from the dust, and all return to the dust. Who knows that the spirit of the children of men is that which ascends on high and the spirit of the beast is that which descends below to the earth? And I saw that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his deeds, for that is his portion, for who will bring him to see what will be after him?
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Ecclesiastes 4:1-4:3
But I returned and saw all the oppressed who are made [so] under the sun, and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they have no consoler, and from the hand of their oppressors there is power, but they have no consoler. And I praise the dead who have already died, more than the living who are still alive. And better than both of them is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
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Ecclesiastes 9:11-9:12
I returned and saw under the sun, that the race does not belong to the swift, nor the war to the mighty; neither do the wise have bread, nor do the understanding have riches, nor the knowledgeable, favor; for time and fate will overtake them all. For a person does not even know his time, like the fish that are caught with an inferior trap and like the birds that are caught in the snare; like them, the children of men are trapped at a time of evil, when it falls upon them suddenly.
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Ecclesiastes 10:4
If the spirit of the Ruler ascends upon you, do not leave your place, for a cure assuages great sins.
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Ecclesiastes 12:1-12:7
And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of evil come, and years arrive, about which you will say, "I have no desire in them." Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars darken, and the clouds return after the rain. On the day that the keepers of the house tremble, and the mighty men are seized by cramps, and the grinders cease since they have become few, and those who look out of the windows become darkened. And the doors shall be shut in the street when the sound of the mill is low, and one shall rise at the voice of a bird, and all the songstresses shall be brought low. Also from the high places they will fear, and terrors on the road, and the almond tree will blossom, and the grasshopper will drag itself along, and sexual desire will fail, for man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about in the street.
Before the silver cord snaps, and the golden fountain is shattered, and the pitcher breaks at the fountain, and the wheel falls shattered into the pit. And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to G-d, Who gave it.
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Esther 4:12-4:14
And they told Esther's words to Mordecai. And Mordecai ordered to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine to yourself that you will escape in the king's house from among all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will arise for the Jews from elsewhere, and you and your father's household will perish; and who knows whether at a time like this you will attain the kingdom?"
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Esther 5:9-5:14
And Haman went out on that day, happy and with a cheerful heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, and he neither rose nor stirred because of him, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai. But Haman restrained himself, and he came home, and he sent and brought his friends and Zeresh his wife. And Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches and the multitude of his sons, and all [the ways] that the king had promoted him and that he had exalted him over the princes and the king's servants. And Haman said, "Esther did not even bring [anyone] to the party that she made, except me, and tomorrow, too, I am invited to her with the king. But all this is worth nothing to me, every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting in the king's gate."
And Zeresh his wife and all his friends said, "Let them make a gallows fifty cubits high, and in the morning say to the king that they should hang Mordecai on it, and go to the king to the banquet joyfully." The matter pleased Haman, and he made the gallows.
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Esther 6:6-6:13
And Haman entered, and the king said to him, "What should be done to a man whom the king wishes to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?" And Haman said to the King, "A man whom the king wishes to honor, Let them bring the royal raiment that the king wore and the horse that the king rode upon, and the royal crown should be placed on his head. And let the raiment and the horse be delivered into the hand of one of the king's most noble princes and let them dress the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let them parade him on the horse in the city square and announce before him, 'So shall be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!' "
And the king said to Haman, "Hurry, take the raiment and the horse as you have spoken and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits in the king's gate; let nothing fail of all that you have spoken."
And Haman took the raiment and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and paraded him in the city square and announced before him, "So shall be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!"
And Mordecai returned to the king's gate, and Haman rushed home, mourning and with his head covered. And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and to all his friends all that had befallen him, and his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish stock, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him."
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Daniel 2:10-2:23
The Chaldeans replied before the king and said, "There is no man on the earth who can declare the king's word; because no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any necromancer, astrologer, or Chaldean. And the matter that the king asks is difficult, and there is no other who can tell it before the king but the angels, whose dwelling is not with people."
In view of this, the king was in great wrath and anger and ordered to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And a decree was issued, and the wise men were being slain, and Daniel and his colleagues were sought to be slain.
Then Daniel answered with counsel and good sense to Arioch, the king's chief executioner, who had gone out to slay the wise men of Babylon. He replied and said to Arioch, the king's ruler, "Why was the decree issued so hastily from before the king?" Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. Then Daniel entered and requested of the king that time be given him, and the interpretation would be told to the king.
Then Daniel went home and let his colleagues, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, know of the matter. And to pray and beg of the G-d of heaven about this secret, that Daniel and his colleagues should not perish with the remaining wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in the vision of the night; then Daniel blessed the G-d of heaven.
Daniel spoke up and said, "May the Name of G-d be blessed from everlasting even to everlasting, to Whom are wisdom and might. And He changes the times and the seasons, He removes kings and sets up kings; He grants wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding. He reveals the profound and secret things; He knows what is in the dark, and light dwells with Him. To You, O G-d of my forefathers, I give thanks and praise, for You have given me wisdom and might, and now You have let me know what I requested of You, for the matter of the king You have let me know."
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Daniel 2:31-2:45
O King, you were watching, and behold, one great image, an image which had a large base and with unusual splendor, was standing opposite you, and its form was frightening. That image had a head of fine gold, its breast and its arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of copper. Its legs were of iron, and its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. You were watching until one stone was hewn without hands, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and crumbled them. Then the iron, the clay, the copper, the silver, and the gold crumbled together, and they were like chaff from the threshing floors of the summer, and the wind carried them off, and no place was found for them, and the stone that struck the image became a huge mountain and filled the entire earth. This is the dream, and its interpretation we shall recite before the king.
You, O King, the King of kings, the G-d of heaven gave you a strong, powerful, and prominent kingdom. And wherever people, wild beasts, and birds of the sky dwell, He has given into your hand and has given you dominion over them all. You are the head of gold. And after you will arise another kingdom lower than you, and another-a third kingdom- of copper, which will rule over the entire earth. And a fourth kingdom will be strong as iron, for iron crumbles and flattens everything, and like iron, which shatters all these, it will crumble and shatter. And what you saw, the feet and the toes-which were partly of potter's clay and partly of iron-so it will be a divided kingdom, and in it will be some of the strength of iron, in view of what you saw iron mixed with clay. And the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, for part of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be broken. And what you saw, iron mixed with clay, [connotes] that they will mingle with the seed of men, but they will not cleave one to the other, as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings, the G-d of heaven will set up a kingdom forever, it will not be destroyed, and the kingdom will not be left to another people; it will crumble and destroy all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever. Just as you saw that from the mountain a stone was hewn without hands, and it crumbled the iron, the copper, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great G-d has let the king know what will be after this, and the dream is true, and its interpretation is reliable."
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Daniel 3:24-3:25
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was bewildered and stood up in haste. He shouted and said to his leaders, "Did I not cast three men into the fiery furnace, bound?" They answered and said to the king, "The king is true."
He called out and said, "Behold, I see four free men walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no wound upon them, and the form of the fourth one is like [that of] an angel."
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Daniel 7:7-7:14
After this, I saw in the visions of the night, and behold a fourth beast, awesome and dreadful and exceedingly strong, and it had huge iron teeth. It ate and crushed, and trampled the rest with its feet, and it was different from all the beasts that were before me, and it had ten horns. I looked at these horns and behold another small horn came up among them, and three of the first horns were plucked out before it, and behold eyes like human eyes were on this horn, and a mouth speaking arrogantly. I was looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days sat; His raiment was as white as snow, and the hair of His head was like clean wool; His throne was sparks of fire, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and emerging from before Him; a thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand ten thousands arose before Him. Justice was established, and the books were opened.
I saw then from the sound of the arrogant words that the horn spoke, I looked until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to a flame of fire. But as for the other beasts, their dominion was removed, and they were given an extension of life until a set time.
I saw in the visions of the night, and behold with the clouds of the heaven, one like a man was coming, and he came up to the Ancient of Days and was brought before Him. And He gave him dominion and glory and a kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and tongues shall serve him; his dominion is an eternal dominion, which will not be removed, and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
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Daniel 7:23-7:27
So he said, "The fourth beast [represents] a fourth kingdom [that] will be on the earth, which will be different from all the kingdoms, and it will devour the whole land and trample it and crush it. And the ten horns that [sprout] from that kingdom [represent] ten kings [that] will rise, and the last one will rise after them, and he will be different from the first, and he will humble three kings. And he will speak words against the Most High, and he will oppress the high holy ones, and he will think to change the times and the law, and they will be delivered into his hand until a time, two times, and half a time. And the judgment shall be established, and they will remove his dominion to be destroyed and annihilated until the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the heavens will be given to the people of the high holy ones; its kingdom is a perpetual kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey [it]."
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Daniel 8:8-8:26
And the he-goat waxed exceedingly huge, and when it became strong, the great horn broke, and an appearance of four sprouted in its stead, to the four directions of the heavens. And from one of them emerged a small horn, and it became very great to the south and to the east and to the coveted land. And it grew until the host of heaven, and it cast down to the ground some of the host and of the stars and trampled them. And until the Prince of the host it grew, and through him the daily sacrifice was removed, and the base of His Sanctuary was cast down. And a time will be given for the daily sacrifice because of transgression, and it will cast truth to the earth, and it will do and prosper.
Then I heard one holy one speaking, and one holy one said to the anonymous one who was speaking, "How long will be the vision of the daily sacrifice and the mute abomination, permitting the Sanctuary and the host to be trampled?" And he said to me, "Until evening and morning, two thousand and three hundred, and the holy ones shall be exonerated."
Now it came to pass when I, Daniel, perceived that vision, that I sought understanding, and behold, there stood before me one who appeared like a man. And I heard the voice of a man in the midst of the Ulai, and he called and said, "Gabriel, enable this one to understand the vision."
And he came beside the palace where I was standing, and when he came, I became frightened, and I fell upon my face. Then he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end." Now, when he spoke to me, I fell into a sound sleep upon my face to the ground, and he touched me and stood me up where I had been standing. And he said to me, "Behold I am letting you know what will be at the end of the fury, for it is the end of the time. The ram that you saw, the one with the horns, represents the kings of Media and Persia. And the he-goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn that is between his eyes-that is the first king. And the broken one, in whose stead stood four, represents four kingdoms [that] will rise from a nation, but not with its strength.
And at the end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have been destroyed, there will arise a brazen-faced king who understands riddles. And his power will become strong, but not through his strength, and he will destroy wondrously, and he will prosper and accomplish, and he will destroy the mighty and the people of the holy ones. And through his intellect, he will cause the deceit in his hand to prosper, and in his heart he will become proud, and in tranquility he will destroy many, and over the Prince of princes he will stand, and without strength he will be broken. And the vision of the evening and the morning that was said is true, and you close up the vision, which will be for many days."
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Daniel 9:9-9:19
To the L-rd our G-d are the mercies and the pardons, for we have rebelled against Him. And we have not hearkened to the voice of the L-rd our G-d, to follow His teachings, which He placed before us by the hand of His servants, the prophets. And all Israel have transgressed Your teaching, turning away, not heeding Your voice, and the curse and the oath, which are written in the Law of Moses, the servant of G-d, have befallen us, for we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His word, which He spoke about us and about our judges who judged us, to bring upon us a great evil, which was not done under all the heavens, as was done in Jerusalem. As is written in the Law of Moses, all this evil has come upon us, and we did not entreat the countenance of the L-rd our G-d to repent of our iniquities and to contemplate Your truth. And the L-rd hastened with the evil and brought it upon us, for the L-rd our G-d is righteous with all His deeds which He performs, and we did not hearken to His voice. And now, O L-rd our G-d, Who took Your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and You have made for Yourself a Name as of this day; we have sinned, we have dealt wickedly. O L-rd, according to all Your righteousness, may Your wrath and Your anger return now from Your city, Jerusalem, the mount of Your Sanctuary, for because of our sins and because of the iniquities of our forefathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a mockery to all those surrounding us. And now, hearken, O L-rd our G-d, to Your servant's prayer and to his supplications, and cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate Sanctuary, for the sake of the L-rd. O L-rd, incline Your ear and hearken, open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city upon which Your name is called, because not for our righteousness do we cast our supplications before You, but for Your great mercies.
O L-rd, hear; O L-rd, forgive; O L-rd, hearken and do, do not delay; for Your sake, my G-d, for Your Name is called upon Your city and upon Your people."
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Ezra 4:11-4:22
This is the meaning of the letter that they sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: "Your servants are the people of the other side of the river and Ke'eneth.
Let it be known to the king that the Jews who ascended from you upon us have come to Jerusalem, the rebellious and sinful city they are building, and the walls they have completed, and the walls they have joined. Now let it be known to the king that if this city is built and the walls are founded, they will not give the king's due, the head tax, or the meal tax they will not give, and the tax of the kings will suffer. Now, in view of this, that we wish to destroy the Temple, and it is improper for us to witness the king's disgrace, we have therefore sent and notified the king. That one should search in the annals of your fathers, and you will find in the annals, and you will know that this city is a rebellious city, and it injures kings and countries, and they have made rebellion in its midst since days of yore; because of this, this city was destroyed. We make known to the king that if this city is built, and its walls founded, because of this, you will have no part in the other side of the river."
The king sent a word to Rehum the secretary and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companies who lived in Samaria, and the rest of the other side of the river, Shelam and Ke'eth.
"The letter that you sent to us was explained and read before me.
An order was given by me, and they searched and found that this city had raised itself up over kings, and rebellion and disobedience were committed within it. And mighty kings were over Jerusalem who ruled over all beyond the river, and the king's due, the head tax, and the meal tax was given to them. Now issue an order to stop these men, and this city shall not be built; until orders are given by me. And beware of committing an error in this matter. Why should the damage increase to injure the kings?"
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Ezra 5:7-6:12
They sent a word to him, and so it was written in it:
"To King Darius, all peace. Let it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judea, to the House of the great G-d, and it is built of marble, and wood is laid in the walls, and this work was done quickly, and they succeeded with it. Then we asked these elders; as follows we said to them, 'Who issued to you the authorization to build this House and to finish this wall?' We also asked them their names, to let you know, that we should write the names of the men who are at their head. And as follows, they gave us a reply, saying, 'We are servants of the G-d of heaven and earth, and we are building the House that was built many years before this, and a great king of Israel built it and founded it. But now, since our forefathers angered the G-d of heaven, He delivered them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this House and exiled the people to Babylon. But in the first year of Cyrus, the king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued an order to build this House of G-d. And also the vessels of the House of G-d, of gold and silver, that Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple that was in Jerusalem and brought them to the temple of Babylon, King Cyrus took them from the temple of Babylon and gave them to one whose name is Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor. And he said to him, 'Take these vessels, go, bring them down into the Temple that is in Jerusalem, and the House of G-d shall be built on its place.' Then this Sheshbazzar came and began building the walls of the House of G-d that is in Jerusalem, and from then until now, it is built but not completed. And now, if it pleases the king, let the royal archives that are there in Babylon be searched, whether it is so that permission was issued by King Cyrus to build this House of G-d in Jerusalem, and the will of the king concerning this he shall send to us."
Then King Darius gave an order, and they searched in the library in which the archives were stored in Babylon. nd there was found in a pouch in the citadel of the province of Media one scroll, and so was written therein a memorandum:
In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus gave an order regarding the House of G-d in Jerusalem, that the House should be built, a place where they offer up sacrifices, and its walls should be founded, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits. Three rows of marble and a row of new wood, and the expenditures shall be given from the royal house. And also the vessels of the House of G-d, of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, let them be given over and brought to the Temple that is in Jerusalem to its place, and they shall be deposited in the House of G-d.
"Now Tattenai, the governor of the other side of the river, Shethar-Bozenai, and their companies, the Apharsechites, who are on the other side of the river, distance yourselves from there. Leave the work of this House of G-d; [to] the governors of the Jews, and [to] the elders of the Jews, [I command] this House of G-d they shall build in its place.And from me shall be issued an order regarding what you shall do with these elders of the Jews to build this House of G-d, and from the king's property from the taxes of the other side of the river [it shall] quickly [be built.] The expenses shall be given to these men so that they should not be disrupted. And what they require, and young bulls, and rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the G-d of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the statement of the priests who are in Jerusalem, let it be given to them daily without delay. That they should offer up pleasing sacrifices to the G-d of heaven and pray for the lives of the king and his children. And an order is issued by me that whatever person disobeys this order, a beam shall be torn from his house, and a gallows [shall be made], upon which to place him, and his house shall be made a dungheap because of this. And G-d, Who caused His name to rest there, will cast down any king or people that lays a hand to alter and destroy this House of G-d, which is in Jerusalem; I, Darius, have issued an edict; it shall be swiftly executed."
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Nehemiah 8:9-10:1
Then Nehemiah-he is Hattirshatha-and Ezra the priest, the scholar, and the Levites who caused the people to understand, said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; neither mourn nor weep," for all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law. And he said to them, "Go, eat fat foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord, and do not be sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Hush, for the day is holy, and do not be sad."
Then all the people went to eat and to drink and to send portions and to rejoice greatly, for they understood the words that they informed them of.
And on the second day, the heads of the fathers' houses of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, gathered to Ezra the scholar, and to understand the words of the Torah. And they found written in the Torah that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses that the Children of Israel dwell in booths on the festival in the seventh month. And that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the mountain and bring olive leaves and leaves of oil trees, myrtle leaves, date palm leaves, and leaves of plaited trees, to make booths, as it is written." And the people went forth and brought [them] and made booths for themselves, each one on his roof and in their courts and in the courts of the House of God, and in the square of the Water Gate, and in the square of the Gate of Ephraim. And all the congregation of the returnees from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths, for they had not done so from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun until that day, and there was exceedingly great joy. And he read in the scroll of the Law of God day by day from the first day until the last day, and they made the festival seven days, and on the eighth day an assembly according to the ordinance.
And on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Children of Israel gathered with fasting and with sackcloth and [with] earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their forefathers. And they rose in their place, and they read in the scroll of the Law of the Lord their God a fourth of the day, and another fourth they confessed and prostrated themselves to the Lord their God.
And on the step of the Levites stood: Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sharebiah, Bani, [and] Chenani, and they cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God. And the Levites said, namely Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, "Rise, bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting, and they shall bless Your glorious Name, for He is exalted above every blessing and praise.
You alone are the Lord; You made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens and all their host, the earth and all that is upon it, the seas and all that is in them, and You give life to them all, and the heavenly host bow down before You. You are the Lord God, Who chose Abram, took him out of Ur of the Chaldees and made his name Abraham. And You found his heart faithful before You, and You made the covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give to his seed, and You kept Your words, for You are righteous. And You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and You heard their cry by the Sea of Reeds. And You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and against all his servants and against all the people of his land, for You knew that they dealt wickedly with them, and You made for Yourself a name as of this day. And You split the sea before them, and they passed in the midst of the sea on dry land, and their pursuers You cast into the depths, like a stone in mighty waters. And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, and with a pillar of fire at night to illuminate for them the way in which they should go. And You descended upon Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven, and You gave them right ordinances and laws of truth, good statutes and commandments. And Your holy Sabbath You made known to them, and commandments and statutes and the Law You commanded them, by the hand of Your servant Moses. And bread from heaven You gave them for their hunger, and You took water out of a rock for them for their thirst, and You said to them to come to inherit the land that You raised Your hand to give them.
But they and our forefathers behaved wickedly, and they stiffened their necks and did not hearken to Your commandments. And they refused to listen, and they did not remember Your wonders that You performed with them, and they stiffened their necks, and they appointed a leader to return to their bondage because of their rebelliousness, but You are a God of forgivenesses, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, with much loving-kindness, and You did not forsake them. Although they had made themselves a molten calf, and said, 'This is your god who brought you up from Egypt,' and they committed great provocations. But You,with Your abundant mercies, did not forsake them in the desert; the pillar of cloud did not turn away from them by day to lead them on the way, neither did the pillar of fire at night to illuminate for them the way in which they should go. And You gave Your good spirit to make them understand, and You did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and You gave them water for their thirst.
And forty years You sustained them in the desert; they did not want. Their garments did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.
And You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and You separated them into a corner, and they inherited the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og the king of Bashan. And You multiplied their children like the stars of the heavens, and You brought them to the Land that You had promised their forefathers, to come [and] inherit [it]. And the children came and inherited the land, and You vanquished the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, before them, and You delivered them into their hands, and their kings and the peoples of the land to do to them as they wished. And they captured fortified cities and fat soil, and they inherited houses full of all good, hewn cisterns, vineyards, and olive trees, and fruit trees in abundance, and they ate and were sated, and they became fat, and they enjoyed pleasures with Your great goodness.
And they disobeyed and rebelled against You, and they cast Your Law behind their backs, and they slew Your prophets who warned them, to bring them back to You, and they committed great provocations. And You delivered them into the hands of their adversaries who distressed them, and at the time of their distress they cried out to You, and You heard from heaven, and according to Your abundant mercies, you gave them saviors, who saved them from the hands of their adversaries. But when they had rest, they would revert to do evil before You, and You left them in the hands of their enemies, and they ruled over them, and they returned and cried out to You, and from heaven You heard and rescued them according to Your mercy many times. And You warned them-to bring them back to Your Law, but they behaved wickedly and did not heed Your commandments, and they sinned against Your ordinances, which man should do and live with them, and they presented a stubborn shoulder, and they stiffened their necks and did not hearken. But You extended [mercy] upon them for many years, and You warned them with Your spirit by the hand of Your prophets, but they did not incline their ears, and You delivered them into the hands of the peoples of the lands. But with Your abundant mercies You did not wreak destruction upon them, and You did not forsake them, for You are a gracious and merciful God.
And now, our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God, Who keeps the covenant and the loving- kindness, do not belittle all the travail that has befallen us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our forefathers, and all Your people from the days of the kings of Assyria until this day. And You are just with all that has come upon us, for You have dealt truly and we have dealt wickedly. And our kings, our princes, our priests, and our forefathers did not keep Your Law and did not hearken to Your commandments and to Your warnings, which You warned them. And they, in their kingdom and with Your abundant goodness, which You gave them, and in the wide and fat land that You placed before them, they did not serve You, and they did not repent of their evil deeds. Behold, today we are slaves, and the land that You gave our forefathers to eat its fruit and its goodness-behold we are slaves upon it. And it lavishes its produce upon the kings whom You have appointed over us because of our sins, and they rule over our bodies and over our cattle as they wish, and we are in great distress. Yet, despite all this, we are making a treaty and writing, and signed thereon are our rulers, our Levites, [and] our priests.
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Nehemiah 13:19-13:22
Now it came to pass when the gates of Jerusalem cast shadows before the Sabbath, that I commanded, and the doors were closed, and I said that they should not open them until after the Sabbath, and I stationed some of my youths over the gates so that no load should enter on the Sabbath day. So the traffickers and the vendors of all types of merchandise lodged outside Jerusalem once and twice. And I warned them and said to them, "Why are you lodging opposite the wall? If you repeat [this], I shall lay a hand on you." Since that time, they did not come on the Sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that the watchers of the walls should purify themselves and come to hallow the Sabbath day.
This too remember for me, my God, and have pity on me according to Your abundant loving-kindness.
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