25 Sivan, 5785

In case it is an individual who has sinned unwittingly, he shall offer a she-goat in its first year as a sin offering.

The priest shall make expiation before the LORD on behalf of the person who erred, for he sinned unwittingly, making such expiation for him that he may be forgiven.

For the citizen among the Israelites and for the stranger who resides among them—you shall have one ritual for anyone who acts in error.

But the person, be he citizen or stranger, who acts defiantly reviles the LORD; that person shall be cut off from among his people.

Because he has spurned the word of the LORD and violated His commandment, that person shall be cut off—he bears his guilt.

Once, when the Israelites were in the wilderness, they came upon a man gathering wood on the sabbath day.

Those who found him as he was gathering wood brought him before Moses, Aaron, and the whole community.

He was placed in custody, for it had not been specified what should be done to him.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death: the whole community shall pelt him with stones outside the camp.”

So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death—as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The LORD said to Moses as follows:

Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner.

That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the commandments of the LORD and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge.

Thus you shall be reminded to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God.

I the LORD am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I, the LORD your God.

Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, published by JPS
Copyright: JPS, 1985

Happy are those whose way is blameless, who follow the teaching of the LORD.

Happy are those who observe His decrees, who turn to Him wholeheartedly.

They have done no wrong, but have followed His ways.

You have commanded that Your precepts be kept diligently.

Would that my ways were firm in keeping Your laws;

then I would not be ashamed when I regard all Your commandments.

I will praise You with a sincere heart as I learn Your just rules.

I will keep Your laws; do not utterly forsake me.

How can a young man keep his way pure?— by holding to Your word.

I have turned to You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commandments.

In my heart I treasure Your promise; therefore I do not sin against You.

Blessed are You, O LORD; train me in Your laws.

With my lips I rehearse all the rules You proclaimed.

I rejoice over the way of Your decrees as over all riches.

I study Your precepts; I regard Your ways;

I take delight in Your laws; I will not neglect Your word.

Deal kindly with Your servant, that I may live to keep Your word.

Open my eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of Your teaching.

I am only a sojourner in the land; do not hide Your commandments from me.

My soul is consumed with longing for Your rules at all times.

You blast the accursed insolent ones who stray from Your commandments.

Take away from me taunt and abuse, because I observe Your decrees.

Though princes meet and speak against me, Your servant studies Your laws.

For Your decrees are my delight, my intimate companions.

My soul clings to the dust; revive me in accordance with Your word.

I have declared my way, and You have answered me; train me in Your laws.

Make me understand the way of Your precepts, that I may study Your wondrous acts.

I am racked with grief; sustain me in accordance with Your word.

Remove all false ways from me; favor me with Your teaching.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set Your rules before me.

I cling to Your decrees; O LORD, do not put me to shame.

I eagerly pursue Your commandments, for You broaden my understanding.

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your laws; I will observe them to the utmost.

Give me understanding, that I may observe Your teaching and keep it wholeheartedly.

Lead me in the path of Your commandments, for that is my concern.

Turn my heart to Your decrees and not to love of gain.

Avert my eyes from seeing falsehood; by Your ways preserve me.

Fulfill Your promise to Your servant, which is for those who worship You.

Remove the taunt that I dread, for Your rules are good.

See, I have longed for Your precepts; by Your righteousness preserve me.

May Your steadfast love reach me, O LORD, Your deliverance, as You have promised.

I shall have an answer for those who taunt me, for I have put my trust in Your word.

Do not utterly take the truth away from my mouth, for I have put my hope in Your rules.

I will always obey Your teaching, forever and ever.

I will walk about at ease, for I have turned to Your precepts.

I will speak of Your decrees, and not be ashamed in the presence of kings.

I will delight in Your commandments, which I love.

I reach out for Your commandments, which I love; I study Your laws.

Remember Your word to Your servant through which You have given me hope.

This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise has preserved me.

Though the arrogant have cruelly mocked me, I have not swerved from Your teaching.

I remember Your rules of old, O LORD, and find comfort in them.

I am seized with rage because of the wicked who forsake Your teaching.

Your laws are a source of strength to me wherever I may dwell.

I remember Your name at night, O LORD, and obey Your teaching.

This has been my lot, for I have observed Your precepts.

The LORD is my portion; I have resolved to keep Your words.

I have implored You with all my heart; have mercy on me, in accordance with Your promise.

I have considered my ways, and have turned back to Your decrees.

I have hurried and not delayed to keep Your commandments.

Though the bonds of the wicked are coiled round me, I have not neglected Your teaching.

I arise at midnight to praise You for Your just rules.

I am a companion to all who fear You, to those who keep Your precepts.

Your steadfast love, O LORD, fills the earth; teach me Your laws.

You have treated Your servant well, according to Your word, O LORD.

Teach me good sense and knowledge, for I have put my trust in Your commandments.

Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep Your word.

You are good and beneficent; teach me Your laws.

Though the arrogant have accused me falsely, I observe Your precepts wholeheartedly.

Their minds are thick like fat; as for me, Your teaching is my delight.

It was good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn Your laws.

I prefer the teaching You proclaimed to thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Your hands made me and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn Your commandments.

Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, for I have put my hope in Your word.

I know, O LORD, that Your rulings are just; rightly have You humbled me.

May Your steadfast love comfort me in accordance with Your promise to Your servant.

May Your mercy reach me, that I might live, for Your teaching is my delight.

Let the insolent be dismayed, for they have wronged me without cause; I will study Your precepts.

May those who fear You, those who know Your decrees, turn again to me.

May I wholeheartedly follow Your laws so that I do not come to grief.

I long for Your deliverance; I hope for Your word.

My eyes pine away for Your promise; I say, “When will You comfort me?”

Though I have become like a water-skin dried in smoke, I have not neglected Your laws.

How long has Your servant to live? when will You bring my persecutors to judgment?

The insolent have dug pits for me, flouting Your teaching.

All Your commandments are enduring; I am persecuted without cause; help me!

Though they almost wiped me off the earth, I did not abandon Your precepts.

As befits Your steadfast love, preserve me, so that I may keep the decree You proclaimed.

The LORD exists forever; Your word stands firm in heaven.

Your faithfulness is for all generations; You have established the earth, and it stands.

They stand this day to [carry out] Your rulings, for all are Your servants.

Were not Your teaching my delight I would have perished in my affliction.

I will never neglect Your precepts, for You have preserved my life through them.

I am Yours; save me! For I have turned to Your precepts.

The wicked hope to destroy me, but I ponder Your decrees.

I have seen that all things have their limit, but Your commandment is broad beyond measure.

Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, published by JPS
Copyright: JPS, 1985

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” Yeshua knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Yeshua answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

(ESV)