תְּהִלִּים

א לַמְנַצֵּחַ, מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד. 1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David;

ב בְּבוֹא-אֵלָיו, נָתָן הַנָּבִיא-- כַּאֲשֶׁר-בָּא, אֶל-בַּת-שָׁבַע. 2 When Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.

ג חָנֵּנִי אֱלֹהִים כְּחַסְדֶּךָ; כְּרֹב רַחֲמֶיךָ, מְחֵה פְשָׁעָי. 3 Be gracious unto me, O God, according to Thy mercy; according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgressions.

ד הרבה (הֶרֶב), כַּבְּסֵנִי מֵעֲו‍ֹנִי; וּמֵחַטָּאתִי טַהֲרֵנִי. 4 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

ה כִּי-פְשָׁעַי, אֲנִי אֵדָע; וְחַטָּאתִי נֶגְדִּי תָמִיד. 5 For I know my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.

ו לְךָ לְבַדְּךָ, חָטָאתִי, וְהָרַע בְּעֵינֶיךָ, עָשִׂיתִי:
לְמַעַן, תִּצְדַּק בְּדָבְרֶךָ-- תִּזְכֶּה בְשָׁפְטֶךָ. 6 Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in Thy sight; {N}
that Thou mayest be justified when Thou speakest, and be in the right when Thou judgest.

ז הֵן-בְּעָווֹן חוֹלָלְתִּי; וּבְחֵטְא, יֶחֱמַתְנִי אִמִּי. 7 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

ח הֵן-אֱמֶת, חָפַצְתָּ בַטֻּחוֹת; וּבְסָתֻם, חָכְמָה תוֹדִיעֵנִי. 8 Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts; make me, therefore, to know wisdom in mine inmost heart.

ט תְּחַטְּאֵנִי בְאֵזוֹב וְאֶטְהָר; תְּכַבְּסֵנִי, וּמִשֶּׁלֶג אַלְבִּין. 9 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

י תַּשְׁמִיעֵנִי, שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה; תָּגֵלְנָה, עֲצָמוֹת דִּכִּיתָ. 10 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast crushed may rejoice.

יא הַסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ, מֵחֲטָאָי; וְכָל-עֲו‍ֹנֹתַי מְחֵה. 11 Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

יב לֵב טָהוֹר, בְּרָא-לִי אֱלֹהִים; וְרוּחַ נָכוֹן, חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי. 12 Create me a clean heart, O God; and renew a stedfast spirit within me.

יג אַל-תַּשְׁלִיכֵנִי מִלְּפָנֶיךָ; וְרוּחַ קָדְשְׁךָ, אַל-תִּקַּח מִמֶּנִּי. 13 Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy holy spirit from me.

יד הָשִׁיבָה לִּי, שְׂשׂוֹן יִשְׁעֶךָ; וְרוּחַ נְדִיבָה תִסְמְכֵנִי. 14 Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and let a willing spirit uphold me.

טו אֲלַמְּדָה פֹשְׁעִים דְּרָכֶיךָ; וְחַטָּאִים, אֵלֶיךָ יָשׁוּבוּ. 15 Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall return unto Thee.

טז הַצִּילֵנִי מִדָּמִים, אֱלֹהִים-- אֱלֹהֵי תְּשׁוּעָתִי:
תְּרַנֵּן לְשׁוֹנִי, צִדְקָתֶךָ. 16 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; {N}
so shall my tongue sing aloud of Thy righteousness.

יז אֲדֹנָי, שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח; וּפִי, יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ. 17 O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.

יח כִּי, לֹא-תַחְפֹּץ זֶבַח וְאֶתֵּנָה; עוֹלָה, לֹא תִרְצֶה. 18 For Thou delightest not in sacrifice, else would I give it; Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering.

יט זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים, רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה:
לֵב-נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה-- אֱלֹהִים, לֹא תִבְזֶה. 19 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; {N}
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

כ הֵיטִיבָה בִרְצוֹנְךָ, אֶת-צִיּוֹן; תִּבְנֶה, חוֹמוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם. 20 Do good in Thy favour unto Zion; build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.

כא אָז תַּחְפֹּץ זִבְחֵי-צֶדֶק, עוֹלָה וְכָלִיל;
אָז יַעֲלוּ עַל-מִזְבַּחֲךָ פָרִים. 21 Then wilt Thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt-offering and whole offering; {N}
then will they offer bullocks upon Thine altar. {P}

מַשְׂכִּיל

Lord, take my hands and my heart.
My hollow life is that which i own, now I am free to give everything over to You. Two hands with a body of white clay. I see myself for what I am, please let me see more of who you are by רוח הקודש.

Take away from me all of my dreams and ambitions.
Take me from the private desires I keep for myself.
Keep me from the passion of my own will, and grant that I may be placed under the discipline of Your wisdom and humility. Amen.

Confessions from the beginning

The bony claw of tempatation has rested her hand upon my chest.
To frail and weary of mind to know how to turn away, she fixes her nails further in me and all I thought I could do was walk calmly away with her (which I did).
The memories I carry - the lust of the eyes, the tradgedy of human ethos rush to my face like a blast of fire. Fragments of existence without grace haunt me today and fall upon me like a net from the fowler (Lord free me from this net).
Lord, I place my unworthy nature in Your hands. I cannot carry myself to freedom, nor can I long for it without Your saving grace. I ask for Your holy Spirit to fill me and draw me closer to You. Please reveal to me grace and truth, and transform me by them further. Amen.


"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing that exists came into being.
In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of men.
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it."

"Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod,

the flock that belongs to you,

the one that lives alone in a thicket,

in the midst of a pastureland."

Lord, we are broken and far from You.
Our hearts wander in weariness from the peace of our God.
Hold our hands and fill our thoughts; draw us closer to truth.
Open our hearts to seek and live for You.
Shepherd Your people Israel in the steadfastness of Your love, forever Amen.