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21 Then I proclaimed a tzom there, at the Ahava River, that we might afflict ourselves before Eloheinu, to seek of Him a derech yesharah for us, and for our little ones, and for all our possessions.
22 For I was ashamed to require of the Melech a band of soldiers and parashim to protect us against the enemy on the road; because we had spoken unto the Melech, saying, The Yad Eloheinu is upon all them for tovah that seek Him, but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him.
23 So we did a tzom and besought Eloheinu for this, and He was entreated of us.
24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the Kohanim, Sherevyah, Chashavyah, and ten of their brethren with them,
25 And weighed out unto them the kesef, and the zahav, and the vessels, even the terumat Beis Eloheinu, which the Melech, and his counselors, and his officials, and kol Yisroel there present, had given as an offering.
26 I even weighed out unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of kesef, and vessels of kesef one hundred talents, and of zahav one hundred talents;
27 Also twenty bowls of zahav, of a thousand darics; and two vessels of nechoshet, precious as zahav.
28 And I said unto them, Ye are kodesh unto Hashem; the vessels are kodesh also; and the kesef and the zahav are a nedavah unto Hashem Elohei Avoteichem.
29 Watch ye, and guard them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the Kohanim and the Levi’im, and chief of the avot of Yisroel, at Yerushalayim, in the chambers of the Beis Hashem.
30 So took the kohanim and the Levi’im the weight of the kesef, and the zahav, and the vessels, to bring them to Yerushalayim unto the Beis Eloheinu.
31 Then we departed from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Yerushalayim; and the Yad Eloheinu was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and the bandit laying in wait along the Derech (road).
32 And we came to Yerushalayim, and abode there three days.
33 Now on the fourth day was the kesef and the zahav and the vessels weighed in the Beis Eloheinu by the yad of Meremot ben Uriyah HaKohen; and with him was Eleazar ben Pinchas; and with them was Yozavad ben Yeshua, and Noadyah ben Binnui, the Levi’im;
34 By mispar (number) and by weight of every one; and all the weight was written at that time.
35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, the Bnei HaGolus, offered olot unto Elohei Yisroel, twelve bulls for kol Yisroel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin offering; all this was an olah unto Hashem.
36 And they delivered the orders of the Melech unto the Satraps of the Melech, and to the governors of Beyond-the-River [Euphrates] and they gave support to HaAm, and the Beis HaElohim.
9 Now when these things were completed, the sarim came to me, saying, HaAm Yisroel, and the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, have not separated themselves from the Am HaAretz, doing according to their abominations, even of the Kena’ani, the Chitti, the Perizzi, the Yevusi, the Ammoni, the Moavi, the Egyptians, and the Emori.
2 For they have taken of their banot for themselves, and for their banim, so that the zera hakodesh have mingled themselves with the Am HaAretz; yea, the yad of the sarim (princes) and officials hath been chief in this trespass.
3 And when I heard this thing, I made keriah of my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down appalled.
4 Then were assembled around me every one that trembled at the Divrei Elohei Yisroel, because of the transgression of those of the Golus; and I sat appalled until the minchat haerev.
5 And at the minchat haerev I arose up from my abasement, and having made the keriah of my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto Hashem Elohai,
6 And davened, O Elohai, I am ashamed and am disgraced to lift up my face to thee, Elohai, for avonoteinu are increased over our head, and ashmateinu (our guilt) is reached up unto Shomayim.
7 Since the days of Avoteinu have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for avonoteinu have we, our melachim, and our Kohanim, been delivered into the hand of the melachim of the lands, to the cherev, to captivity, and to spoil, and to humiliation of face, as it is this day.
8 And now for a little space grace hath been shown from Hashem Eloheinu, to leave us to escape a she’ar (remnant), and to give us a peg in his Makom Kodesh, that Eloheinu may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9 For we were avadim; yet Eloheinu hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended chesed unto us in the sight of the Melachim of Paras (Persia), to give us a reviving, to set up the Beis Eloheinu, and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a wall in Yehudah and in Yerushalayim.
10 And now, O Eloheinu, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Thy mitzvot,
11 Which Thou hast commanded by Thy avadim the nevi’im, saying, HaAretz, unto which ye go to possess it, is an eretz niddah (unclean land) with the filthiness of the Am HaAretz, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their tum’a.
12 Now therefore give not your banot unto their banim, neither take their banot unto your banim, nor further their shalom or their prosperity ad olam, that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land and leave it for your banim ad olam.
13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that Thou Eloheinu hast punished us less than avoneinu deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this,
14 Should we again break Thy mitzvot, and join in affinity with the people of these to’evot (abominations)? Wouldest not Thou be angry with us till Thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no she’erit (remnant) nor escaping?
15 Hashem Elohei Yisroel, Thou art tzaddik; for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day; hineni, we are before Thee in our guilt, though we cannot stand before Thee because of it.
5 Zenut (fornication) is actually reported among you, and such zenut which is not even among the Goyim, that one of you Corinthians has the isha (wife) of his abba [VAYIKRA 18:8].
2 And you have been puffed up with ga’avah (pride). Should you not rather have been filled with agmat nefesh (grief), so that he who has done this would have been taken away from among you?
3 For I indeed being not present in habasar but being not absent in the Ruach Hakodesh have already, as being present, pronounced the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach’s Bet Din mishpat on the one who has done such a thing.
4 In the name of Adoneinu Yehoshua, when you have assembled in your shul (Ya 2:2) and I am with you by the same Ruach Hakodesh along with the gevurat Adoneinu Yehoshua,
5 You are to transmit and hand over to Hasatan such a person for the churban of the basar (3:16-17), that his neshamah may be spared in the Yom Hashem (AMOS 5:18; MALACHI 3:19; YOEL 2:1-17; TZEFANYAH 1:14-18).
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not have da’as that a little chametz all the mixture leavens?
7 Purge out the old chametz (leavened bread), that you may be issa chadasha (new dough, batzek, deaf dough, having no indication of fermentation), as you are indeed like matzot (unleavened bread). More than that, our Korban Pesach has been sacrificed, Moshiach. [SHEMOT 12:3-6,21]
8 So let us celebrate Pesach, not with old chametz, nor with the chametz of kavvanah ra’ah (malice) and wickedness, but with matzot of kenut (sincerity) and emes. [SHEMOT 12:14,15; DEVARIM 16:3]
9 I wrote to you in the iggeret not to mix with those engaging in acts of zenut (fornication),
10 Not meaning to completely disassociate from the zannayim of the Olam Hazeh or those guilty of chamdanut (greed) and the ones practicing hona’ah (swindling) or those guilty of avodah zarah (idol worship), als (since) in that case you would have to exit the Olam Hazeh.
11 But, now I wrote to you not to mix with any “Ach b’Moshiach” who is a zannay (fornicator) or a kamtzan (miser) or an oved elilim (idolater) or a megadef (reviler) or a shikkor (drunkard) or a shoded (robber); with such a man do not sit at tish (table), do not share betzi’at halechem (breaking of bread).
12 For what is it to me to sit as a dayan in the Bet Din and then judge ones outside the kehillah? Will your Bet Din not judge the ones within [the kehillah]?
13 But the outsiders Hashem judges. UVI’ARTA HARA MIKKIR’BECHA "You must purge the evil from among you" [DEVARIM 17:7; 19:19; 22:21,24; 24:7]
31 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid) In Thee, Hashem, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Thy tzedakah.
2 (3) Incline Thine ear to me; deliver me speedily; be Thou for me a Tzur Ma’oz, a Bais Metzudot (fortress) to save me.
3 (4) For Thou art my Sela (rock) and my Metzudah (fortress); therefore for the sake of Thy Name, lead me, and guide me.
4 (5) Pull me out of the reshet (trap, net) that they have laid for me; for Thou art my ma’oz (stronghold).
5 (6) Into Thine yad I commit my ruach; Thou hast redeemed me, Hashem El Emes [Lk 23:46; Ac 7:59].
6 (7) I hate them that are the shomrim of lying vanities [i.e., idols]; but I trust in Hashem.
7 (8) I will be glad and rejoice in Thy chesed; for Thou hast seen my affliction; Thou hast known the tzoros (troubles) of my nefesh;
8 (9) And hast not shut me up into the yad of the oyev (enemy); Thou hast set my feet in a merkhav (large place, spacious or broad place).
21 The lev melech is in the yad Hashem, as the channels of mayim; He directeth it wherever He will.
2 Every derech ish is yashar (right) in his own eynayim, but Hashem weigheth the hearts.
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