The Creation

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

6Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 8God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

9Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; 15and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.”

BOOK 1

PSALM 1

The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.

1How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season

And its leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers.

4The wicked are not so,

But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the wicked will perish.

PSALM 22

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.

For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.

1My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

2O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;

And by night, but I have no rest.

3Yet You are holy,

O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

4In You our fathers trusted;

They trusted and You delivered them.

5To You they cried out and were delivered;

In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

6But I am a worm and not a man,

A reproach of men and despised by the people.

7All who see me sneer at me;

They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,

8“Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him;

Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

9Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;

You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.

10Upon You I was cast from birth;

You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

11Be not far from me, for trouble is near;

For there is none to help.

12Many bulls have surrounded me;

Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

13They open wide their mouth at me,

As a ravening and a roaring lion.

14I am poured out like water,

And all my bones are out of joint;

My heart is like wax;

It is melted within me.

15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;

And You lay me in the dust of death.

16For dogs have surrounded me;

A band of evildoers has encompassed me;

They pierced my hands and my feet.

17I can count all my bones.

They look, they stare at me;

18They divide my garments among them,

And for my clothing they cast lots.

19But You, O Lord, be not far off;

O You my help, hasten to my assistance.

20Deliver my soul from the sword,

My only life from the power of the dog.

PSALM 22

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.

For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.

1My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

2O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;

And by night, but I have no rest.

3Yet You are holy,

O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

4In You our fathers trusted;

They trusted and You delivered them.

5To You they cried out and were delivered;

In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

6But I am a worm and not a man,

A reproach of men and despised by the people.

7All who see me sneer at me;

They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,

8“Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him;

Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

9Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;

You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.

10Upon You I was cast from birth;

You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

11Be not far from me, for trouble is near;

For there is none to help.

12Many bulls have surrounded me;

Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

13They open wide their mouth at me,

As a ravening and a roaring lion.

14I am poured out like water,

And all my bones are out of joint;

My heart is like wax;

It is melted within me.

15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;

And You lay me in the dust of death.

16For dogs have surrounded me;

A band of evildoers has encompassed me;

They pierced my hands and my feet.

17I can count all my bones.

They look, they stare at me;

18They divide my garments among them,

And for my clothing they cast lots.

19But You, O Lord, be not far off;

O You my help, hasten to my assistance.

20Deliver my soul from the sword,

My only life from the power of the dog.