M A Z A M I R

P S A L M S

T E H I L L I M

 

Various Psalms were used in a quasi-magical fashion, and these are indicated for each Psalm found in our edition. In particular, Psalm 119 consists of sets of eight verses, each set of which begins with a letter of the old arabic alphabet in order. These sets have their own rubric, and this is indicated below.

1. Against miscarriages
2. For a storm at sea
3. For pains in head and shoulders
4. Good for whatever you want
5. Against an evil spirit
6. For disease of the eyes
7. To make your enemies flee
8. To find favor
9. For a sick child
10. For one who has enemies
11. To destroy enemies
12. That one should not be weak
13. To be saved from an unusual death
14. Against fear
15. To kill a demon
16. To expose a thief
17. To be recited on a journey
18. To be saved from kings
19. For wisdom
20. Good for a judgment
21. On appearing before the government
22. For every step
23. To ascertain the meaning of a dream
24. To be saved from a flood
25. For any sorrow
26. For trouble and danger
27. Against wild beasts
28. For prayer
29. Against an evil spirit
30. For anything bad
31. Against the evil eye
32. To seek mercy
33. For a woman whose children die
34. On going on a trip
35. If opponents have risen against you
36. To destroy the wicked
37. For a hired person
38. If someone counselled evil against you
39. For one who is afflicted
40. To be saved from an evil spirit
41. If you were discharged from your occupation
42. For building a house
43. Same as above
44. To be saved from the hand of an enemy
45. For one who has a bad wife
46. If a man dislikes his wife
47. For repentance
48. To make your enemies afraid of you
49. Against a fever
50. To be saved from robbers
51. Against the impurity of fornication
52. To remove someone who habitually slanders
53. To frighten your enemies
54. To wreak vengeance on your enemies
55. Against any evil
56. For one bound in fetters of iron
57. For success
58. Against a bad dog
59. Against the evil inclination
60. On going to war
61. If you have a fear of staying at home
62. To be recited after the afternoon and evening prayers
63. To succeed in business
64. To cross a river
65. If you want something from somebody
66. For one who has a[n evil?] spirit
67. For a persistent fever
68. Against an evil spirit
69. For one given to covetousness and fornication
70. In the event of war
71. To find favor
72. To find grace and mercy
73. To be saved from fear
74. If you have enemies
75. To bring pride low
76. To be rescued from fire and water
77. So that you do not fall on a day of trouble
78. To find grace and kindness in the eyes of the government
79. To quell enemies
80. To avoid engaging in any heretical worship
81. Same as above
82. To succeed on a mission
83. In the event of war
84. For one whose body became thin on account of serious sickness
85. To placate your friend
86. To be saved from an evil spirit
87. This is good to deliver a city
88. Also the same as above
89. For a man who is losing his limbs
90. Against a lion
91. Against an evil spirit
92. To see great miracles
93. To overcome a litigant against you
94. If your enemy is oppressing you
95. To prevent the men of your city from leading you astray
96. That your relatives should be happy
97. Also the same as above
98. To bring about peace between a person and his fellow
99. To be a saintly person
100. To overcome your enemies
101. Against an evil spirit
102. For a barren woman
103. Same as above
104. To distance a demon
105. Against a fourth fever
106. Against a third fever
107. Against a persistent fever
108. For success
109. If your enemy is oppressing you
110. To have your enemies make peace with you
111. For you to have many friends
112. To become great in your powers
113. Against heresy
114. For one who buys and sells
115. To aid in arguing with heretics
116. To avoid your death in an unnatural fashion
117. For someone who was slandered without cause
118. That a non-believer should repent

119. a

     For someone who wants to be endowed with a virtuous action

     b

     Against forgetfulness

     g

     For an ache in the right eye

     d

     For an ache in the left eye

     ha

     To be guarded against sin

     wa

     To terrify a ruler

     z

     For the spleen

     h

     For the upper belly

     t

     For an ache in the left or right kidney

     y

     Against distrust

     ka

     For a swelling of the right nostril

     la

     Against a judgment

     m

     For an ache in the right hand

     n

     On going on a trip

     sh

     To request your needs

     a

     For an ache in the left hand

     pha

     For a swelling of the left nostril

     s

     To destroy enemies

     qa

     For an ache in the left leg

     r

     For an ache in the left ear

     sha

     Against fear of an enemy

     t

     For an ache in the left ear

120. To make peace
121. For going out at night alone
122. On approaching a great man
123. For a slave who has fled
124. To travel in a ship
125. Against enemies
126. For a woman whose children have died
127. For a newborn
128. For a pregnant woman
129. For a virtuous deed
130. If you want to travel by ship
131. If you are proud
132. To break an oath
133. To establish the love of friends
134. To be said before study
135. For one who has thoughts of idolatrous worship
136. To admit deliberate sins
137. To remove hatred
138. To remove pride
139. To bring about peace between husband and wife
140. Against hatred between husband and wife
141. For a heartache
142. For a disorder in the legs
143. For a disorder in the arm
144. For a fractured hand
145. Against fear
146. Against a wound by a sword
147. Against snakebite
148. [nothing recorded]
149. To prevent the spread of fire
150. To praise the Holy One, blessed be he, for all his doings.

 

The Richest King Who Ever Lived Wisdom, Leadership, Success, Wealth, and Happiness

Solomon The King ruled the kingdom of Israel during the era of approximately 970 – 930 BCE. He is credited in I Kings 4:30-34 with wisdom greater than Eastern mystics and Egyptian scholars.  He wrote more than 1,000 songs (or poems), most of which are no longer available to us.  Solomon likely wrote Psalm 72 shortly after becoming King.  While the book of Proverbs contrasts wisdom with folly, Solomon reportedly spoke 3,000 proverbs, and various kings all over the earth sought out Solomon the king for his knowledge.  And Ecclesiastes contains some of the strongest philosophical insights into the human condition contained in the Bible.  Any number of these writings can serve as inspirational texts for anyone aspiring to leadership positions.   

the wisdom in Solomon's approach to building a kingdom: 

Align your self with your God

-Solomon the king offered a thousand burnt offerings before a bronze altar in front of the leaders of thousands and hundreds of people.  This was customary, yet Solomon made grand gestures to God.  It was this night that God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you."  Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge.  In 2 Chronicles (1:10) Solomon asked God, in prayer, "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can rule this great people of Thine?"  What did Solomon ask for?  Glory?  Riches?  Conquests?  Lovers?  Longevity?   Fame?  No.  He asked, humbly, for wisdom and knowledge.  This is what leaders must have in order to best build their kingdom. -

Focus on your primary mission -

-Solomon the king next decided to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal palace for himself. This temple construction was a major undertaking. Solomon then built a temple for the Lord, and a royal palace for himself.  Again, he kept his focus on how he might please God with his actions.  In our kingdoms of today, do businesses build first for God or try to separate God from work?  For the full account of dimensions and materials Solomon gathered for the temple, see 2 Chronicles 3 and I Kings 6 and 7.  Solomon’s temple, his primary mission, made other buildings look rather pale in comparison, especially considering the walls were lined with gold. Solomon’s task force required twenty years to complete the mission.

Gather your internal resources and form trade

-Solomon the king did not have enough stone, gold, wood, or workers to begin work.  So Solomon gathered resources, formed trade, and bartered resources he could spare for the resources he needed to complete the mission.  In 2 Chronicles 1:14 – 17,He approached Hiram, King of Tyre, to barter wood and skilled workers for barley, wheat, wine, and oil. He also needed workers, wood, gold, quarrymen, ironworkers, and supervisors. Solomon checked the census and round he had 150,000+ laborers at his disposal. This would be equivalent to employing all of the employees at Goldman Sachs, Cisco, Intel, and Starbucks combined for a period of twenty years.

Consolidate leadership within your kingdom

-Solomon the king quickly did away with two of his biggest opponents Solomon told Shimei, an enemy of King David and threat to the throne, to build a house and not to depart from a general territory near Jerusalem for any reason, or he would face certain death.  Shimei agreed to this arrangement.  Three years later, however, Shimei's servants left and went to Gath, and Shimei followed them (thus violating his agreement).  Keeping our agreements is important to building a kingdom, whether in a leadership or subjugated position, and Solomon's rule dictated prompt execution for Shimei.  This act consolidated Solomon's leadership and gave Solomon absolute authority over his people.  If there are people in your own “kingdom” grasping for your power, you must either make them allies or send them if you are to have absolute authority.  Of course, within a democratic system, it isn't always possible to execute our enemies So, the next step—forming alliances—might resolve some of those challenges.

Form strategic alliances

-Solomon the king made strategic alliances with friendly kings and queens to increase resources, trade routes, and power.  Strategic alliances also increase cooperation and eliminate competition.  Why compete when we can cooperate? The first significant alliance Solomon built was a marriage alliance with Pharaoh of Egypt, when he took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the city of David.  This act gained resources from Egypt, opened a trade route through Africa, and kept war with Egypt away from the kingdom.  Kingdoms grow more during peace than they do during war The Cedars of Lebanon were well reputed at that time, and Solomon needed them to build his temple and palace.  Solomon understood the power in alliances. Alone, we have limited skills and resources to succeed in our objectives.  However, partnered with others who have skills, resources, and teamwork, we can achieve far more of our goals in much less time.  So Solomon made deals with the Lebanese King Hiram of Tyre, trading oil, wine, barley, and wheat for woodsmen, metal workers, and various craftsmen, along with Lebanese timber (1 Kings 4, 5).His most notable alliance was with Makeda, Queen of Sheba (who ruled over Ethiopia during a time where Ethiopian power controlled Africa during the era of 970 BCE). In Solomon's day, Makeda's importance was trading through the route known as the "Horn" of Africa.  Egyptian hieroglyphic records indicate that the Pharaohs obtained frankincense and myrrh from Ethiopia, and from the Somali coast, as far back as 2700 BCE.  In addition, Ethiopia was a much larger kingdom in the days of Sheba, spanning from the Red Sea to Zimbabwe.Solomon and Sheba forming a union was not uncommon:  Solomon had over 300 wives, often representing trade agreements and treaties.

Safeguard your valuable assets

-Solomon the king needed a place to put the Ark of the Covenant with God, which was a vessel Israel used in battle representing the power of God with their army, as well as the official vessel containing the tablets representing the covenant between Israel covenant and God The lesson there is to keep your most valuable resources safe.In today's companies, the data center is often the key to their success.  Modern organizations protect their data through sophisticated “data centers” that feature extensive air conditioning, fire prevention and control, raised floor, and earthquake-proof facilities to protect their valuable computers, storage, and data Solomon was no different.  He protected his most valuable assets.  He also offered a prayer of dedication to God. It is noted in 2 Chronicles, 7:4-22 that Solomon made quite a big deal about the sacrifices to God and God responded in appreciation and also requested Solomon keep statutes and commandments and not set other gods ahead of God.  We often mistake riches, fame, and other things as more important than God, but those things fade away, while God and the gifts from God last forever.  

Rule wisely

-People came to Solomon the king with their concerns and he was well reputed for judging fairly with them to administer justice.  In I Kings 3:16-28 is detailed a story of how Solomon ruled a dispute between two women who claimed the same son.  It important to build a kingdom through integrity, ruling in fairness, honesty, and being true to our commitments.  Solomon's reputation preceded him as wise and fair with his constituency.

Celebrate success.

Solomon the king held a celebration and dedication in honor of the completion of building the temple. AT the ceremony, Solomon offered peace offerings to the Lord, and among those offerings sacrificed over 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep.  It is written in I Kings 9:65 that the feast lasted fourteen days.  It keeps spirits high to celebrate our successes, and this feast was no exception.

Avoid extravagance Keep agreements

-A lesson is to make sure we have the resources to complete our objective, and be as extravagant as the occasion calls for.  High costs mean higher taxes, and taxes result in unhappy constituents.  So, it is important to maximize our cash and avoid extravagance or we risk losing property, loyalty, and other good will. Solomon received gifts in exchange for his wisdom (information). While Solomon kept his agreements (and most specifically, his agreement with God), his wealth became greater than all the kings of the earth. Coincidentally, this is also where Solomon failed.  It is detailed in I Kings, Chapter 11 how King Solomon loved many foreign women.  And, he erected places of worship in honor of these relationships, many of which were false gods and considered detestable idols.  As a result of his broken vow (not to put any idol above God), Solomon then dealt with many adversaries in the last days of his rule.In Ecclesiastes, the “teacher” (Solomon) takes the reader through the search for meaning in life from hedonism, materialism, intellectualism, and ultimately finding a lack of fulfillment from all of these “meaningless” pursuits.  When Solomon looks back upon his personal journey, he acknowledges that his excess consumed him and in the end was "meaningless."  Yet, it is here that he recognizes the vanity of so many of his efforts, and comments: "I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor--it is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear him."  (Ecclesiastes 3:12-14). Solomon advises that there is a time for everything, yet the true meaning for man is to find value and to rejoice in his work.  This is a basis of philosophical thought by Scott Andrews

 

 

Solomon the king reflected upon his worldly success and came to a conclusion I have long felt indicative of a life well-lived: fearing God in our youth, seeking wisdom, and yet enjoying our days while we are here to enjoy them. Again, in Ecclesiastes 5:4, Solomon advises us to stand in awe of God: "When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow." 

Thus, there are many keys to building our -AT- mans X   To summarize, they are as follows:

I.  Align leadership with God.  By being in our higher power we can do great things.

II.  Focus on your primary mission.  Kingdoms without vision lack success.

III.  Gather internal resources and form open trade.  Sharing is a key to success.

IV.  Consolidate leadership and eliminate sources of strife.  Success breeds during peace.

V.  Form strategic alliances to gain resources, skills, and open trade routes.

VI.  Safeguard your valuable assets.  Keep the most valuable assets of the kingdom in the most cherished of places.

VII.  Rule wisely.  Practice integrity in all dealings.  Offer wisdom for wealth or vice-versa. 

VIII.  Celebrate Success.  Keep morale high by recognizing achievement of goals.

IX.  Avoid extravagance.  Spend what we need to achieve objectives, but avoid lavish parties.

X.  Keep your agreements.  Broken agreements lead to the demise of the kingdom.

We don't have to be religious to understand the spiritual aspects of this study of King Solomon's approach to building a kingdom.  There are so many valuable lessons contained in the life of Solomon.  He taught how to build a peaceful empire, in honor of God.  Solomon's name means (peaceful) and (be loved by God).  He was named from birth to be loved by God and peaceful.  

In a time where nations have wars and challenge each other over oil and religious issues, there is high relevance to Solomon's skillful

wisdom of building a peaceful kingdom.  Why not use his formula and build strong businesses, better government, and stronger organizations that thrive through peaceful alliances to better the world at large within which we live? then we govern X