- My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart. - The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
the heart of a fool is worthless. - And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.
- Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me. - As a face is reflected in water,
so the heart reflects the real person. - Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
- Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you. - O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. - The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living. - A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. - So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!
- God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God. - My child, never forget the things I have taught you.
Store my commands in your heart.
If you do this, you will live many years,
and your life will be satisfying. - Give me an eagerness for your laws
rather than a love for money! - Your laws are my treasure;
they are my heart’s delight. - Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.
- You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
- Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.
- “Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart.”
- I have tried hard to find you—
don’t let me wander from your commands. - The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
But I, the Lord, search all hearts
and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve. - But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
- Wash yourselves and be clean!
Get your sins out of my sight.
Give up your evil ways. - Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. - Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
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