The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. | The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. |
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. | Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. |
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The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. | The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. |
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. | 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. |
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” | 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. |
Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. | Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor. |
The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. | The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. |
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. | Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. |
If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. | “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.” |
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. | The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. |
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. | The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. |
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. | Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. |
And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. | When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do. |
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. | Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. |
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. | Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace! |
Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. | All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. |
And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) | “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) |
But when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me. | But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me. |
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. | We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. |
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. | That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. |
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. | You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. |
Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! | Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me. |
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ | Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ |
And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. | Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed! |
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” | That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” |