Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. | So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! |
I have taken your testimonies as a heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. | Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight. |
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Know therefore today, and take it to heart, that Yahweh himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else. | So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other. |
I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart, when I learn your righteous judgments. | As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! |
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. | God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. |
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. | Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. |
Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. | You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” |
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. | Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. |
Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man. | As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. |
You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him. | But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. |
Yahweh is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will thank him. | The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. |
It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends. He will maintain his cause in judgment. | Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. |
Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. | I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. |
And to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. | 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. |
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer. | May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. |
A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. | A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. |
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life. | Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. |
For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening, he shall have whatever he says. | I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. |
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad. | Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. |
Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. | Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. |
But I trust in your loving kindness. My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to Yahweh, because he has been good to me. | But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. |
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. | So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. |
Blessed are those who keep his statutes, who seek him with their whole heart. | Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. |
Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path. | Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. |
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart. | The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. |