because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in? When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors—

Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children,

then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.

But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.

If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,

“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.

So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

“But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.

You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.

who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.

Your compassion, Lord, is great; preserve my life according to your laws.