11 Teach me your way,(A) Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;(B)
give me an undivided(C) heart,
    that I may fear(D) your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;(E)
    I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me(F) from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.(G)

14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
    ruthless people are trying to kill me—
    they have no regard for you.(H)
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious(I) God,
    slow to anger,(J) abounding(K) in love and faithfulness.(L)
16 Turn to me(M) and have mercy(N) on me;
    show your strength(O) in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
    just as my mother did.(P)
17 Give me a sign(Q) of your goodness,
    that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
    for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

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All who make idols(A) are nothing,
    and the things they treasure are worthless.(B)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;(C)
    they are ignorant, to their own shame.(D)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(E)
    which can profit nothing?(F)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(G)
    such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
    they will be brought down to terror and shame.(H)

12 The blacksmith(I) takes a tool
    and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
    he forges it with the might of his arm.(J)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
    he drinks no water and grows faint.(K)
13 The carpenter(L) measures with a line
    and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
    and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,(M)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.(N)
14 He cut down cedars,
    or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
    or planted a pine,(O) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(P) for burning;
    some of it he takes and warms himself,
    he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships(Q) it;
    he makes an idol and bows(R) down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
    over it he prepares his meal,
    he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
    “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.(S)
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.(T)
He prays(U) to it and says,
    “Save(V) me! You are my god!”

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The Certainty of God’s Promise

13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,(A) 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[a](B) 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.(C)

16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.(D) 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging(E) nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,(F) he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,(G) we who have fled to take hold of the hope(H) set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,(I) 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.(J) He has become a high priest(K) forever, in the order of Melchizedek.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 6:14 Gen. 22:17

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