Seek God in Early Life

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
(A)Walk in the [a]ways of your heart,
And [b]in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
(B)God will bring you into judgment.
10 Therefore remove [c]sorrow from your heart,
And (C)put away evil from your flesh,
(D)For childhood and [d]youth are vanity.

Seek God in Early Life

12 Remember(E) now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the [e]difficult days come,
And the years draw near (F)when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:
While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain;
In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim;
When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all (G)the daughters of music are brought low.
Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to (H)his eternal home,
And (I)the mourners go about the streets.

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [f]loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
(J)Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
(K)And the spirit will return to God (L)who gave it.

“Vanity(M) of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.”

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 11:9 Impulses
  2. Ecclesiastes 11:9 As you see to be best
  3. Ecclesiastes 11:10 vexation
  4. Ecclesiastes 11:10 Prime of life
  5. Ecclesiastes 12:1 Lit. evil
  6. Ecclesiastes 12:6 So with Qr., Tg.; Kt. removed; LXX, Vg. broken

Prayer for Deliverance from Evil Men

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

140 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who plan evil things in their hearts;
(A)They continually gather together for war.
They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;
The (B)poison of asps is under their lips. Selah

(C)Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.
The proud have hidden a (D)snare for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set traps for me. Selah

I said to the Lord: “You are my God;
Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.
O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have [a]covered my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
Do not further his wicked scheme,
(E)Lest they be exalted. Selah

As for the head of those who surround me,
Let the evil of their lips cover them;
10 (F)Let burning coals fall upon them;
Let them be cast into the fire,
Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11 Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;
Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

12 I know that the Lord will (G)maintain
The cause of the afflicted,
And justice for the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;
The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 140:7 sheltered

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