“As for you, my son Solomon, (A)know the God of your father, and serve Him (B)with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for (C)the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. (D)If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will (E)cast you off forever.

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“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion(A) and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart(B) and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him,(C) he will be found by you; but if you forsake(D) him, he will reject(E) you forever.

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13 And (A)you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me (B)with all your heart.

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13 You will seek(A) me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.(B)

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(A)Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (B)Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and (C)purify your hearts, you double-minded. (D)Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 (E)Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Do Not Judge a Brother

11 (F)Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother (G)and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

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Come near to God and he will come near to you.(A) Wash your hands,(B) you sinners, and purify your hearts,(C) you double-minded.(D) Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.(E) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.(F)

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.(G) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[a] or judges them(H) speaks against the law(I) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,(J) but sitting in judgment on it.

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking(A)

(B)“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For (C)everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

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Ask, Seek, Knock(A)

“Ask and it will be given to you;(B) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;(C) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

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(A)Seek the Lord while He may be (B)found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
(C)Let the [a]wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man (D)his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
(E)And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 55:7 Lit. man of iniquity

Seek(A) the Lord while he may be found;(B)
    call(C) on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake(D) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.(E)
Let them turn(F) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(G) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(H)

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Then I will give them (A)a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be (B)My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me (C)with their whole heart.

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I will give them a heart to know(A) me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people,(B) and I will be their God, for they will return(C) to me with all their heart.(D)

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61 Let your (A)heart therefore be [a]loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 8:61 Lit. at peace with

61 And may your hearts(A) be fully committed(B) to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

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The Value of Wisdom

My son, if you receive my words,
And (A)treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
(B)If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
(C)Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
(D)For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

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Moral Benefits of Wisdom

My son,(A) if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding(B)
indeed, if you call out for insight(C)
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,(D)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.(E)
For the Lord gives wisdom;(F)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(G)

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And he went out [a]to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. (A)The Lord is with you while you are with Him. (B)If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but (C)if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 15:2 Lit. before

He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you(A) when you are with him.(B) If you seek(C) him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.(D)

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10 And those who (A)know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

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10 Those who know your name(A) trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken(B) those who seek you.(C)

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But the Lord said to Samuel, (A)“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have [a]refused him. (B)For[b] the Lord does not see as man sees; for man (C)looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the (D)heart.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 16:7 rejected
  2. 1 Samuel 16:7 LXX For God does not see as man sees; Tg. It is not by the appearance of a man; Vg. Nor do I judge according to the looks of a man

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance,(A) but the Lord looks at the heart.”(B)

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24 (A)God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

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24 God is spirit,(A) and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

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10 I, the Lord, (A)search the heart,
I test the [a]mind,
(B)Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:10 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys

10 “I the Lord search the heart(A)
    and examine the mind,(B)
to reward(C) each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”(D)

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