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22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

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22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed(A) spirit dries up the bones.(B)

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13 A glad heart makes a happy face;
    a broken heart crushes the spirit.

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13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful,(A)
    but heartache crushes the spirit.(B)

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25 Worry weighs a person down;
    an encouraging word cheers a person up.

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25 Anxiety weighs down the heart,(A)
    but a kind word cheers it up.

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14 The human spirit can endure a sick body,
    but who can bear a crushed spirit?

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14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
    but a crushed spirit who can bear?(A)

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10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

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10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation(A) and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

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Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

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through whom we have gained access(A) by faith into this grace in which we now stand.(B) And we[a] boast in the hope(C) of the glory of God. Not only so, but we[b] also glory in our sufferings,(D) because we know that suffering produces perseverance;(E) perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope(F) does not put us to shame, because God’s love(G) has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,(H) who has been given to us.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 5:2 Or let us
  2. Romans 5:3 Or let us

So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!

Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.

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Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine(A) with a joyful heart,(B) for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white,(C) and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife,(D) whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot(E) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

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15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
    My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
    You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.

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15 My mouth[a] is dried up like a potsherd,(A)
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;(B)
    you lay me in the dust(C) of death.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22:15 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text strength

Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement.

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Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,(A) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

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For my days disappear like smoke,
    and my bones burn like red-hot coals.
My heart is sick, withered like grass,
    and I have lost my appetite.
Because of my groaning,
    I am reduced to skin and bones.

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For my days vanish like smoke;(A)
    my bones(B) burn like glowing embers.
My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(C)
    I forget to eat my food.(D)
In my distress I groan aloud(E)
    and am reduced to skin and bones.

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When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

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When I kept silent,(A)
    my bones wasted away(B)
    through my groaning(C) all day long.
For day and night
    your hand was heavy(D) on me;
my strength was sapped(E)
    as in the heat of summer.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.