The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

“Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

“My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.” Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,

Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.

But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.

But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.

Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.

So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go.

Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.

The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.

I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.

By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.

“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.

“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord.

Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.

“Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.

“‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

“‘As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them.

which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin,

You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.

Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’”

But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Fear the Lord

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.

the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country;

So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul—

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

Follow the Lord’s Commands

The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart.

In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.

Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.

Prosperity After Turning to the Lord

When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations,

and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today,

The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,

he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.

When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.

who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.

For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.

But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

“Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

“Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

My heart is with Israel’s princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the Lord!

The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, sent under his command into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.

Why did you stay among the sheep pens to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.

Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always.

When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

“I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart.

Saul Made King

As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.

Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched.

“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

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, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.

Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.

When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.

Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

David Flees

A messenger came and told David, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.”

Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave.

Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.

He won over the hearts of the men of Judah so that they were all of one mind. They sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your men.”

They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing.

Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name.

and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple—

then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart),

and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’;

and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name;

May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors.

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

On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

The Lord said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

“As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws,

The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel.

I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes.

He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been.

Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.

Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot.

Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.

Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.

The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the Lord my God.

Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord.”

King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.

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

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.

Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.

God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king,

“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name.

then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive, and deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know the human heart),

and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’;

and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name;

On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.

I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.

Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.”

The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.” So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.

Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.

who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.”

But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.

Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.

But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.

Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord.

The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.

He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way

so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid,

I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:

You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.

When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

“But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind:

“Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him,

Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,

My days have passed, my plans are shattered. Yet the desires of my heart

I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart.

God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.

The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing.

if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled,

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

and their hearts did not bless me for warming them with the fleece from my sheep,

so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart

My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.

“The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.

“At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.

Therefore, people revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?”

Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.

Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.

Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.

Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.

My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.

Psalm 9

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.

For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Psalm 14

For the director of music. Of David.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,

Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.

They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.

They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.

The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever!

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.

Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.

Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

Psalm 36

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.

I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.

My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.

my heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:

I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.

For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.

When one of them comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it around.

Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.

would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?

Psalm 45

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song.

My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Psalm 53

For the director of music. According to mahalath. A maskil of David.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me.

His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.

My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him!

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.

The poor will see and be glad— you who seek God, may your hearts live!

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!” They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

They would not be like their ancestors— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.

their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.

And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,

For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’

Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart.

The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.

My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food.

wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.

Psalm 108

A song. A psalm of David.

My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.

For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

Psalm 111

Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart—

I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws.

Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.

I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart.

Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law.

Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.

My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.

ק Qoph

I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord, and I will obey your decrees.

ש Sin and Shin

Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word.

Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.

Psalm 131

A song of ascents. Of David.

My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

Psalm 138

Of David.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day.

Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.

So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.

And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord.

turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—

For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live.

Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!

who plots evil with deceit in his heart— he always stirs up conflict.

a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,

Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck.

Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.

Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.

You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.

The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.

The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.

Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.

Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief.

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not upright.

Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord— how much more do human hearts!

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.

The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.

The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper; one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

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

Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.

A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.

Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?

In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart— the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

Thirty Sayings of the Wise

Saying 1

Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach,

for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.

for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

Saying 12

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.

Saying 14

My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed;

Saying 15

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.

Saying 16

Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path:

Saying 18

My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways,

for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.

If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Saying 28

Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:

As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.

Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.

Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.

Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil.

So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.

Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.

Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.

When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.

This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.

The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.

You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.

All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him.

I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him.

The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”

Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother’s house, to the room of the one who conceived me.

come out, and look, you daughters of Zion. Look on King Solomon wearing a crown, the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day his heart rejoiced.

You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.

She

I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”

My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him.

I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer.

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.

Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.

All the people will know it— Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria— who say with pride and arrogance of heart,

When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.

Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear.

You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.

Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out, and their hearts are faint.

My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction.

My heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir Hareseth.

A Prophecy Against Egypt

A prophecy against Egypt: See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.

The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.

The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.

In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border.

My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth.

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern.”

And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people playing pipes go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel.

The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.

For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water.

say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

“Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.

Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are now far from my righteousness.

Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. Who brought these up? I was left all alone, but these—where have they come from?’”

“Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults.

The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.

“Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have not been true to me, and have neither remembered me nor taken this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?

For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.

rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived.

Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.

Why, Lord, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance.

My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit.

When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.

In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the Lord.

Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.

Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done— burn with no one to quench it.

“In that day,” declares the Lord, “the king and the officials will lose heart, the priests will be horrified, and the prophets will be appalled.”

Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?

“Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart!”

Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry.

But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

You who are my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me.

Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors, but in their hearts they set traps for them.

Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.”

Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the wilderness in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.”

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.’”

But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.

You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.

These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless!

Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.

But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors. See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts instead of obeying me.

“Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.

This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’”

But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.

“But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.”

Lying Prophets

Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones tremble. I am like a drunken man, like a strong man overcome by wine, because of the Lord and his holy words.

They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’