Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

The Essence of the Law

So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

you must not heed the words of those prophets or those who divine by dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you indeed love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

He said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart,

Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.”

from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the Israelites, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you; for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods”; Solomon clung to these in love.

He said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant in steadfast love with your servants who walk before you with all their heart—

Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the Lord your God. Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness.”

and who extended to me steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

and in righteousness they will praise the eternal God. All the Israelites who are saved in those days and are truly mindful of God will be gathered together; they will go to Jerusalem and live in safety forever in the land of Abraham, and it will be given over to them. Those who sincerely love God will rejoice, but those who commit sin and injustice will vanish from all the earth.

And Onias spoke, saying, “This is a man who loves the family of Israel and prays much for the people and the holy city—Jeremiah, the prophet of God.”

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. With your faithful help

Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

Psalm 136

God’s Work in Creation and in History

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Take Life as It Comes

All this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate one does not know. Everything that confronts them

for you saved me from destruction and rescued me in time of trouble. For this reason I thank you and praise you, and I bless the name of the Lord.

Heb adds:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to the God of praises, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to the guardian of Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to him who formed all things, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to the redeemer of Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to him who gathers the dispersed of Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to him who rebuilt his city and his sanctuary, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to him who makes a horn to sprout for the house of David, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to him who has chosen the sons of Zadok to be priests, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to the shield of Abraham, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to the rock of Isaac, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to the mighty one of Jacob, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to him who has chosen Zion, for his steadfast love endures forever; Give thanks to the King of the kings of kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his loyal ones. For the children of Israel, the people close to him. Praise the Lord!

God’s Mercy Remembered

I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all that the Lord has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

You show steadfast love to the thousandth generation, but repay the guilt of parents into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of hosts,

Further Assurances of God’s Redeeming Love

The Lord said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”

Punishment for Israel’s Sin

Do not rejoice, O Israel! Do not exult as other nations do; for you have played the whore, departing from your God. You have loved a prostitute’s pay on all threshing floors.

God’s Compassion Despite Israel’s Ingratitude

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.