But there in these other lands you will look for the Lord your God. And if you look for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

What the Lord Really Wants

“Now, Israelites, listen! What does the Lord your God really want from you? The Lord your God wants you to respect him and do what he says. He wants you to love him and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

“The Lord says, ‘You must listen carefully to the commands I give you today: You must love the Lord your God, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul. If you do that,

Don’t listen to them, because the Lord your God is testing you. He wants to know if you love him with all your heart and all your soul.

Obey the Lord’s Commands

“Today the Lord your God commands you to obey all these laws and rules. Be careful to follow them with all your heart and soul.

But you must do what the Lord your God tells you to do. You must obey his commands and follow the rules that are written in this Book of Teachings. You must obey the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Then these good things will happen to you.

The Kishon River, that ancient river, swept Sisera’s men away. My soul, march on with strength!

They will be in that faraway land of their enemies, but they will turn back to you. They will feel sorry for their sins with their whole heart and soul. They will turn toward the land you gave their ancestors. They will look toward the city you chose and toward the Temple I built, and they will pray to you.

The king stood by the column and made an agreement with the Lord. He promised to follow the Lord and to obey his commands, the laws, and his rules. He promised to do this with all his heart and soul. He promised to obey the agreement written in this book. All the people stood to show that they promised to follow the agreement.

There had never been a king like Josiah before. Josiah turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength. No king had followed all the Law of Moses like Josiah. And there has never been another king like Josiah since that time.

Now give your heart and soul to the Lord your God, and do what he says. Build the holy place of the Lord God. Then bring the Box of the Lord’s Agreement and all the other holy things into the Temple built for the Lord’s name.”

They will be in that faraway land of their enemies, but they will turn back to you. They will feel sorry for their sins with their whole heart and soul. They will turn toward the land you gave their ancestors. They will look toward the city you chose and toward the Temple I built, and they will pray to you.

Then they made an agreement to serve the Lord God with all their heart and with all their soul. He is the God their ancestors served.

Then the king stood up in his place. He made an agreement with the Lord. He agreed to follow the Lord and to obey his commands, laws, and rules. He agreed to obey with all his heart and soul the words of the agreement written in this book.

“So I will not be quiet! I will let my suffering spirit speak! I will let my bitter soul complain!

So my heart and soul will be very happy. Even my body will live in safety,

My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go to meet with him?

To the director: To the tune “Don’t Destroy.” A miktam of David written when he escaped from Saul and went into the cave.

God, be merciful to me. Be kind because my soul trusts in you. I have come to you for protection, while the trouble passes.

God, I am ready, heart and soul, to sing songs of praise.

Wake up, my soul! Harps and lyres, wake up, and let’s wake the dawn!

A song of David written when he was in the desert of Judah.

God, you are my God. I am searching so hard to find you. Body and soul, I thirst for you in this dry and weary land without water.

Come save my soul. Rescue me from my enemies.

My Lord, in my time of trouble I came to you. I reached out for you all night long. My soul refused to be comforted.

My soul has had enough of this pain! I am ready to die.