Old/New Testament
Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God.
Aleph.
119 How blessed are those whose way is [a](A)blameless,
Who (B)walk in the law of the Lord.
2 How blessed are those who (C)observe His testimonies,
Who (D)seek Him (E)with all their heart.
3 They also (F)do no unrighteousness;
They walk in His ways.
4 You have [b](G)ordained Your precepts,
[c]That we should keep them diligently.
5 Oh that my (H)ways may be established
To (I)keep Your statutes!
6 Then I (J)shall not be ashamed
When I look [d]upon all Your commandments.
7 I shall (K)give thanks to You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8 I shall keep Your statutes;
Do not (L)forsake me utterly!
Beth.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By (M)keeping it according to Your word.
10 With (N)all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me (O)wander from Your commandments.
11 Your word I have (P)treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord;
(Q)Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have (R)told of
All the (S)ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have (T)rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
[e]As much as in all riches.
15 I will (U)meditate on Your precepts
And [f]regard (V)Your ways.
16 I shall [g](W)delight in Your statutes;
I shall (X)not forget Your word.
Gimel.
17 (Y)Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.
19 I am a (Z)stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul is crushed [h](AA)with longing
After Your ordinances at all times.
21 You (AB)rebuke the arrogant, [i]the (AC)cursed,
Who (AD)wander from Your commandments.
22 (AE)Take away reproach and contempt from me,
For I (AF)observe Your testimonies.
23 Even though (AG)princes sit and talk against me,
Your servant (AH)meditates on Your statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my (AI)delight;
They are [j]my counselors.
Daleth.
25 My (AJ)soul cleaves to the dust;
(AK)Revive me (AL)according to Your word.
26 I have told of my ways, and You have answered me;
(AM)Teach me Your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts,
So I will (AN)meditate on Your wonders.
28 My (AO)soul [k]weeps because of grief;
(AP)Strengthen me according to Your word.
29 Remove the false way from me,
And graciously grant me Your law.
30 I have chosen the faithful way;
I have [l]placed Your ordinances before me.
31 I (AQ)cling to Your testimonies;
O Lord, do not put me to shame!
32 I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will (AR)enlarge my heart.
He.
33 (AS)Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall observe it to the end.
34 (AT)Give me understanding, that I may (AU)observe Your law
And keep it (AV)with all my heart.
35 Make me walk in the (AW)path of Your commandments,
For I (AX)delight in it.
36 (AY)Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to (AZ)dishonest gain.
37 Turn away my (BA)eyes from looking at vanity,
And (BB)revive me in Your ways.
38 (BC)Establish Your [m]word to Your servant,
[n]As that which produces reverence for You.
39 (BD)Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your ordinances are good.
40 Behold, I (BE)long for Your precepts;
Revive me through Your righteousness.
Vav.
41 May Your (BF)lovingkindnesses also come to me, O Lord,
Your salvation (BG)according to Your [o]word;
42 So I will have an (BH)answer for him who (BI)reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.
43 And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I [p](BJ)wait for Your ordinances.
44 So I will (BK)keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.
45 And I will (BL)walk [q]at liberty,
For I (BM)seek Your precepts.
46 I will also speak of Your testimonies (BN)before kings
And shall not be ashamed.
47 I shall [r](BO)delight in Your commandments,
Which I (BP)love.
48 And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments,
Which I (BQ)love;
And I will (BR)meditate on Your statutes.
Zayin.
49 Remember the word to Your servant,
[s]In which You have made me hope.
50 This is my (BS)comfort in my affliction,
That Your word has [t]revived me.
51 The arrogant (BT)utterly deride me,
Yet I do not (BU)turn aside from Your law.
52 I have (BV)remembered Your ordinances from [u]of old, O Lord,
And comfort myself.
53 Burning (BW)indignation has seized me because of the wicked,
Who (BX)forsake Your law.
54 Your statutes are my songs
In the house of my (BY)pilgrimage.
55 O Lord, I (BZ)remember Your name (CA)in the night,
And keep Your law.
56 This has become mine,
[v]That I (CB)observe Your precepts.
Heth.
57 The Lord is my (CC)portion;
I have [w]promised to (CD)keep Your words.
58 I (CE)sought Your favor (CF)with all my heart;
(CG)Be gracious to me (CH)according to Your [x]word.
59 I (CI)considered my ways
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
60 I hastened and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.
61 The (CJ)cords of the wicked have encircled me,
But I have (CK)not forgotten Your law.
62 At (CL)midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You
Because of Your (CM)righteous ordinances.
63 I am a (CN)companion of all those who [y]fear You,
And of those who keep Your precepts.
64 (CO)The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O Lord;
(CP)Teach me Your statutes.
Teth.
65 You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good [z](CQ)discernment and knowledge,
For I believe in Your commandments.
67 (CR)Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are (CS)good and (CT)do good;
(CU)Teach me Your statutes.
69 The arrogant [aa]have (CV)forged a lie against me;
With all my heart I will (CW)observe Your precepts.
70 Their heart is [ab](CX)covered with fat,
But I (CY)delight in Your law.
71 It is (CZ)good for me that I was afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
72 The (DA)law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Yodh.
73 (DB)Your hands made me and [ac]fashioned me;
(DC)Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 May those who [ad]fear You (DD)see me and be glad,
Because I [ae](DE)wait for Your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are (DF)righteous,
And that (DG)in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 O may Your lovingkindness [af]comfort me,
According to Your [ag]word to Your servant.
77 May (DH)Your compassion come to me that I may live,
For Your law is my (DI)delight.
78 May (DJ)the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me (DK)with a lie;
But I shall (DL)meditate on Your precepts.
79 May those who [ah]fear You turn to me,
Even those who know Your testimonies.
80 May my heart be [ai](DM)blameless in Your statutes,
So that I will not (DN)be ashamed.
Kaph.
81 My (DO)soul languishes for Your salvation;
I [aj](DP)wait for Your word.
82 My (DQ)eyes fail with longing for Your [ak]word,
[al]While I say, “When will You comfort me?”
83 Though I have (DR)become like a wineskin in the smoke,
I do (DS)not forget Your statutes.
84 How many are the (DT)days of Your servant?
When will You (DU)execute judgment on those who persecute me?
85 The arrogant have (DV)dug pits for me,
Men who are not [am]in accord with Your law.
86 All Your commandments are (DW)faithful;
They have (DX)persecuted me with a lie; (DY)help me!
87 They almost destroyed me [an]on earth,
But as for me, I (DZ)did not forsake Your precepts.
88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.
20 (A)Each man must remain in that [a]condition in which he was called.
21 Were you called while a slave? [b]Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather [c]do that. 22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is (B)the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is (C)Christ’s slave. 23 (D)You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brethren, (E)each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.
25 Now concerning virgins I have (F)no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who [d](G)by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. 26 I think then that this is good in view of the [e]present (H)distress, that (I)it is good for a man [f]to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have [g]trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. 29 But this I say, brethren, (J)the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; 30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; 31 and those who use the world, as though they did not (K)make full use of it; for (L)the form of this world is passing away.
32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is (M)unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but [h]to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
36 But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let [i]her marry. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart, [j]being under no constraint, but has authority [k]over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well. 38 So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.
39 (N)A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband [l]is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only (O)in the Lord. 40 But (P)in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
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