Old/New Testament
The Law of the Lord
119 Happy are those whose way is without blame, who walk in the Law of the Lord. 2 Happy are those who keep His Law and look for Him with all their heart. 3 They also do not sin, but walk in His ways. 4 You have set down Laws that we should always obey. 5 O, that my ways may be always in keeping with Your Law! 6 Then I will not be put to shame when I respect Your Word. 7 I will praise You with a heart that is right when I learn how right You judge. 8 I will obey Your Law. Do not leave me all alone.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living by Your Word. 10 I have looked for You with all my heart. Do not let me turn from Your Law. 11 Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against You. 12 Great and honored are You, O Lord. Teach me Your Law. 13 I have told with my lips of all the Laws of Your mouth. 14 I have found as much joy in following Your Law as one finds in much riches. 15 I will think about Your Law and have respect for Your ways. 16 I will be glad in Your Law. I will not forget Your Word.
17 Do good to Your servant so I may live and obey Your Word. 18 Open my eyes so that I may see great things from Your Law. 19 I am a stranger on the earth. Do not hide Your Word from me. 20 My soul is crushed with a desire for Your Law at all times. 21 You speak sharp words to the proud, the hated ones, because they turn from Your Word. 22 Take away shame and bad feelings from me, for I have kept Your Law. 23 Even if rulers sit together and speak against me, Your servant thinks about Your Law. 24 Your Law is my joy and it tells me what to do.
25 My soul is laid in the dust. Give me new life because of Your Word. 26 I have told about my ways, and You have answered me. Teach me Your Law. 27 Make me understand the way of Your Law so I will talk about Your great works. 28 My soul cries because of sorrow. Give me strength because of Your Word. 29 Take the false way from me. Show Your loving-favor by giving me Your Law. 30 I have chosen the faithful way. I have set Your Law in front of me. 31 I hold on to Your Law, O Lord. Do not put me to shame. 32 I will run the way of Your Law, for You will give me a willing heart.
33 O Lord, teach me the way of Your Law and I will obey it to the end. 34 Give me understanding. Then I will listen to Your Word and obey it with all my heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your Word, for I find joy in it. 36 Turn my heart toward Your Law, so I will not earn money in a wrong way. 37 Turn my eyes away from things that have no worth, and give me new life because of Your ways. 38 Keep Your promise to Your servant, the promise You made to those who fear and worship You. 39 Turn away the shame that I do not want to come to me, for Your Law is good. 40 O, how I desire Your Law! Give me new life because of Your right and good way.
41 May Your loving-kindness also come to me, O Lord. May You save me as Your Word says. 42 Then I will have an answer for the one who puts me to shame, for I trust in Your Word. 43 Do not take the word of truth out of my mouth, for I hope in Your Law. 44 I will always obey Your Law, forever and ever. 45 I will walk as a free man, for I look for Your Law. 46 I will speak of Your Law in front of kings and will not be ashamed. 47 I will be glad in Your Law, which I love. 48 I will lift up my hands to Your Word, which I love, and I will think about Your Law.
49 Remember Your Word to Your servant, for You have given me hope. 50 Your Word has given me new life. This is my comfort in my suffering. 51 The proud always laugh at me, but I do not turn away from Your Law. 52 I have remembered Your Law from a long time ago, O Lord, and I am comforted. 53 Burning anger comes upon me because of the sinful who turn away from Your Law. 54 Your Laws are my songs in whatever house I stay. 55 I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, and I have kept Your Law. 56 It has become my way to obey Your Law.
57 The Lord is my share. I have promised to obey Your Word. 58 I begged for Your favor with all my heart. Show me Your love because of Your Word. 59 I thought about my ways and turned my steps to Your Law. 60 I hurried and did not wait to obey Your Law. 61 The ropes of the sinful are all around me, but I have not forgotten Your Law. 62 I will rise late in the night to give thanks to You because Your Law is right and good. 63 I am a friend to all who fear You and of those who keep Your Law. 64 The earth is full of Your loving-kindness, O Lord. Teach me Your Law.
65 You have done good to Your servant, O Lord, because of Your Word. 66 Teach me what I should know to be right and fair for I believe in Your Law. 67 Before I suffered I went the wrong way, but now I obey Your Word. 68 You are good and You do good. Teach me Your Law. 69 The proud have put together a lie against me. I will keep Your Law with all my heart. 70 Their heart is covered with fat, but I find joy in Your Law. 71 It is good for me that I was troubled, so that I might learn Your Law. 72 The Law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
73 Your hands made me and put me together. Give me understanding to learn Your Law. 74 May those who fear You see me and be glad, for I have put my hope in Your Word. 75 O Lord, I know that what You decide is right and good. You punish me because You are faithful. 76 May Your loving-kindness comfort me because of Your promise to Your servant. 77 Let Your loving-pity come to me so I may live. For Your Law is my joy. 78 May the proud be ashamed, because they do wrong to me for no reason, but I will think about Your Law. 79 May those who fear You and those who know Your Law turn to me. 80 Let my heart be without blame in Your Law. Do not let me be put to shame.
81 My soul becomes weak with desire for Your saving power, but I have put my hope in Your Word. 82 My eyes become weak with desire for Your Word. I say, “When will You comfort me?” 83 I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, but I do not forget Your Law. 84 How long must Your servant wait? When will You punish those who make it hard for me? 85 The proud have dug deep holes for me. They do not obey Your Law. 86 All of Your Word is faithful. Help me! For they have made it hard for me with a lie. 87 They almost destroyed me on the earth, but I did not turn away from Your Law. 88 Give me life again by Your loving-kindness, and I will keep the Word of Your mouth.
20 Everyone should stay the same way he was when he became a Christian. 21 Were you a servant who was owned by someone when you became a Christian? Do not worry about it. But if you are able to become free, do that. 22 A servant who is owned by someone and who has become a Christian is the Lord’s free man. A free man who has become a Christian is a servant owned by Christ. 23 He paid a great price for you when He bought you. Do not let yourselves become servants owned by men. 24 Christian brothers, each one should stay as he was when he became a Christian.
25 I have no word from the Lord about women or men who have never been married. I will tell you what I think. You can trust me because the Lord has given me His loving-kindness. 26 I think, because of the troubles that are coming, it is a good thing for a person not to get married. 27 Are you married to a wife? Do not try to get a divorce. If you are not married, do not look for a wife. 28 If you do get married, you have not sinned. If a woman who is not married gets married, it is no sin. But being married will add problems. I would like to have you free from such problems.
29 I mean this, Christian brothers. The time is short. A married man should use his time as if he did not have a wife. 30 Those who have sorrow should keep on working as if they had no sorrow. Those who have joy should keep on working as if there was no time for joy. Those who buy should have no time to get joy from what they have. 31 While you live in this world, live as if the world has no hold on you. The way of this world will soon be gone.
32 I want you to be free from the cares of this world. The man who is not married can spend his time working for the Lord and pleasing Him. 33 The man who is married cares for the things of the world. He wants to please his wife. 34 Married women and women who have never been married are different. The woman who has never been married can spend her time working for the Lord. She wants to please the Lord with her body and spirit. The woman who is married cares for the things of the world. She wants to please her husband. 35 I am saying these things to help you. I am not trying to keep you from getting married. I want you to do what is best. You should work for Him without other things taking your time.
36 If a man and woman expect to get married, and he thinks his desires to marry her are getting too strong, and she is getting older, they should get married. It is no sin. 37 But if a man has the power to keep from getting married and knows in his mind that he should not, he is wise if he does not get married. 38 The man who gets married does well, but the man who does not get married does better.
39 A wife is not free as long as her husband lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wants, if he is a Christian. 40 I think she will be much more happy if she does not get married again. This is what I think. I believe it is what the Holy Spirit is saying.
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