Old/New Testament

A Prayer against All Who Hate Zion

129 “They have made it hard for me many times since I was young,” let Israel now say. ² “They have made it hard for me many times since I was young. But they have not won over me. ³ Those who plow have plowed my back. And they have made their ditches long.” ⁴ The Lord is right and good. He has cut in two the ropes of the sinful.

⁵ May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned away. ⁶ Let them be like grass on the roof, which dries up before it grows. ⁷ No one can pick it and fill his hand. No one can gather it and fill his arms. ⁸ And those who pass by do not say, “May the Lord be good to you. We pray that good will come to you in the name of the Lord.”

A Prayer for Help

130 O Lord, I have cried to You out of the deep places. ² Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears hear the voice of my prayers. ³ If you, Lord, should write down our sins, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But You are the One Who forgives, so You are honored with fear.

⁵ I wait for the Lord. My soul waits and I hope in His Word. ⁶ My soul waits for the Lord more than one who watches for the morning; yes, more than one who watches for the morning. ⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord! For there is loving-kindness with the Lord. With Him we are saved for sure. ⁸ And He will save Israel from all their sins.

Child-Like Trust in the Lord

131 O Lord, my heart is not proud. My eyes are not filled with pride. And I do not trouble myself with important things or in things too great for me. ² For sure I have made my soul quiet like a child who no longer nurses while he is with his mother. My soul within me is like a child who no longer nurses. ³ O Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.

11 Follow my way of thinking as I follow Christ.

How Christian Women Should Live

² I think you have done well because you always remember me and have followed the things I taught you. ³ I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man. The husband is the head of his wife. God is the head of Christ. ⁴ If any man prays or preaches with his head covered, he does not give honor to Christ. ⁵ Every woman who prays or preaches without her head covered does not respect her head. It is the same as if she had her hair cut off. ⁶ If a woman does not cover her head, she might as well cut off her hair also. If a woman is ashamed to have her hair cut off, she should cover her head. ⁷ Man is made like God and His shining-greatness. For this reason a man should not have his head covered when he prays or preaches, but the woman respects the man. ⁸ Man was not made from woman. Woman was made from man, ⁹ and man was not made for woman. Woman was made for man. ¹⁰ For this reason a woman should have a covering on her head. This shows she respects man. This is for the angels to see also. ¹¹ In God’s plan women need men and men need women. ¹² Woman was made from man, but man is born of woman. God made all things.

¹³ Think this over yourselves. Does it look right for a woman to pray with no covering on her head? ¹⁴ Have we not already learned that it is a shame for a man to have long hair? ¹⁵ But a woman can be proud to have long hair. Her hair is given to her for a covering. ¹⁶ If anyone wants to argue about this, my answer is that this is what we teach, and all the churches agree with me.