Old/New Testament
119 1 The Prophet exhorteth the children of God to frame their lives according to his holy word. 123 Also he showeth wherein the true service of God standeth, that is, when we serve him according to his word, and not after our own fantasies.
ALEPH
1 Blessed are [a]those that are upright in their way, and walk in the Law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with their whole heart.
3 Surely they work [b]none iniquity, but walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 [c]Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then should I not be confounded, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will praise thee with an upright [d]heart, when I shall learn the [e]judgments of thy righteousness.
8 I will keep thy statutes: forsake me not [f]overlong.
BETH
9 Wherewith shall a [g]young man redress his way? in taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 I have [h]hid thy promise in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14 I have had as great [i]delight in the way of thy testimonies, as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy ways.
16 I will delight in thy statutes, and I will not forget thy word.
GIMEL
17 Be beneficial unto thy servant, that I may [j]live and keep thy word.
18 Open mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy Law.
19 I am a [k]stranger upon earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
20 Mine heart breaketh for the desire to thy judgments always.
21 Thou [l]hast destroyed the proud: cursed are they that do err from thy commandments.
22 Remove from me shame and contempt: for I have kept thy testimonies.
23 [m]Princes also did sit, and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
24 Also thy testimonies are my delight, and my counselors.
DALETH
25 My soul cleaveth to the [n]dust: quicken me according to thy word.
26 I have [o]declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts, and I will meditate in thy wondrous works.
28 My soul melteth for heaviness: raise me up according to thy [p]word.
29 Take from me the [q]way of lying, and grant me graciously thy Law.
30 I have chosen the way of truth, and thy judgments have I laid before me.
31 I have cleaved to thy testimonies, O Lord: confound me not.
32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou [r]shalt enlarge mine heart.
HE
33 Teach [s]me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, and I will keep it unto the end.
34 Give me understanding and I will keep thy Law, yea, I will keep it with my whole [t]heart.
35 Direct me in the path of thy commandments: for therein is my delight.
36 Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies: and not to [u]covetousness.
37 Turn away mine [v]eyes from regarding vanity, and quicken me in thy way.
38 Stablish thy promise to thy servant, because he feareth thee.
39 Take away [w]my rebuke that I fear: for thy judgments are good.
40 Behold, I desire thy commandments: [x]quicken me in thy righteousness.
VAU
41 And let thy loving [y]kindness come unto me, O Lord, and thy salvation according to thy promise.
42 So shall I [z]make answer unto my blasphemers: for I trust in thy word.
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth: for I wait for thy judgments.
44 So shall I always keep thy Law forever and ever.
45 And I will [aa]walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
46 I will speak also of thy testimonies before [ab]Kings, and will not be ashamed.
47 And my delight shall be in thy Commandments, which I have loved.
48 Mine hands also will I lift up unto thy Commandments, which I have loved, and I will meditate in thy statutes.
ZAIN
49 Remember [ac]the promise made to thy servant, wherein thou hast caused me to trust.
50 It is my comfort in my trouble; for thy promise hath quickened me.
51 The [ad]proud have had me exceedingly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy Law.
52 I remembered thy [ae]judgments of old, O Lord, and have been comforted.
53 [af]Fear is come upon me for the wicked, that forsake thy Law.
54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my [ag]pilgrimage.
55 I have remembered thy Name, O Lord, in the [ah]night, and have kept thy Law.
56 [ai]This I had because I kept thy precepts.
CHETH
57 O Lord, that art my [aj]portion, I have determined to keep thy words.
58 I made my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy promise.
59 I have considered my [ak]ways, and turned my feet into thy testimonies.
60 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
61 The bands of the wicked have [al]robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy Law.
62 At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee, because of thy righteous judgments.
63 I am [am]companion of all them that fear thee, and keep thy precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: [an]teach me thy statutes.
TETH
65 O Lord, thou hast dealt [ao]graciously with thy servant, according unto thy word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.
67 Before I was [ap]afflicted, I went astray: but now I keep thy word.
68 Thou art good and gracious: teach me thy statutes.
69 The proud have imagined a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
70 [aq]Their heart is fat as grease, but my delight is in thy Law.
71 It is [ar]good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statutes.
72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me, than thousands of gold and silver.
JOD
73 Thine hands have [as]made me and fashioned me: give me understanding therefore, that I may learn thy commandments.
74 So they that [at]fear thee, seeing me, shall rejoice, because I have trusted in thy word.
75 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou hast afflicted me [au]justly.
76 I pray thee that thy mercy may comfort me, according to thy promise unto thy servant.
77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may [av]live: for thy Law is my delight.
78 Let the proud be ashamed: for they have dealt wickedly and falsely with me: but I meditate in thy precepts.
79 Let such as fear thee [aw]turn unto me, and they that [ax]know thy testimonies.
80 Let mine heart be upright in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed.
CAPH
81 My soul [ay]fainted for thy salvation: yet I wait for thy word.
82 Mine eyes fail for thy promise, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?
83 For I am like a [az]bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.
84 How many are the [ba]days of thy servant? When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?
85 The proud have [bb]dug pits for me, which is not after thy Law.
86 All thy commandments are true: they persecute me falsely: [bc]help me.
87 They had almost consumed [bd]me upon the earth: but I forsook not thy precepts.
88 Quicken me according to thy loving kindness: so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.
20 (A)Let every man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called.
21 Art thou called being a servant? [a]care not for it: but if yet thou mayest be free, use it rather.
22 For he that is called in the [b]Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called being free, is Christ’s servant.
23 (B)[c]Ye are bought with a price: be not the servants of men.
24 [d]Brethren, let every man, wherein he was called, therein abide with [e]God.
25 [f]Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give mine [g]advise, as [h]one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
26 I suppose then [i]this to be good for the [j]present necessity: I mean that it is good for a man so to be.
27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
28 But if thou takest a wife, thou sinnest not: and if a virgin marry, she sinneth not: nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the [k]flesh: but I [l]spare you.
29 And this I say, brethren, because the time is [m]short, hereafter that both they which have wives, be as though they had none:
30 And they that [n]weep, as though they wept not: and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not: and they that buy, as though they possessed not:
31 And they that use this [o]world, as though they used it not: for the [p]fashion of this world goeth away.
32 And I would have you without care. The unmarried careth for things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
33 But he that is married, [q]careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 There is difference also between a virgin and a wife: the unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body and in [r]spirit: but she that is married, careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own [s]commodity, not to tangle you in a snare, but that ye follow that which is honest, and that ye may cleave fast unto the Lord without separation.
36 [t]But if any man think that it is uncomely for his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he [u]sinneth not: let them be married.
37 Nevertheless, he that standeth firm in his [v]heart, that he hath no [w]need, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart, that he will keep his virgin, he doeth well.
38 So then he that giveth her to marriage, doeth well, but he that giveth her not to marriage, doeth [x]better.
39 [y]The wife is bound by the [z]law, as long as her husband (C)liveth: but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to marry with whom she will, only in the [aa]Lord.
40 But she is more blessed, if she so abide in my judgment: (D)and I think that I have also the Spirit of God.
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