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When the enemy heard that Jonathan and his men were ready for
battle, their hearts sank with fear and dread. They lighted fires
and then withdrew. [1MACC 12:28]
May God bless you and remember his covenant with his faithful
servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. May he give to all of you a
heart to worship him and to do his will readily and generously.
May he open your heart to his law and his commandments and grant
you peace. May he hear your prayers, and be reconciled to you, and
never forsake you in time of adversity. [2MACC 1:2-5]
You will find in the records, not only that Jeremiah the
prophet ordered the deportees to take some of the aforementioned
fire with them, but also that the prophet, in giving them the law,
admonished them not to forget the commandments of the Lord or be
led astray in their thoughts, when seeing the gold and silver
idols and their ornaments. With other similar words he urged them
not to let the law depart from their hearts. [2MACC 2:1-3]
But because of the orders he had from the king, Heliodorus said
that in any case the money must be confiscated for the royal
treasury. So on the day he had set he went in to take an inventory
of the funds. There was great distress throughout the city.
Priests prostrated themselves in their priestly robes before the
altar, and loudly begged him in heaven who had given the law about
deposits to keep the deposits safe for those who had made them.
Whoever saw the appearance of the high priest was pierced to the
heart, for the changed color of his face manifested the anguish of
his soul. The terror and bodily trembling that had come over the
man clearly showed those who saw him the pain that lodged in his
heart. People rushed out of their houses in crowds to make public
supplication, because the Place was in danger of being profaned. [Taken
from 2MACC 3:13-18]
Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the
mother, who saw her seven sons perish in a single day, yet bore it
courageously because of her hope in the Lord. Filled with a noble
spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage, she
exhorted each of them in the language of their forefathers with
these words: "I do not know how you came into existence in my
womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I
who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed.
Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each
man's beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he,
in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you
now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law." [Taken
from 2MACC 7:20-23]
When Maccabeus and his men learned that Lysias was besieging
the strongholds, they and all the people begged the Lord with
lamentations and tears to send a good angel to save Israel.
Maccabeus himself was the first to take up arms, and he exhorted
the others to join him in risking their lives to help their
kinsmen. Then they resolutely set out together. Suddenly, while
they were still near Jerusalem, a horseman appeared at their head,
clothed in white garments and brandishing gold weapons. Then all
of them together thanked God for his mercy, and their hearts were
filled with such courage [Taken from 2MACC 11:6-9]
Encouraged by Judas' noble words, which had power to instill
valor and stir young hearts to courage, the Jews determined not to
delay, but to charge gallantly and decide the issue by
hand-to-hand combat with the utmost courage, since their city and
its temple with the sacred vessels were in danger. [2MACC 15:17]
Nicanor and his men advanced to the sound of trumpets and battle songs. But Judas and his men met the army with supplication and prayers. Fighting with their hands and praying to God with their hearts, they laid low at least thirty-five thousand, and rejoiced greatly over this manifestation of God's power.
[Taken from 2MACC 15:25-27]
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has withstood
him and remained unscathed? [JOB 9:4]
Yet these things you have hidden in your heart; I know that
they are your purpose: If I should sin, you would keep a watch
against me, and from my guilt you would not absolve me. If I
should be wicked, alas for me! if righteous, I dare not hold up my
head, filled with ignominy and sodden with affliction! [Taken from
JOB 10:13-15]
If you set your heart aright and stretch out your hands toward
him, If you remove all iniquity from your conduct, and let not
injustice dwell in your tent, Surely then you may lift up your
face in innocence; you may stand firm and unafraid. [JOB 11:13-15]
My days are passed away, my plans are at an end, the cherished
purposes of my heart. [JOB 17:11]
Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in
your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
if you put iniquity far from your tent, And treat raw gold like
dust, and the fine gold of Ophir as pebbles from the brook, Then
the Almighty himself shall be your gold and your sparkling silver.
[JOB 22:22-25]
My foot has always walked in his steps; his way I have kept and have not turned aside.
From the commands of his lips I have not departed; the words of his mouth I have treasured in my heart.
[JOB 23:11-12]
My justice I maintain and I will not relinquish it; my heart
does not reproach me for any of my days. [JOB 27:6]
For I rescued the poor who cried out for help, the orphans, and
the unassisted; The blessing of those in extremity came upon me,
and the heart of the widow I made joyful. I wore my honesty like a
garment; justice was my robe and my turban. [JOB 29:12-14]
If I have walked in falsehood and my foot has hastened to
deceit; If my steps have turned out of the way, and my heart has
followed my eyes, or any stain clings to my hands, Then may I sow,
but another eat of it, or may my planting be rooted up! [JOB 31:5-8]
Behold, God rejects the obstinate in heart; he preserves not
the life of the wicked. [JOB 36:5]
The Almighty! we cannot discover him, pre-eminent in power and judgment; his great justice owes no one an accounting. Therefore men revere him, though none can see him, however wise their hearts. [JOB
37:23-24]
Who puts wisdom in the heart, and gives the cock its understanding?
[JOB 38:36]
Many say, "May we see better times! LORD, show us the light of your face!"
But you have given my heart more joy than they have when grain and wine abound.
In peace I shall both lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me secure.
[Taken from PS 4:7-9]
For there is no sincerity in their mouths; their hearts are
corrupt. Their throats are open graves; on their tongues are
subtle lies. [PS 5:10]
Bring the malice of the wicked to an end; uphold the innocent,
O God of justice, who tries hearts and minds. [PS 7:10]
A shield before me is God who saves the honest heart. [PS
7:11]
I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will declare all
your wondrous deeds. [PS 9:2]
Why, LORD, do you stand at a distance and pay no heed to these
troubled times? Arrogant scoundrels pursue the poor; they trap
them by their cunning schemes. The wicked even boast of their
greed; these robbers curse and scorn the LORD. In their insolence
the wicked boast: "God doesn't care, doesn't even
exist." Yet their affairs always succeed; they ignore your
judgment on high; they sneer at all who oppose them. They say in
their hearts, "We will never fall; never will we see
misfortune." Their mouths are full of oaths, violence, and
lies; discord and evil are under their tongues... The helpless are
crushed, laid low; they fall into the power of the wicked, Who say
in their hearts, "God pays no attention, shows no concern,
never bothers to look." Rise up, LORD God! Raise your arm! Do
not forget the poor! Why should the wicked scorn God, say in their
hearts, "God doesn't care"? But you do see; you do
observe this misery and sorrow; you take the matter in hand. To
you the helpless can entrust their cause; you are the defender of
orphans. [Taken from PS 10:1-7,10-14]
Help, LORD, for no one loyal remains; the faithful have vanished from the human race
Those who tell lies to one another speak with deceiving lips and a double heart.
[PS 12:2-3]
How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you
hide your face from me? How long must I carry sorrow in my soul,
grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph
over me? Look upon me, answer me, LORD, my God! Give light to my
eyes lest I sleep in death, Lest my enemy say, "I have
prevailed," lest my foes rejoice at my downfall. I trust in
your faithfulness. Grant my heart joy in your help, That I may
sing of the LORD, "How good our God has been to me!" [PS
13:2-6]
Fools say in their hearts,
"There is no God." Their deeds are loathsome and
corrupt; not one does what is right. [PS 14:1]
LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy
mountain? Whoever walks without blame, doing what is right,
speaking truth from the heart; Who does not slander a neighbor,
does no harm to another, never defames a friend; Who disdains the
wicked, but honors those who fear the LORD; Who keeps an oath
despite the cost, lends no money at interest, accepts no bribe
against the innocent. Whoever acts like this shall never be
shaken. [PS 15:1-5]
I bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my heart
exhorts me. I keep the LORD always before me; with the Lord at my
right, I shall never be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, my
soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure, For you will not
abandon me to Sheol, nor let your faithful servant see the pit.
You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever. [PS 16:7-11]
From you let my vindication come; your eyes see what is right.
You have tested my heart, searched it in the night. You have tried
me by fire, but find no malice in me. My mouth has not
transgressed as humans often do. As your lips have instructed me,
I have kept the way of the law. My steps have kept to your paths;
my feet have not faltered. [PS 17:2-5]
My ravenous enemies press upon me; they close their hearts,
they fill their mouths with proud roaring. [PS 17:10]
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. The command
of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. [PS 19:9]
Let the words of my mouth meet with your favor, keep the
thoughts of my heart before you, LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
[PS 19:15]
LORD, the king finds joy in your power; in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart's desire; you did not refuse the prayer of his lips.
[Taken from PS 21:2-3]
Like water my life drains away; all my bones grow soft. My
heart has become like wax, it melts away within me. [PS 22:15]
"The poor will eat their fill; those who seek the LORD will
offer praise. May your hearts enjoy life forever!" [Taken
from PS 22:27]
Who may go up the mountain of the LORD? Who can stand in his
holy place? "The clean of hand and pure of heart, who are not
devoted to idols, who have not sworn falsely. They will receive
blessings from the LORD, and justice from their saving God. Such
are the people that love the LORD, that seek the face of the God
of Jacob." [Taken from PS 24:3-6]
Relieve the troubles of my heart; bring me out of my distress.
[PS 25:17]
Test me, LORD, and try me; search my heart and mind. [PS 26:2]
Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear;
Though war be waged against me, even then do I trust. [PS 27:3]
"Come," says my heart, "seek God's face";
your face, LORD, do I seek! Do not hide your face from me; do not
repel your servant in anger. You are my help; do not cast me off;
do not forsake me, God my savior! Even if my father and mother
forsake me, the LORD will take me in. [PS 27:8-10]
Do not drag me off with the wicked, with those who do wrong,
Who speak peace to their neighbors though evil is in their hearts.
[PS 28:3]
The LORD is my strength and my shield, in whom my heart trusted
and found help. So my heart rejoices; with my song I praise my
God. [PS 28:7]
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. [PS
31:25]
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just; exult, all you
upright of heart. [PS 32:11]
The one who fashioned the hearts of them all knows all their
works. [PS 33:15]
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and shield. For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust. May your kindness, LORD, be upon us; we have put our hope in you.
[PS 33:20-22]
Oppose, LORD, those who oppose me; war upon those who make war
upon me. Take up the shield and buckler; rise up in my defense.
Brandish lance and battle-ax against my pursuers. Say to my heart,
"I am your salvation." Let those who seek my life be put
to shame and disgrace. Let those who plot evil against me be
turned back and confounded. [Taken from PS 35:1-4]
Defend me because you are just, LORD; my God, do not let them
gloat over me. Do not let them say in their hearts, "Aha!
Just what we wanted!" Do not let them say, "We have
devoured that one!" Put to shame and confound all who relish
my misfortune. Clothe with shame and disgrace those who lord it
over me. But let those who favor my just cause shout for joy and
be glad. May they ever say, "Exalted be the LORD who delights
in the peace of his loyal servant." Then my tongue shall
recount your justice, declare your praise, all the day long. [PS
35:24-28]
Sin directs the heart of the wicked; their eyes are closed to the fear of God.
For they live with the delusion: their guilt will not be known and hated.
[PS 36:2-3]
Continue your kindness toward your friends, your just defense
of the honest heart. [PS 36:11]
Find your delight in the LORD who will give you your heart's
desire. [PS 37:4]
The wicked draw their swords; they string their bows To fell the poor and oppressed, to slaughter those whose way is honest. Their swords will pierce their own hearts; their bows will be broken.
[PS 37:14-15]
The mouths of the just utter wisdom; their tongues speak what is right.
God's teaching is in their hearts; their steps do not falter. [PS
37:30-31]
My loins burn with fever; my flesh is afflicted. I am numb and
utterly crushed; I wail with anguish of heart. My Lord, my deepest
yearning is before you; my groaning is not hidden from you. My
heart shudders, my strength forsakes me; the very light of my eyes
has failed. Friends and companions shun my pain; my neighbors
stand far off. Those who seek my life lay snares for me; they seek
my misfortune, they speak of ruin; they plot treachery all the
day. [PS 38:8-13]
I said, "I will watch my ways, lest I sin with my tongue;
I will set a curb on my mouth." Dumb and silent before the
wicked, I refrained from any speech. But my sorrow increased; my
heart smoldered within me. In my thoughts a fire blazed up, and I
broke into speech [Taken from PS 39:2-4]
"To do your will is my delight; my God, your law is in my
heart!" [Taken from PS 40:9]
Your deed I did not hide within my heart; your loyal
deliverance I have proclaimed. I made no secret of your enduring
kindness to a great assembly. [PS 40:11]
When people come to visit me, they speak without sincerity.
Their hearts store up malice; they leave and spread their vicious
lies. My foes all whisper against me; they imagine the worst about
me: I have a deadly disease, they say; I will never rise from my
sickbed. Even the friend who had my trust, who shared my table,
has scorned me. [Taken from PS 41:7-10]
Our hearts have not turned back, nor have our steps strayed
from your path. [PS 44:19]
If we had forgotten the name of our God, stretched out our hands to another god,
Would not God have discovered this, God who knows the secrets of the heart?
[PS 44:21-22]
My heart is stirred by a noble theme, as I sing my ode to the
king. My tongue is the pen of a nimble scribe. [PS 45:2]
Hear this, all you peoples! Give ear, all who inhabit the
world, You of lowly birth or high estate, rich and poor alike. My
mouth shall speak wisdom, my heart shall offer insight. I will
turn my attention to a problem, expound my question to the music
of a lyre. [PS 49:2-5]
True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived
me. Still, you insist on sincerity of heart; in my inmost being
teach me wisdom. Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash
me, make me whiter than snow. [Taken from PS 51:7-9]
A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast
spirit. [PS 51:12]
My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a
broken, humbled heart. [PS 51:19]
Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." Their
deeds are loathsome and corrupt; not one does what is right. [PS
53:2]
Listen, God, to my prayer; do not hide from my pleading; hear
me and give answer. I rock with grief; I groan at the uproar of
the enemy, the clamor of the wicked. They heap trouble upon me, savagely accuse me. My heart pounds within me; death's terrors
fall upon me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me; shuddering sweeps
over me. [PS 55:2-6]
Let death take them by surprise; let them go down alive to
Sheol, for evil is in their homes and hearts. But I will call upon
God, and the LORD will save me. At dusk, dawn, and noon I will
grieve and complain, and my prayer will be heard. God will give me
freedom and peace from those who war against me, though there are
many who oppose me. God, who sits enthroned forever, will hear me
and humble them. For they will not mend their ways; they have no
fear of God. They strike out at friends and go back on their
promises. Softer than butter is their speech, but war is in their
hearts. Smoother than oil are their words, but they are unsheathed
swords. Cast your care upon the LORD, who will give you support.
God will never allow the righteous to stumble. But you, God, will
bring them down to the pit of destruction. These bloodthirsty
liars will not live half their days, but I put my trust in you.
[PS 55:16-24]
My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing
and chant praise. [PS 57:8]
Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer! From the brink of
Sheol I call; my heart grows faint. Raise me up, set me on a rock,
for you are my refuge, a tower of strength against the foe. Then I
will ever dwell in your tent, take refuge in the shelter of your
wings. [Taken from PS 61:2-5]
Trust God at all times, my people! Pour out your hearts to God
our refuge! [Taken from PS 62:9]
Mortals are a mere breath, the powerful but an illusion; On a
balance they rise; together they are lighter than air. Do not
trust in extortion; in plunder put no empty hope. Though wealth
increase, do not set your heart upon it. One thing God has said;
two things I have heard: Power belongs to God; so too, Lord, does
kindness, And you render to each of us according to our deeds. [PS
62:10-13]
Hide me from the malicious crowd, the mob of evildoers. They
sharpen their tongues like swords, ready their bows for arrows of
poison words. They shoot at the innocent from ambush, shoot
without risk, catch them unawares. They resolve on their wicked
plan; they conspire to set snares; they say: "Who will see
us?" They devise wicked schemes, conceal the schemes they
devise; the designs of their hearts are hidden. [PS 64:3-7]
I called to the Lord with my mouth; praise was upon my tongue.
Had I cherished evil in my heart, the Lord would not have heard.
But God did hear and listened to my voice in prayer. Blessed be
God, who did not refuse me the kindness I sought in prayer. [PS
66:17-20]
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak; I looked for compassion, but there was none, for comforters, but found none. Instead they put gall in my food; for my thirst they gave me vinegar.
[Taken from PS 69:21-22]
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, take heart!
For the LORD hears the poor, does not spurn those in bondage. Let the heavens and the earth sing praise, the seas and whatever moves in them!"
[PS 69:33-35]
How good God is to the upright, the Lord, to
those who are clean of heart! [PS 73:1]
Out of their stupidity comes sin; evil thoughts flood their
hearts. [PS 73:7]
Is it in vain that I have kept my heart clean, washed my hands
in innocence? For I am afflicted day after day, chastised every morning.
Had I thought, "I will speak as they do," I
would have betrayed your people. Though I tried to understand all
this, it was too difficult for me, Till I entered the sanctuary of
God and came to understand their end. You set them, indeed, on a
slippery road; you hurl them down to ruin. How suddenly they are
devastated; undone by disasters forever! [PS 73:13-19]
Since my heart was embittered and my soul deeply wounded, I was
stupid and could not understand; I was like a brute beast in your
presence. Yet I am always with you; you take hold of my right
hand. With your counsel you guide me, and at the end receive me
with honor. Whom else have I in the heavens? None beside you
delights me on earth. Though my flesh and my heart fail, God is
the rock of my heart, my portion forever. But those who are far
from you perish; you destroy those unfaithful to you. As for me,
to be near God is my good, to make the Lord GOD my refuge. I shall
declare all your works in the gates of daughter Zion. [PS 73:21-28]
God ended their days abruptly, their years in sudden death.
When he slew them, they began to seek him; they again inquired of
their God. They remembered that God was their rock, God Most High,
their redeemer. But they deceived him with their mouths, lied to
him with their tongues. Their hearts were not constant toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant. But God is merciful and
forgave their sin; he did not utterly destroy them. Time and again
he turned back his anger, unwilling to unleash all his rage. [Taken
from PS 78:33-38]
He chose David his servant, took him from the sheepfold. From
tending sheep God brought him, to shepherd Jacob, his people,
Israel, his heritage. He shepherded them with a pure heart; with
skilled hands he guided them. [PS 78:70-72]
"But my people did not listen to my words; Israel did not obey
me. So I gave them over to hardness of heart; they followed their
own designs. But even now if my people would listen, if Israel
would walk in my paths, In a moment I would subdue their foes,
against their enemies unleash my hand. Those who hate the LORD
would tremble, their doom sealed forever. But Israel I would feed
with the finest wheat, satisfy them with honey from the
rock." [Taken from PS 81:12-17]
How lovely your dwelling, O LORD of hosts! My soul yearns and
pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and flesh cry out for
the living God. As the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest
to settle her young, My home is by your altars, LORD of hosts, my
king and my God! Happy are those who dwell in your house! They
never cease to praise you. [PS 84:2-5]
Happy are those who find refuge in you, whose hearts are set
on pilgrim roads. [PS 84:6]
Teach me, LORD, your way that I may walk in your truth, single-hearted and revering your name. I will praise you with all my
heart, glorify your name forever, Lord my God. [PS 86:11-12]
Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of
heart. [PS 90:12]
Judgment shall again be just, and all the upright of heart will
follow it. [PS 94:15]
Oh, that today you would hear his voice: Do not harden your
hearts as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the desert. There
your ancestors tested me; they tried me though they had seen my
works. Forty years I loathed that generation; I said: "This
people's heart goes astray; they do not know my ways."
Therefore I swore in my anger: "They shall never enter my
rest." [Taken from PS 95:7-11]
The LORD loves those who hate evil, protects the lives of the
faithful, rescues them from the hand of the wicked. Light dawns
for the just; gladness, for the honest of heart. Rejoice in the
LORD, you just, and praise his holy name. [PS 97:10-12]
I sing of love and justice; to you, LORD, I sing praise. I
follow the way of integrity; when will you come to me? I act with
integrity of heart within my royal court. I do not allow into my
presence anyone who speaks perversely. Whoever acts shamefully I
hate; no such person can be my friend. I shun the devious of
heart; the wicked I do not tolerate. Whoever slanders another in
secret I reduce to silence. Haughty eyes and arrogant hearts I
cannot endure. [PS 101:1-5]
You water the mountains from your palace; by your labor the
earth abounds. You raise grass for the cattle and plants for our
beasts of burden. You bring bread from the earth, and wine to
gladden our hearts, Oil to make our faces gleam, food to build our
strength. [PS 104:13-15]
Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
[PS 105:3]
Some lived in darkness and gloom, in prison, bound with chains,
Because they rebelled against God's word, scorned the counsel of
the Most High, Who humbled their hearts through hardship; they
stumbled with no one to help. In their distress they cried to the
LORD, who saved them in their peril, Led them forth from darkness
and gloom and broke their chains asunder. Let them thank the LORD
for such kindness, such wondrous deeds for mere mortals. [PS 107:10-15]
They saw the works of the LORD, the wonders of God in the deep.
He spoke and roused a storm wind; it tossed the waves on high.
They rose up to the heavens, sank to the depths; their hearts
trembled at the danger. They reeled, staggered like drunkards;
their skill was of no avail. In their distress they cried to the
LORD, who brought them out of their peril, Hushed the storm to a
murmur; the waves of the sea were stilled. They rejoiced that the
sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed
for. [Taken from PS 107:24-30]
My heart is steadfast, God; my heart is steadfast. I will
sing and chant praise. [PS 108:2]
For I am sorely in need; my heart is pierced within me. [PS
109:22]
Hallelujah. I will praise the LORD with all my heart in the
assembled congregation of the upright. [PS 111:1]
Hallelujah! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly
delight in God's commands. Their descendants shall be mighty in
the land, generation upright and blessed. Wealth and riches shall
be in their homes; their prosperity shall endure forever. They
shine through the darkness, a light for the upright; they are
gracious, merciful, and just. All goes well for those gracious in
lending, who conduct their affairs with justice. They shall never
be shaken; the just shall be remembered forever. They shall not
fear an ill report; their hearts are steadfast, trusting the LORD.
Their hearts are tranquil, without fear, till at last they look
down on their foes. Lavishly they give to the poor; their
prosperity shall endure forever; their horn shall be exalted in
honor. The wicked shall be angry to see this; they will gnash
their teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked come to
nothing. [PS 112:1-10]
Happy those whose way is blameless, who walk by the teaching of the LORD.
Happy those who observe God's decrees, who seek the LORD with all their heart.
They do no wrong; they walk in God's ways. [PS 119:1-3]
I will praise you with sincere heart as I study your just
edicts. [PS 119:7]
How can the young walk without fault? Only by keeping your
words. With all my heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your
commands. In my heart I treasure your promise, that I may not sin
against you. [PS 119:9-11]
I will run the way of your commands, for you open my docile
heart. [PS 119:32]
LORD, teach me the way of your laws; I shall observe them with
care. Give me insight to observe your teaching, to keep it with
all my heart. Lead me in the path of your commands, for that is my
delight. Direct my heart toward your decrees and away from unjust
gain. Avert my eyes from what is worthless; by your way give me
life. For your servant fulfill your promise made to those who fear
you. Turn away from me the taunts I dread, for your edicts bring
good. See how I long for your precepts; in your justice give me
life.
[PS 119:33-40]
I entreat you with all my heart: have mercy on me in accord
with your promise. [PS 119:58]
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I hold to your
promise. You are good and do what is good; teach me your laws. The
arrogant smear me with lies, but I observe your precepts with all
my heart. Their hearts are gross and fat; as for me, your teaching
is my delight. It was good for me to be afflicted, in order to
learn your laws. Teaching from your lips is more precious to me
than heaps of silver and gold. [PS 119:67-72]
Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on fulfilling your laws; they are my reward forever.
[PS 119:111-112]
I call with all my heart, O LORD; answer me that I may observe your laws. I call to you to save me that I may keep your decrees.
[PS 119:145-146]
Princes persecute me without reason, but my heart reveres only
your word. [PS 119:161]
Do good, LORD, to the good, to those who are upright of
heart. [Taken from PS 125:4]
LORD, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not
busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me.
Rather, I have stilled my soul, hushed it like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap, so is my soul within me. [PS
131:1-2]
Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my concerns. See if my way is crooked, then lead me in the ancient paths. [PS
139:23-24]
Deliver me, LORD, from the wicked; preserve me from the violent,
From those who plan evil in their hearts, who stir up conflicts every day,
Who sharpen their tongues like serpents, venom of asps upon their lips.
[Taken from PS 140:2-4]
Set a guard, LORD, before my mouth, a gatekeeper at my lips. Do not let my heart incline to evil, or yield to any sin.
I will never feast upon the fine food of evildoers. [PS 141:3-4]
LORD, hear my prayer; in your faithfulness listen to my
pleading; answer me in your justice. Do not enter into judgment
with your servant; before you no living being can be just. The
enemy has pursued me; they have crushed my life to the ground.
They have left me in darkness like those long dead. My spirit is
faint within me; my heart is dismayed. I remember the days of old;
I ponder all your deeds; the works of your hands I recall. I
stretch out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.
Hasten to answer me, LORD; for my spirit fails me. Do not hide
your face from me, lest I become like those descending to the pit.
[Taken from PS 143:1-7]
My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands,
Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you call to intelligence, and to understanding raise your
voice; If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures
search her out: Then will you understand the fear of the LORD; the
knowledge of God you will find; For the LORD gives wisdom, from
his mouth come knowledge and understanding; He has counsel in
store for the upright, he is the shield of those who walk
honestly, Guarding the paths of justice, protecting the way of his
pious ones. Then you will understand rectitude and justice,
honesty, every good path; For wisdom will enter your heart,
knowledge will please your soul, Discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you; Saving you from the way of evil men,
from men of perverse speech, Who leave the straight paths to walk
in the way of darkness, Who delight in doing evil, rejoice in
perversity; Whose ways are crooked, and devious their paths [Taken
from PROV 2:1-15]
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not;
In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.
[PROV 3:5-6]
When I was my father's child, frail, yet the darling of my mother, He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart hold fast my words: keep my commands, that you may live!"
[Taken from PROV 4:3-4]
My son, to my words be attentive, to my sayings incline your
ear; Let them not slip out of your sight, keep them within your
heart; For they are life to those who find them, to man's whole
being they are health. [PROV 4:20-22]
With closest custody, guard your heart, for in it are the
sources of life. Put away from you dishonest talk, deceitful
speech put far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead and
your glance be directly forward. Survey the path for your feet,
and let all your ways be sure. Turn neither to right nor to left,
keep your foot far from evil. [PROV 4:23-27]
The lips of an adulteress drip with honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, as
sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, to the
nether world her steps attain; Lest you see before you the road to
life, her paths will ramble, you know not where. So now, O
children, listen to me, go not astray from the words of my mouth.
Keep your way far from her, approach not the door of her house,
Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to a merciless
one; Lest strangers have their fill of your wealth, your hard-won
earnings go to an alien's house; And you groan in the end, when
your flesh and your body are consumed; And you say, "Oh, why
did I hate instruction, and my heart spurn reproof! Why did I not
listen to the voice of my teachers, nor to my instructors incline
my ear! I have all but come to utter ruin, condemned by the public
assembly!" [PROV 5:3-14]
A scoundrel, a villain, is he who deals in crooked talk. He
winks his eyes, shuffles his feet, makes signs with his fingers;
He has perversity in his heart, is always plotting evil, sows
discord. Therefore suddenly ruin comes upon him; in an instant he
is crushed beyond cure. [PROV 6:12-15]
There are six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an
abomination to him; Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that
shed innocent blood; A heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that
run swiftly to evil, The false witness who utters lies, and he who
sows discord among brothers. [PROV 6:16-19]
Observe, my son, your father's bidding, and reject not your
mother's teaching; Keep them fastened over your heart always, put
them around your neck; For the bidding is a lamp, and the teaching
a light, and a way to life are the reproofs of discipline; To keep
you from your neighbor's wife, from the smooth tongue of the
adulteress. Lust not in your heart after her beauty, let her not
captivate you with her glance! For the price of a loose woman may
be scarcely a loaf of bread, But if she is married, she is a trap
for your precious life. Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his
garments not burned? Or can a man walk on live coals, and his feet
not be scorched? So with him who goes in to his neighbor's wife -
none who touches her shall go unpunished. [PROV 6:20-29]
My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands. Keep my commands and live, my teaching as the apple of your eye; Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.
[PROV 7:1-3]
Let not your heart turn to [an adulteress'] ways, go not astray in her paths; For many are those she has struck down dead, numerous, those she has slain.
Her house is made up of ways to the nether world, leading down into the chambers of death.
[Taken from PROV 7:25-27]
Like choice silver is the just man's tongue; the heart of the
wicked is of little worth. [PROV 10:20]
The depraved in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those
who walk blamelessly are his delight. [PROV 11:20]
The just man takes care of his beast, but the heart of the
wicked is merciless. [PROV 12:10]
A shrewd man conceals his knowledge, but the hearts of fools
gush forth folly. [PROV 12:23]
Anxiety in a man's heart depresses it, but a kindly word makes
it glad. [PROV 12:25]
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a wish fulfilled is a
tree of life. [PROV 13:12]
The heart knows its own bitterness, and in its joy no one else
shares. [PROV 14:10]
Even in laughter the heart may be sad, and the end of joy may
be sorrow. [PROV 14:13]
In the heart of the intelligent wisdom abides, but in the bosom
of fools it is unknown. [PROV 14:33]
The lips of the wise disseminate knowledge, but the heart of
fools is perverted. [PROV 15:7]
The nether world and the abyss lie open before the LORD; how
much more the hearts of men! [PROV 15:11]
A glad heart lights up the face, but by mental anguish the
spirit is broken. [PROV 15:13]
A cheerful glance brings joy to the heart; good news
invigorates the bones. [PROV 15:30]
Man may make plans in his heart, but what the tongue utters is
from the LORD. [PROV 16:1]
The crucible for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the
tester of hearts is the LORD. [PROV 17:3]
He who is perverse in heart finds no good, and a double-tongued
man falls into trouble. [PROV 17:20]
A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed
spirit dries up the bones. [PROV 17:22]
Before his downfall a man's heart is haughty, but humility goes
before honors. [PROV 18:12]
A man's own folly upsets his way, but his heart is resentful
against the LORD. [PROV 19:3]
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the decision of
the LORD that endures. [PROV 19:21]
The intention in the human heart is like water far below the
surface, but the man of intelligence draws it forth. [PROV 20:5]
Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am cleansed of
my sin"? [PROV 20:9]
Like a stream is the king's heart in the hand of the LORD;
wherever it pleases him, he directs it. [PROV 21:1]
All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is
the LORD who proves hearts. [PROV 21:2]
Haughty eyes and a proud heart - the tillage of the wicked is
sin. [PROV 21:4]
The LORD loves the pure of heart; the man of winning speech has
the king for his friend. [PROV 22:11]
Folly is close to the heart of a child, but the rod of
discipline will drive it far from him. [PROV 22:15]
The sayings of the wise: Incline your ear, and hear my words, and apply your heart to my doctrine; For it will be well if you keep them in your bosom, if they all are ready on your lips.
[Taken from PROV 22:17-18]
Do not take food with a grudging man, and do not desire his
dainties; For in his greed he is like a storm. "Eat and
drink," he says to you, though his heart is not with you; The
little you have eaten you will vomit up, and you will have wasted
your agreeable words. [PROV 23:6-8]
Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of
knowledge. [PROV 23:12]
My son, if your heart be wise, my own heart also will rejoice; And my inmost being will exult, when your lips speak what is right.
[PROV 23:15-16]
Let not your heart emulate sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the LORD always;
For you will surely have a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
[PROV 23:17-18]
Hear, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the right
way. [PROV 23:19]
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes keep to my ways.
[PROV 23:26]
Those who linger long over wine, those who engage in trials of
blended wine. Look not on the wine when it is red, when it
sparkles in the glass. It goes down smoothly; but in the end it
bites like a serpent, or like a poisonous adder. Your eyes behold
strange sights, and your heart utters disordered thoughts; You are
like one now lying in the depths of the sea, now sprawled at the
top of the mast. "They struck me, but it pained me not; They
beat me, but I felt it not; When shall I awake to seek wine once
again?" [PROV 23:30-35]
Be not emulous of evil men, and desire not to be with them; For their hearts plot violence, and their lips speak of foul play.
[PROV 24:1-2]
If you remain indifferent in time of adversity, your strength
will depart from you. Rescue those who are being dragged to death,
and from those tottering to execution withdraw not. If you say,
"I know not this man!" does not he who tests hearts
perceive it? He who guards your life knows it, and he will repay
each one according to his deeds. [PROV 24:10-12]
Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and when he stumbles, let not your heart exult, Lest the LORD see it, be displeased with you, and withdraw his wrath from your enemy.
[PROV 24:17-18]
As the heavens in height, and the earth in depth, the heart of
kings is unfathomable. [PROV 25:3]
Like a moth in clothing, or a maggot in wood, sorrow gnaws at
the human heart. [PROV 25:20]
Like a glazed finish on earthenware are smooth lips with a
wicked heart. [PROV 26:23]
With his lips an enemy pretends, but in his inmost being he maintains deceit;
When he speaks graciously, trust him not, for seven abominations are in his heart.
[PROV 26:24-25]
Perfume and incense gladden the heart, but by grief the soul is
torn asunder. [PROV 27:9]
If you are wise, my son, you will gladden my heart, and I will
be able to rebut him who taunts me. [PROV 27:11]
As one face differs from another, so does one human heart from
another. [PROV 27:19]
Happy the man who is always on his guard; but he who hardens
his heart will fall into evil. [PROV 28:14]
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. [Taken
from PROV 31:10-12]
Nothing that my eyes desired did I deny them, nor did I deprive myself of any joy, but my heart rejoiced in the fruit of all my toil. This was my share for all my toil. But when I turned to all the works that my hands had wrought, and to the toil at which I had taken such pains, behold! all was vanity and a chase after wind, with nothing gained under the sun.
[ECCL 2:10-11]
For what profit comes to a man from all the toil and anxiety of
heart with which he has labored under the sun? [ECCL 2:22]
I have considered the task which God has appointed for men to be busied about. He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without men's ever
discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done.
[Taken from ECCL 3:10-11]
Then the LORD said to me: Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and obey them. Urgently and constantly I warned your fathers to obey my voice, from the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt even to this day. But they did not listen or give ear. Each one followed the hardness of his evil heart, till I brought upon them all the threats of this covenant which they had failed to observe as I commanded them.
[JER 11:6-8]
Many shepherds have ravaged my vineyard, have
trodden my heritage underfoot; The portion that delighted me they
have turned into a desert waste. They have made it a mournful
waste, desolate it lies before me, Desolate, all the land, because
no one takes it to heart. [JER 12:10-11]
Again I went to the Parath, sought out and took
the loincloth from the place where I had hid it. But it was
rotted, good for nothing! Then the message came to me from the
LORD: Thus says the LORD: So also I will allow the pride of Judah
to rot, the great pride of Jerusalem. This wicked people who
refuse to obey my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their
hearts, and follow strange gods to serve and adore them, shall be
like this loincloth which is good for nothing. For, as close as
the loincloth clings to a man's loins, so had I made the whole
house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the
LORD; to be my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty. But they
did not listen. [Taken from JER 13:7-11]
The LORD said to me: Even if Moses and Samuel
stood before me, my heart would not turn toward this people. Send
them away from me. If they ask you where they should go, tell
them, Thus says the LORD: Whoever is marked for death, to death;
whoever is marked for the sword, to the sword; whoever is marked
for famine, to famine; whoever is marked for captivity, to
captivity. Four kinds of scourge I have decreed against them, says
the LORD [Taken from JER 15:1-3]
When I found your words, I devoured them; they
became my joy and the happiness of my heart, Because I bore your
name, O LORD, God of hosts. [JER 15:16]
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel: Before your very eyes and during your lifetime I will
silence from this place the cry of joy and the cry of gladness,
the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. When you
proclaim all these words to this people and they ask you:
"Why has the LORD pronounced all these great evils against
us? What is our crime? What sin have we committed against the
LORD, our God?" - you shall answer them: It is because your
fathers have forsaken me, says the LORD, and followed strange
gods, which they served and worshiped; but me they have forsaken,
and my law they have not observed. And you have done worse than
your fathers. Here you are, every one of you, walking in the
hardness of his evil heart instead of listening to me. I will cast
you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers
have known; there you can serve strange gods day and night,
because I will not grant you my mercy. [JER 16:9-13]
The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus,
Engraved with a diamond point upon the tablets of their hearts...
Your wealth and all your treasures I will give as spoil. In
recompense for all your sins throughout your borders, You will
relinquish your hold on your heritage which I have given you. I
will enslave you to your enemies in a land that you know not: For
a fire has been kindled by my wrath that will burn forever. [Taken
from JER 17:1,3-4]
Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts
in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart
turns away from the LORD. He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season, But stands in a lava waste, a
salt and empty earth. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the
waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not
the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of
drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. [JER 17:5-8]
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it? I, the LORD, alone probe the
mind and test the heart, To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds. [JER 17:9-10]
And now, tell this to the men of Judah and the
citizens of Jerusalem: Thus says the LORD: Take care! I am
fashioning evil against you and making a plan. Return, each of
you, from his evil way; reform your ways and your deeds. But they
will say, "No use! We will follow our own devices; each one
of us will behave according to the stubbornness of his evil
heart!" [JER 18:11-12]
I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his
name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot
endure it. [JER 20:9]
Must you prove your rank among kings by competing with them in
cedar? Did not your father eat and drink? He did what was right
and just, and it went well with him. Because he dispensed justice
to the weak and the poor, it went well with him. Is this not true
knowledge of me? says the LORD. But your eyes and heart are set on
nothing except on your own gain, On shedding innocent blood, on
practicing oppression and extortion. [Taken from JER 22:15-17]
Concerning the prophets: My heart within me is broken, my bones
all tremble; I am like a man who is drunk, overcome by wine,
Because of the LORD, because of his holy words. [JER 23:9]
Thus says the LORD of hosts: Listen not to the words of your
prophets, who fill you with emptiness; Visions of their own fancy
they speak, not from the mouth of the LORD. They say to those who
despise the word of the LORD, "Peace shall be yours";
And to everyone who walks in hardness of heart, "No evil
shall overtake you." [Taken from JER 23:16-17]
The anger of the LORD shall not abate until he has done and
fulfilled what he has determined in his heart. When the time
comes, you shall fully understand. [JER 23:20]
I will give them a heart with which to understand that I am the
LORD. They shall be my people and I will be their God, for they
shall return to me with their whole heart. [JER 24:7]
Thus says the LORD: Only after seventy years have elapsed for
Babylon will I visit you and fulfill for you my promise to bring
you back to this place. For I know well the plans I have in mind
for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans
to give you a future full of hope. When you call me, when you go
to pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you
will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will
find me with you, says the LORD, and I will change your lot; I
will gather you together from all the nations and all the places
to which I have banished you, says the LORD, and bring you back to
the place from which I have exiled you. [Taken from JER 29:10-14]
Is Ephraim not my favored son, the child in whom I delight?
Often as I threaten him, I still remember him with favor; My heart
stirs for him, I must show him mercy, says the LORD. [JER 31:20]
The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will
not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took
them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for
they broke my covenant and I had to show myself their master, says
the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the
house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my
law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their
God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to
teach their friends and kinsmen how to know the LORD. All, from
least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD, for I will
forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more. [JER
31:31-34]
Now, therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
concerning this city, which as you say is handed over to the king
of Babylon amid sword, famine, and pestilence: Behold, I will
gather them together from all the lands to which in anger, wrath,
and great rage I banish them; I will bring them back to this place
and settle them here in safety. They shall be my people, and I
will be their God. One heart and one way I will give them, that
they may fear me always, to their own good and that of their
children after them. I will make with them an eternal covenant,
never to cease doing good to them; into their hearts I will put
the fear of me, that they may never depart from me. I will take
delight in doing good to them: I will replant them firmly in this
land, with all my heart and soul. For thus says the LORD: Just as
I brought upon this people all this great evil, so I will bring
upon them all the good I promise them. the LORD. [JER 32:36-42]
Small will I make you among the nations, despised among men!
The terror you spread beguiled you, and your presumption of heart;
You that live in rocky crags, that hold the heights of the hill:
Though you build your nest high as the eagle, from there I will
drag you down, says the LORD. [JER 49:15-16]
"Look, O LORD, upon my distress: all within me is in
ferment, My heart recoils within me from my monstrous rebellion.
In the streets the sword bereaves, at home death stalks. Give heed
to my groaning; there is no one to console me. All my enemies
rejoice at my misfortune: it is you who have wrought it. Bring on
the day you have proclaimed, that they may be even as I. Let all
their evil come before you; deal with them As you have dealt with
me for all my sins; My groans are many, and I am sick at
heart." [LAM 1:20-22]
Cry out to the Lord; moan, O daughter Zion! Let your tears flow
like a torrent day and night; Let there be no respite for you, no
repose for your eyes. Rise up, shrill in the night, at the
beginning of every watch; Pour out your heart like water in the
presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to him for the lives of
your little ones [Taken from LAM 2:18-19]
Let us reach out our hearts toward God in heaven! [LAM 3:41]
The joy of our hearts has ceased, our dance has turned into
mourning; The garlands have fallen from our heads: woe to us, for
we have sinned! Over this our hearts are sick, at this our eyes
grow dim: That Mount Zion should be desolate, with jackals roaming
there! [LAM 5:15-18]
From the time the LORD led our fathers out of the land of Egypt
until the present day, we have been disobedient to the LORD, our
God, and only too ready to disregard his voice. And the evils and
the curse which the LORD enjoined upon Moses, his servant, at the
time he led our fathers forth from the land of Egypt to give us
the land flowing with milk and honey, cling to us even today. For
we did not heed the voice of the LORD, our God, in all the words
of the prophets whom he sent us, but each one of us went off after
the devices of our own wicked hearts, served other gods, and did
evil in the sight of the LORD, our God. [BARUCH 1:19-22]
"Justice is with the LORD, our God; and we, like our
fathers, are flushed with shame even today. All the evils of which
the LORD had warned us have come upon us: and we did not plead
before the LORD, or turn, each from the figments of his evil
heart. And the LORD kept watch over the evils, and brought them
home to us; for the LORD is just in all the works he commanded us
to do, but we did not heed his voice, or follow the precepts of
the LORD which he set before us." [Taken from BARUCH 2:6-10]
But with us, O Lord, our God, you have dealt in all your
clemency and in all your great mercy. This was your warning
through your servant Moses, the day you ordered him to write down
your law in the presence of the Israelites: If you do not heed my
voice, surely this great and numerous throng will dwindle away
among the nations to which I will scatter them. For I know they
will not heed me, because they are a stiff-necked people. But in
the land of their captivity they shall have a change of heart;
they shall know that I, the LORD, am their God. I will give them
hearts, and heedful ears; and they shall praise me in the land of
their captivity, and shall invoke my name. Then they shall turn
back from their stiff-necked stubbornness, and from their evil
deeds, because they shall remember the fate of their fathers who
sinned against the LORD. And I will bring them back to the land
which with my oath I promised to their fathers, to Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob; and they shall rule it. I will make them increase; they
shall not then diminish. And I will establish for them, as an
eternal covenant, that I will be their God, and they shall be my
people; and I will not again remove my people Israel from the land
I gave them. [BARUCH 2:27-35]
"Fear not, my children; call out to God! He who brought
this upon you will remember you. As your hearts have been disposed
to stray from God, turn now ten times the more to seek him; For he
who has brought disaster upon you will, in saving you, bring you
back enduring joy." [Taken from BARUCH 4:27-29]
When you reach Babylon you will be there many years, a period
seven generations long; after which I will bring you back from
there in peace. And now in Babylon you will see borne upon men's
shoulders gods of silver and gold and wood, which cast fear upon
the pagans. Take care that you yourselves do not imitate their
alien example and stand in fear of them, when you see the crowd
before them and behind worshiping them. Rather, say in your
hearts, "You, O LORD, are to be worshiped!"; for my
angel is with you, and he is the custodian of your lives. [Taken
from BARUCH 6:2-6]
Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words
to them. Not to a people with difficult speech and barbarous
language am I sending you, nor to the many peoples (with difficult
speech and barbarous language) whose words you cannot understand.
If I were to send you to these, they would listen to you; but the
house of Israel will refuse to listen to you, since they will not
listen to me. For the whole house of Israel is stubborn of brow
and obstinate in heart. But I will make your face as hard as
theirs, and your brow as stubborn as theirs, like diamond, harder
than flint. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for
they are a rebellious house. Son of man, he said to me, take into
your heart all my words that I speak to you; hear them well. Now
go to the exiles, to your countrymen, and say to them: Thus says
the Lord GOD! - whether they heed or resist! [EZEK 3:4-11]
When some of your people have escaped to other nations from the
sword, and have been scattered over the foreign lands, then those
who have escaped will remember me among the nations to which they
have been exiled, after I have broken their adulterous hearts that
turned away from me (and their eyes which lusted after idols).
They shall loathe themselves because of their evil deeds, all
their abominations. Then they shall know that it was not in vain
that I, the LORD, threatened to inflict this calamity upon them.
[Taken from EZEK 6:8-10]
Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, it is about
your kinsmen, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel
that the inhabitants of Jerusalem say, "They are far away
from the LORD; to us the land of Israel has been given as our
possession." Therefore say: Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I
have removed them far among the nations and scattered them over
foreign countries - and was for a while their only sanctuary in
the countries to which they had gone - I will gather you from the
nations and assemble you from the countries over which you have
been scattered, and I will restore to you the land of Israel. They
shall return to it and remove from it all its detestable
abominations. I will give them a new heart and put a new spirit
within them; I will remove the stony heart from their bodies, and
replace it with a natural heart, so that they will live according
to my statutes, and observe and carry out my ordinances; thus they
shall be my people and I will be their God. But as for those whose
hearts are devoted to their detestable abominations, I will bring
down their conduct upon their heads, says the Lord GOD. [EZEK
11:14-21]
When certain elders of Israel came and sat down before me, the
word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, these men have the memory
of their idols fresh in their hearts, and they keep the occasion
of their sin before them. Why should I allow myself to be
consulted by them? [Taken from EZEK 14:1-3]
Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according
to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Turn and be converted from all
your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you. Cast away
from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for
yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O
house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who
dies, says the Lord GOD. Return and live! [Taken from EZEK
18:30-32]
So much were their hearts devoted to their idols, they had not
lived by my statutes, but despised my ordinances and desecrated my
sabbaths. But I looked on them with pity, not wanting to destroy
them, so I did not put an end to them in the desert. Then I said
to their children in the desert: Do not observe the statutes of
your parents or keep their ordinances; do not defile yourselves
with their idols. I am the LORD, your God: observe my statutes and
be careful to keep my ordinances; keep holy my sabbaths, as a sign
between me and you to show that I am the LORD, your God. [EZEK
20:16-20]
As for you, son of man, groan! with shattered strength groan
bitterly while they look on. And when they ask you, "Why are
you groaning?", you shall say: Because of a report; when it
comes every heart shall fail, every hand shall fall helpless,
every spirit shall be daunted, and every knee shall run with
water. See, it is coming, it is here! says the Lord GOD. [EZEK
21:11-12]
Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, prophesy!
say: Thus says the LORD: A sword, a sword has been sharpened, a
sword, a sword has been burnished: To work slaughter has it been
sharpened, to flash lightning has it been burnished. Why should I
now withdraw it? You have spurned the rod and every judgment! I
have given it over to the burnisher that he might hold it in his
hand, A sword sharpened and burnished to be put in the hand of a
slayer. Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is destined for my
people; It is for all the princes of Israel, victims of the sword
with my people. Therefore, slap your thigh, for the sword has been
tested; and why should it not be so? says the Lord GOD, since you
have spurned the rod. As for you, son of man, prophesy, brushing
one hand against the other: While the sword is doubled and
tripled, this sword of slaughter, This great sword of slaughter
which threatens all around, That every heart may tremble; for many
will be the fallen. At all their gates I have appointed the sword
for slaughter, Fashioned to flash lightning, burnished for
slaughter. Cleave to the right! destroy! to the left! wherever
your edge is turned. Then I, too, shall brush one hand against the
other and wreak my fury. I, the LORD, have spoken. [EZEK 21:13-22]
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