Psalm 119:1–88; 1 Corinthians 7:20–40

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Psalm 119:1–88

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

Aleph

1 Blessed are those whose kway is blameless,

who lwalk in the law of the Lord!

Blessed are those who mkeep his ntestimonies,

who oseek him with their whole heart,

who also pdo no wrong,

but walk in his ways!

You have commanded your qprecepts

to be kept diligently.

Oh that my ways may rbe steadfast

in keeping your statutes!

sThen I shall not be put to shame,

having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

I will praise you with an upright heart,

when I learn tyour righteous rules.2

I will keep your statutes;

udo not utterly forsake me!

Beth

How can va young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

10  wWith my whole heart I seek you;

let me not xwander from your commandments!

11  I have ystored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

12  Blessed are you, O Lord;

zteach me your statutes!

13  With my lips I adeclare

all the rules3 of your mouth.

14  In the way of your testimonies I bdelight

as much as in all criches.

15  I will dmeditate on your precepts

and fix my eyes on your eways.

16  I will fdelight in your statutes;

I will not forget your word.

Gimel

17  gDeal bountifully with your servant,

hthat I may live and keep your word.

18  Open my eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of your law.

19  I am ia sojourner on the earth;

jhide not your commandments from me!

20  My soul is consumed with klonging

for your rules4 at all times.

21  You rebuke lthe insolent, maccursed ones,

who nwander from your commandments.

22  Take away from me oscorn and contempt,

pfor I have kept your testimonies.

23  Even though qprinces sit plotting against me,

your servant will rmeditate on your statutes.

24  Your testimonies are my sdelight;

they are my tcounselors.

Daleth

25  uMy soul clings to the dust;

vgive me life waccording to your word!

26  When xI told of my ways, you answered me;

yteach me your statutes!

27  zMake me understand the way of your precepts,

and I will ameditate on your wondrous works.

28  bMy soul melts away for sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word!

29  Put false ways far from me

and graciously cteach me your law!

30  I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

I dset your rules before me.

31  I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;

elet me not be put to shame!

32  I will run in the way of your commandments

when you fenlarge my heart!5

He

33  gTeach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;

and I will keep it hto the end.6

34  iGive me understanding, that I may keep your law

and observe it with my whole heart.

35  jLead me in the path of your commandments,

for I kdelight in it.

36  lIncline my heart to your testimonies,

and not to mselfish gain!

37  nTurn my eyes from looking at worthless things;

and ogive me life in your ways.

38  pConfirm to your servant your promise,

qthat you may be feared.

39  Turn away the rreproach that I dread,

for your rules are good.

40  Behold, I slong for your precepts;

tin your righteousness give me life!

Waw

41  Let your usteadfast love come to me, O Lord,

your salvation vaccording to your promise;

42  then wshall I have an answer for him rwho taunts me,

for I trust in your word.

43  And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,

for my xhope is in your rules.

44  I will keep your law continually,

forever and ever,

45  and I shall walk yin a wide place,

for I have zsought your precepts.

46  I will also speak of your testimonies abefore kings

and shall not be put to shame,

47  for I bfind my delight in your commandments,

which I love.

48  I will clift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,

and I will dmeditate on your statutes.

Zayin

49  Remember eyour word to your servant,

in which you have made me fhope.

50  This is gmy comfort in my affliction,

that your promise hgives me life.

51  iThe insolent utterly deride me,

but I do not jturn away from your law.

52  When I think of your rules from of old,

I take comfort, O Lord.

53  kHot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,

who forsake your law.

54  Your statutes have been my songs

in the house of my lsojourning.

55  I mremember your name in the night, O Lord,

and keep your law.

56  This blessing has fallen to me,

that nI have kept your precepts.

Heth

57  oThe Lord is my portion;

I promise to keep your words.

58  I pentreat your favor with all my heart;

be gracious to me qaccording to your promise.

59  When I rthink on my ways,

I turn my feet to your testimonies;

60  I hasten and do not delay

to keep your commandments.

61  Though sthe cords of the wicked ensnare me,

I do not tforget your law.

62  At umidnight I rise to praise you,

because of your vrighteous rules.

63  wI am a companion of all who fear you,

of those who keep your precepts.

64  xThe earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;

yteach me your statutes!

Teth

65  You have dealt well with your servant,

O Lord, zaccording to your word.

66  Teach me agood judgment and knowledge,

for I believe in your commandments.

67  bBefore I was afflicted I went astray,

but now I keep your word.

68  cYou are good and do good;

dteach me your statutes.

69  eThe insolent fsmear me with lies,

but with my whole heart I gkeep your precepts;

70  their heart is unfeeling hlike fat,

but I idelight in your law.

71  It is jgood for me that I was afflicted,

that I might learn your statutes.

72  kThe law of your mouth is better to me

than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Yodh

73  lYour hands have made and fashioned me;

mgive me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

74  Those who fear you shall see me and nrejoice,

because I have ohoped in your word.

75  I know, O Lord, that your rules are prighteous,

and that in qfaithfulness you have afflicted me.

76  Let your steadfast love comfort me

according to your promise to your servant.

77  Let your rmercy come to me, that I may live;

for your law is my sdelight.

78  Let tthe insolent be put to ushame,

because they have vwronged me with falsehood;

as for me, I will wmeditate on your precepts.

79  Let those who fear you xturn to me,

that they may know your testimonies.

80  May my heart be yblameless in your statutes,

zthat I may not be put to shame!

Kaph

81  My soul alongs for your salvation;

I bhope in your word.

82  My ceyes long for your promise;

I ask, dWhen will you comfort me?

83  For I have ebecome like a fwineskin in the smoke,

yet I have not forgotten your statutes.

84  gHow long must your servant endure?7

hWhen will you judge those who persecute me?

85  iThe insolent have jdug pitfalls for me;

they do not live according to your law.

86  All your commandments are ksure;

they persecute me lwith falsehood; mhelp me!

87  They have almost made an end of me on earth,

but I have not forsaken your precepts.

88  In your steadfast love ngive me life,

that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.


1 Corinthians 7:20–40

20 rEach one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant1 when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is sa freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is ta bondservant of Christ. 23 uYou were bought with a price; vdo not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers,2 win whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

The Unmarried and the Widowed

25 Now concerning3 the betrothed,4 xI have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as yone who by the Lord’s mercy is ztrustworthy. 26 I think that in view of the present5 distress ait is good for a person to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman6 marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29 This is what I mean, brothers: bthe appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy cas though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For dthe present form of this world is passing away.

32 I want you to be efree from anxieties. fThe unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, gnot to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

36 If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed,7 if his8 passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marryit is no sin. 37 But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38 So then he who marries his betrothed hdoes well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

39 iA wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only jin the Lord. 40 Yet kin my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think lthat I too have the Spirit of God.