Page 398 - Wisdom and Sound Advice from the Torah

WISDOM AND SOUND ADVICE FROM THE TORAH

my God! Sustain me ac cord ing to Your prom ise, and I will live...
Uphold me, and I will be de liv ered; I will al ways have re gard for
Your de crees... teach me Your de crees. I am Your ser vant; give me
dis cern ment that I may un der stand Your stat utes... Because I love
Your com mands more than gold, more than pure gold, and be -
cause I con sid er all Your pre cepts right, I hate ev ery wrong path.
Your stat utes are won der ful; there fore I obey them. The un fold -
ing of Your words gives light; it gives un der stand ing to the sim -

ple. I open my mouth and pant, long ing for Your com mands.
Turn to me and have mer cy on me, as You al ways do to those who
love Your name. Direct my foot steps ac cord ing to Your word; let
no sin rule over me. Redeem me from the op pres sion of men, that
I may obey Your pre cepts. Make Your face shine up on Your ser -
vant and teach me Your de crees. Righteous are You, O Lord, and
Your laws are right. The stat utes You have laid down are right -

eous; they are ful ly trust wor thy... my en e mies ig nore Your words.
Your prom is es have been thor ough ly test ed, and Your ser vant
loves them... I do not for get Your pre cepts. Your right eous ness is
ev er last ing and Your law is true... Your com mands are my de -
light. Your stat utes are for ev er right; give me un der stand ing that
I may live. I call with all my heart; an swer me, O Lord, and I will
obey Your de crees. I call out to You; save me and I will keep Your
stat utes. I rise be fore dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope
in Your word. My eyes stay open through the watch es of the

night, that I may med i tate on Your prom is es... Those who de vise
wick ed schemes are near, but they are far from Your law. Yet You
are near, O Lord, and all Your com mands are true. Long ago I
learned from Your stat utes that You es tab lished them to last for -
ev er... Salvation is far from the wick ed, for they do not seek out
Your de crees. Your com pas sion is great, O Lord; pre serve my life

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