The real mother, her heart full of love for her son, said to the king, "Please, Your Majesty, don't kill the child! Give it to her!" But the other woman said, "Don't give it to either of us; go on and cut it in two."

"Israel, you are my dearest child, the one I love best. Whenever I mention your name, I think of you with love. My heart goes out to you; I will be merciful.

"How can I give you up, Israel? How can I abandon you? Could I ever destroy you as I did Admah, or treat you as I did Zeboiim? My heart will not let me do it! My love for you is too strong.

God is my witness that I tell the truth when I say that my deep feeling for you all comes from the heart of Christ Jesus himself.

Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another.

You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God?

Joseph left them and began to cry. When he was able to speak again, he came back, picked out Simeon, and had him tied up in front of them.

Jesus saw her weeping, and he saw how the people with her were weeping also; his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved.

Jesus wept.

But some of them said, "He gave sight to the blind man, didn't he? Could he not have kept Lazarus from dying?"

With all humility and many tears I did my work as the Lord's servant during the hard times that came to me because of the plots of some Jews.

Watch, then, and remember that with many tears, day and night, I taught every one of you for three years.

They were all crying as they hugged him and kissed him good-bye.

I remember your tears, and I want to see you very much, so that I may be filled with joy.