Happy are those who follow his commands, who obey him with all their heart.

Explain your law to me, and I will obey it; I will keep it with all my heart.

I ask you with all my heart to have mercy on me, as you have promised!

The proud have told lies about me, but with all my heart I obey your instructions.

They were not loyal to him; they were not faithful to their covenant with him.

Samuel said to the people of Israel, "If you are going to turn to the LORD with all your hearts, you must get rid of all the foreign gods and the images of the goddess Astarte. Dedicate yourselves completely to the LORD and worship only him, and he will rescue you from the power of the Philistines."

All the people of Judah were happy because they had made this covenant with all their heart. They took delight in worshiping the LORD, and he accepted them and gave them peace on every side.

And after all this, Judah, Israel's unfaithful sister, only pretended to return to me; she was not sincere. I, the LORD, have spoken."

The people whose hearts are deceitful must now suffer for their sins. God will break down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.

I will destroy anyone who goes up on the roof and worships the sun, the moon, and the stars. I will also destroy those who worship me and swear loyalty to me, but then take oaths in the name of the god Molech.

I will destroy those who have turned back and no longer follow me, those who do not come to me or ask me to guide them."

"You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Slaves, obey your human masters in all things, not only when they are watching you because you want to gain their approval; but do it with a sincere heart because of your reverence for the Lord.

Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father.

You reprimand the proud; cursed are those who disobey your commands.

You reject everyone who disobeys your laws; their deceitful schemes are useless.

As you have promised, keep me from falling; don't let me be overcome by evil.

I wander about like a lost sheep; so come and look for me, your servant, because I have not neglected your laws.

He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths, as he has promised.

But when you punish the wicked, punish also those who abandon your ways. Peace be with Israel!

Remind me each morning of your constant love, for I put my trust in you. My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go.

You are my God; teach me to do your will. Be good to me, and guide me on a safe path.

those who have abandoned a righteous life to live in the darkness of sin,

Death is waiting for anyone who wanders away from good sense.

There will be a highway there, called "The Road of Holiness." No sinner will ever travel that road; no fools will mislead those who follow it.

So my sheep wandered over the high hills and the mountains. They were scattered over the face of the earth, and no one looked for them or tried to find them.

They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong

These people are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm; God has reserved a place for them in the deepest darkness.

They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits---for we are slaves of anything that has conquered us.

It would have been much better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away from the sacred command that was given them.