The nations advance like rushing waves, but God reprimands them and they retreat, driven away like dust on a mountainside, like straw in a whirlwind.

But evil people are not like this at all; they are like straw that the wind blows away.

In every town in the land I threw you to the wind like straw. I destroyed you, my people, I killed your children because you did not stop your evil ways.

I will send foreigners to destroy Babylonia like a wind that blows straw away. When that day of destruction comes, they will attack from every side and leave the land bare.

He has his winnowing shovel with him to thresh out all the grain. He will gather his wheat into his barn, but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out."

Let everyone who lives in Zion shout and sing! Israel's holy God is great, and he lives among his people."

LORD, you are my God; I will honor you and praise your name. You have done amazing things; you have faithfully carried out the plans you made long ago.

The people of powerful nations will praise you; you will be feared in the cities of cruel nations.

"They will say that only through me are victory and strength to be found; but all who hate me will suffer disgrace.

I, the LORD, will rescue all the descendants of Jacob, and they will give me praise.

Jerusalem rejoices because of what the LORD has done. She is like a bride dressed for her wedding. God has clothed her with salvation and victory.

As surely as seeds sprout and grow, The Sovereign LORD will save his people, And all the nations will praise him.

Hannah prayed: "The LORD has filled my heart with joy; how happy I am because of what he has done! I laugh at my enemies; how joyful I am because God has helped me!

"No one is holy like the LORD; there is none like him, no protector like our God.

The LORD says, "The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth.

If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right. These are the things that please me. I, the LORD, have spoken."

I will still be joyful and glad, because the LORD God is my savior.

Mary said, "My heart praises the Lord;

my soul is glad because of God my Savior,

But that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God's friends.

But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God's holy people and are set free.

So then, as the scripture says, "Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done."

It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies.