In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express.

listen to their prayers. If any of your people Israel, out of heartfelt sorrow, stretch out their hands in prayer toward this Temple,

I am worn out with grief; every night my bed is damp from my weeping; my pillow is soaked with tears.

When I did not confess my sins, I was worn out from crying all day long.

Day and night you punished me, LORD; my strength was completely drained, as moisture is dried up by the summer heat.

You have wounded me with your arrows; you have struck me down.

I am worn out and utterly crushed; my heart is troubled, and I groan with pain.

My heart is pounding, my strength is gone, and my eyes have lost their brightness.

When I think of God, I sigh; when I meditate, I feel discouraged.

I think of days gone by and remember years of long ago.

"Will the Lord always reject us? Will he never again be pleased with us?

Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has anger taken the place of his compassion?"

My heart aches with longing; I want to know your judgments at all times.

I am worn out, LORD, waiting for you to save me; I place my trust in your word.

I am as useless as a discarded wineskin; yet I have not forgotten your commands.

I am filled with trouble and anxiety, but your commandments bring me joy.

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

From the depths of my despair I call to you, LORD.

If you kept a record of our sins, who could escape being condemned?

"Go through the whole city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is distressed and troubled because of all the disgusting things being done in the city."

"Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!

"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!

But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan's messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud.

But his answer was: "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me.

He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared."

nothing is to be done to the woman, because she has not committed a sin worthy of death. This case is the same as when one man attacks another man and murders him.

The man raped the engaged woman in the countryside, and although she cried for help, there was no one to help her.

They say, "God has abandoned him; let's go after him and catch him; there is no one to rescue him."

He rescues the poor who call to him, and those who are needy and neglected.

God says, "I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as LORD.

When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them.

He heard the groans of prisoners and set free those who were condemned to die.

You will be merciful to us once again. You will trample our sins underfoot and send them to the bottom of the sea!

The LORD says, "Because of my covenant with you that was sealed by the blood of sacrifices, I will set your people free--- free from the waterless pit of exile.

Return, you exiles who now have hope; return to your place of safety. Now I tell you that I will repay you twice over with blessing for all you have suffered.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed

We want to remind you, friends, of the trouble we had in the province of Asia. The burdens laid upon us were so great and so heavy that we gave up all hope of staying alive.

From such terrible dangers of death he saved us, and will save us; and we have placed our hope in him that he will save us again,

And the Lord will rescue me from all evil and take me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

He gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good.

and in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.

And we know that our old being has been put to death with Christ on his cross, in order that the power of the sinful self might be destroyed, so that we should no longer be the slaves of sin.

For if you live according to your human nature, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death your sinful actions, you will live.

I am abandoned among the dead; I am like the slain lying in their graves, those you have forgotten completely, who are beyond your help.

In union with Christ you were circumcised, not with the circumcision that is made by human beings, but with the circumcision made by Christ, which consists of being freed from the power of this sinful self.