And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If you are returning unto Jehovah with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts for Jehovah, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

O Jehovah the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You.

And he did evil, because he had not fixed his heart to seek Jehovah.

Nevertheless good things have been found in you, in that you have burned the groves from the land, and have fixed your heart to seek God.

If you have prepared your heart, and spread out your hands toward Him;

Jehovah, You have heard the desire of the lowly; You will prepare their heart, You will cause Your ear to hear,

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which Jehovah the God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him.

But his delight is in the Law of Jehovah; and in His Law he meditates day and night.

The Law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul; the Testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple.

And I will walk in a broad place, for I seek Your Precepts.

I have seen the end of all perfection, but Your Commandment is exceedingly broad.

You, through Your Commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are always with me.

I understand more than the elders, because I keep Your Precepts.

And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall take heed to do these statutes.

Whoever therefore relaxes one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock;

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the Laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them.

They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, and Israel Your Law. They shall put incense before Your nose, and a whole burnt offering upon Your altar.

And with them he sent Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.

So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of Jehovah with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

And Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites who were teaching the good understanding of Jehovah; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession unto Jehovah the God of their fathers.

Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they commanded Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which Jehovah had charged Israel.

And he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

And Ezra opened the book in the eyes of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.

Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, This day is holy to Jehovah your God; do not mourn nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the Words of the Law.

For the lips of the priest should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of Hosts.

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of everything that Jesus began both to do and teach,

An overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober- minded, well ordered, hospitable, able to teach;

Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:

Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.