I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garment of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom adorns himself with ornaments, and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.

The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, panting in a hurry to its place where it rises again.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

Therefore I run in this manner: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and stretching forward to those things which are ahead,

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so persistently harasses us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.