Nowshe who is a widowindeedand who has been left alone,has fixed her hopeon Godand continuesin entreatiesand prayersnightand day.
He will coveryou with His pinions,And underHis wingsyou may seekrefuge;His faithfulnessis a shieldand bulwark.
"Behold,Godis my salvation,I will trustand not be afraid;For the LORDGODis my strengthand song,And He has becomemy salvation."
And her gateswill lamentand mourn,And desertedshe will siton the ground.
"Then you will sayin your heart,'Whohas begottenthesefor me, Since I have beenbereavedof my childrenAnd am barren,an exileand a wanderer?And whohas rearedthese?Behold,I was leftalone;From wheredid thesecome?'"
Whois among you that fearsthe LORD,That obeysthe voiceof His servant,That walksin darknessand hasnolight?Let him trustin the nameof the LORDand relyon his God.
"Shoutfor joy,O barrenone,you who have borneno[child]; Breakforthinto joyfulshoutingand cryaloud,you who have not travailed;For the sonsof the desolateone [will be] morenumerousThanthe sonsof the marriedwoman," saysthe LORD.
"From on highHe sentfireinto my bones,And it prevailed[over them]. He has spreada netfor my feet;He has turnedme back;He has mademe desolate,Faintalldaylong.
NowHe was tellingthem a parableto show that at all timesthey oughtto prayand not to lose heart,
now,will not Godbring aboutjusticefor His electwho cryto Him dayand night,and will He delay longoverthem?
and then as a widowto the ageof eighty-four.She neverleftthe temple,servingnightand daywith fastingsand prayers.
[the promise] to whichour twelve tribeshopeto attain,as they earnestlyserve[God] nightand day.And for thishope,O King,I am being accusedby Jews.
Nowat thistimewhile the discipleswere increasing[in number], a complaintaroseon the part of the Hellenistic[Jews] againstthe [native] Hebrews,becausetheir widowswere being overlookedin the dailyserving[of food].
SoPeteraroseand wentwith them. When he arrived,they broughthim into the upper room;and allthe widowsstood besidehim, weepingand showingallthe tunicsand garmentsthat Dorcasused to makewhileshe was with them.
And he gaveher his handand raisedher up; and callingthe saintsand widows,he presentedher alive.
that is, that I may be encouraged togetherwith you [while] amongyou, each of us by the other'sfaith,bothyoursand mine.
throughwhomwe have receivedgraceand apostleshipto bring about[the] obedienceof faithamongallthe Gentilesfor His name'ssake,
But I wantyou to be free from concern.One who is unmarriedis concernedabout the things of the Lord,howhe may pleasethe Lord;
and [his interests] are divided.The womanwho is unmarried,and the virgin,is concernedabout the things of the Lord,that she may be holybothin bodyand spirit;but one who is marriedis concernedabout the things of the world,howshe may pleaseher husband.
With allprayerand petitionprayat alltimesin the Spirit,and with thisin view,be on the alertwith allperseveranceand petitionfor allthe saints,
Be anxiousfor nothing,but in everythingby prayerand supplicationwith thanksgivinglet your requestsbe made knownto God.
Firstof all,then,I urgethat entreaties[and] prayers,petitions[and] thanksgivings,be madeon behalfof allmen,
Ifany womanwho is a believerhas[dependent] widows,she must assistthem and the churchmust not be burdened,sothat it may assistthosewho are widowsindeed.
Honorwidowswho are widowsindeed;
I thankGod,whomI servewith a clearconsciencethe waymy forefathersdid, as I constantlyrememberyou in my prayersnightand day,
For in this wayin former timesthe holywomenalso,who hopedin God,used to adornthemselves,being submissiveto their ownhusbands;
"May the LORDrewardyour work,and your wagesbe fullfrom the LORD,the Godof Israel,underwhosewingsyou have cometo seekrefuge."
