Your testimoniesare righteousforever;Giveme understandingthat I may live.Qoph.
You have commandedYour testimoniesin righteousnessAnd exceedingfaithfulness.
You are near,O LORD,And allYour commandmentsare truth.
Of oldI have knownfrom Your testimoniesThat You have foundedthem forever.Resh.
Let my crycomebeforeYou, O LORD;Giveme understandingaccording to Your word.
Dealbountifullywith Your servant,That I may liveand keepYour word.
Giveme understanding,that I may observeYour lawAnd keepit with all[my] heart.
Teachme gooddiscernmentand knowledge,For I believein Your commandments.
Your handsmademe and fashionedme; Giveme understanding,that I may learnYour commandments.
The fearof the LORDis clean,enduringforever;The judgmentsof the LORDare true;they are righteousaltogether.
The lipsof the righteousfeedmany,But foolsdiefor lackof understanding.
Then he taughtme and saidto me, "Let your heartholdfastmy words;Keepmy commandmentsand live;
Keepmy commandmentsand live,And my teachingas the appleof your eye.
When its limbsare dry,they are brokenoff; Womencome[and] makea firewith them, For they are not a peopleof discernment,Thereforetheir Makerwill not havecompassionon them. And their Creatorwill not be graciousto them.
"For My peopleare foolish,They knowMe not; They are stupidchildrenAnd havenounderstanding.They are shrewdto doevil,But to dogoodthey do not know."
"Manywill be purged,purifiedand refined,but the wickedwill actwickedly;and noneof the wickedwill understand,but those who haveinsightwill understand.
My peopleare destroyedfor lackof knowledge.Becauseyou have rejectedknowledge,I also will rejectyou from being My priest.Since you have forgottenthe lawof your God,I alsowill forgetyour children.
"When anyonehearsthe wordof the kingdomand does not understandit, the evil[one] comesand snatches awaywhathas been sownin his heart.Thisis the one on whom seed was sownbesidethe road.
"For trulyI sayto you, untilheavenand earthpassaway,not the smallestletterorstrokeshall passfrom the Lawuntilallis accomplished.
"Thisis eternallife,that they may knowYou, the onlytrue God,and JesusChristwhomYou have sent.
For God,who said,"Lightshall shineout of darkness,"is the One whohas shonein our heartsto give the Lightof the knowledgeof the gloryof Godin the faceof Christ.
