22 The fsteadfast love of the Lord never ceases;1
his gmercies never come to an end;
23 they are new hevery morning;
great is your ifaithfulness.
24 “The Lord is jmy portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will khope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who lwait for him,
to the soul who mseeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait nquietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29 let him put his mouth in the dust—
there may yet be hope;
30 let him give his ocheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31 For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32 for, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the pabundance of his steadfast love;
33 for qhe does not afflict from his heart
or grieve the children of men.
Joy Comes with the Morning
A Psalm of David. A song at the hdedication of the temple.
1 iI will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have jhealed me.
3 O Lord, you have kbrought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.1
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and lgive thanks to his holy name.2
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.3
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you mhid your face;
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O Lord, I cry,
and to the Lord I nplead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,4
if I go down to the pit?5
oWill the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 pHear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, qI will give thanks to you forever!
Encouragement to Give Generously
1 We want you to know, brothers,1 about the grace of God that has been given kamong the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their labundance of joy and mtheir extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave naccording to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor2 of taking part in the orelief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, pwe urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this qact of grace. 7 But ras you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you3—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
8 sI say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is tgenuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, uyet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might vbecome rich.
