Make an altar of earth for me, and on it sacrifice your sheep and your cattle as offerings to be completely burned and as fellowship offerings. In every place that I set aside for you to worship me, I will come to you and bless you.

I will meet you there, and from above the lid between the two winged creatures I will give you all my laws for the people of Israel.

For all time to come, this burnt offering is to be offered in my presence at the entrance of the Tent of my presence. That is where I will meet my people and speak to you.

There I will meet the people of Israel, and the dazzling light of my presence will make the place holy.

Put this altar outside the curtain which hangs in front of the Covenant Box. That is the place where I will meet you.

Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.

With faithfulness and love he leads all who keep his covenant and obey his commands.

Seek your happiness in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desire.

Praise the LORD! Happy is the person who honors the LORD, who takes pleasure in obeying his commands.

He was a religious man; he and his whole family worshiped God. He also did much to help the Jewish poor people and was constantly praying to God.

He stared at the angel in fear and said, "What is it, sir?" The angel answered, "God is pleased with your prayers and works of charity, and is ready to answer you.

Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.

All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you.

We follow your will and put our hope in you; you are all that we desire.

At night I long for you with all my heart; when you judge the earth and its people, they will all learn what justice is.

The LORD says to his people, "Do what is just and right, for soon I will save you.

A foreigner who has joined the LORD's people should not say, "The LORD will not let me worship with his people." A man who has been castrated should never think that because he cannot have children, he can never be part of God's people.

then your name will be remembered in my Temple and among my people longer than if you had sons and daughters. You will never be forgotten."

"I will bring you to Zion, my sacred hill, give you joy in my house of prayer, and accept the sacrifices you offer on my altar. My Temple will be called a house of prayer for the people of all nations."

but they rebelled against him and made his holy spirit sad. So the LORD became their enemy and fought against them.

We are destroyed by your anger; we are terrified by your fury.

Our life is cut short by your anger; it fades away like a whisper.

But for those who honor the LORD, his love lasts forever, and his goodness endures for all generations

"I hear the people of Israel say in grief, ' LORD, we were like an untamed animal, but you taught us to obey. Bring us back; we are ready to return to you, the LORD our God.

"Israel, you are my dearest child, the one I love best. Whenever I mention your name, I think of you with love. My heart goes out to you; I will be merciful.

Let us try to know the LORD. He will come to us as surely as the day dawns, as surely as the spring rains fall upon the earth."

"How can I give you up, Israel? How can I abandon you? Could I ever destroy you as I did Admah, or treat you as I did Zeboiim? My heart will not let me do it! My love for you is too strong.

"I am the LORD, and I do not change. And so you, the descendants of Jacob, are not yet completely lost.