31 but *they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings *like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.

18 Therefore the Lord*waits to be gracious to you,

and therefore he *exalts himself to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;

*blessed are all those who wait for him.

14 *Wait for the Lord;

*be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

13 I believe that I shall look* upon *the goodness of the Lord

in *the land of the living!

14 *Wait for the Lord;

*be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

1 The Lord is my *light and my *salvation;

*whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold* of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me

to *eat up my flesh,

my adversaries and foes,

it is they who stumble and fall.

3 *Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

yet* I will be confident.

4 *One thing have I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after:

that I may *dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon *the beauty of the Lord

and to inquire* in his temple.

5 For he will *hide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will *lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my *head shall be lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of *joy;

*I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 *Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;

be gracious to me and answer me!

8 You have said, *"Seek* my face."

My heart says to you,

"Your face, Lord, do I seek."*

9 *Hide not your face from me.

Turn not your servant away in anger,

O you who have been my help.

Cast me not off; forsake me not,

*O God of my salvation!

10 For *my father and my mother have forsaken me,

but the Lord will *take me in.

11 *Teach me your way, O Lord,

and lead me on *a level path

because of my enemies.

12 *Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;

for *false witnesses have risen against me,

and they *breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look* upon *the goodness of the Lord

in *the land of the living!

14 *Wait for the Lord;

*be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

1 I *waited patiently for the Lord;

he inclined to me and *heard my cry.

2 He drew me up from *the pit of destruction,

out of *the miry bog,

and *set my feet upon a rock,

*making my steps secure.

3 He put *a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many will *see and fear,

and put their trust in the Lord.

4 Blessed is the man who *makes

the Lord his trust,

who does not turn to the proud,

to those who *go astray after a lie!

5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

your *wondrous deeds and your *thoughts toward us;

none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are *more than can be told.

6 *In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,

but you have given me an open *ear.*

Burnt offering and sin offering

you have not required.

7 Then I said, "Behold, I have come;

in the scroll of the book it is written *of me:

8 *I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is *within my heart."

9 I have told the glad news of deliverance*

in *the great congregation;

behold, I have not *restrained my lips,

*as you know, O Lord.

10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;

I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness

from the great congregation.

11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain

your mercy from me;

your *steadfast love and your faithfulness will

ever preserve me!

12 For evils have *encompassed me

beyond number;

my *iniquities have overtaken me,

and I cannot *see;

they are *more than the hairs of my head;

my heart *fails me.

13 *Be pleased, O Lord, to *deliver me!

O Lord, *make haste to help me!

14 *Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether

who seek to snatch away my life;

let those be *turned back and brought to dishonor

who delight in my hurt!

20 Our soul *waits for the Lord;

he is our *help and *our shield.

21 For our heart is *glad in him,

because we *trust in his holy name.

22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,

even as we hope in you.

5 I *wait for the Lord, *my soul waits,

and *in his word I hope;

6 my soul *waits for the Lord

more than *watchmen for *the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

5 For God alone, O *my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

34 *Wait for the Lord and keep his way,

and he will exalt you to inherit the land;

you will look on *when the wicked are cut off.

5 *Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and *do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways *acknowledge him,

and he *will make straight your paths.

3 Not only that, but we *rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering *produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

11 *being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for *all endurance and patience *with joy;

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers,* until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives *the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. *Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord *is at hand.

11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of *the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen *the purpose of the Lord, how *the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for *a sincere brotherly love, *love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 *since you have been born again, *not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through *the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

*"All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

25 *but the word of the Lord remains forever."

And this word *is the good news that was preached to you.

9 *The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise *as some count slowness, but *is patient toward you,**not wishing that any should perish, but *that all should reach repentance.

1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like *ten virgins who took their lamps*and went to meet *the bridegroom.*2 Five of them were foolish, and five were *wise.3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.5 As the bridegroom *was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.6 But *at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’7 Then all those virgins rose and *trimmed their lamps.8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and *those who were ready went in with him to *the marriage feast, and *the door was shut.11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, *‘Lord, lord, open to us.’12 *But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, *I do not know you.’13 *Watch therefore, for you *know neither the day nor the hour.