17 When the righteous cry [for help], the Lord hears

And rescues them from all their distress and troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the heartbroken

And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

The Lord loves the *righteous [the upright in heart]. [Luke 13:13; John 9:7, 32]

9 Lord, all my desire is before You;

And my sighing is not hidden from You.

4 "Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted]. [Is 61:2]

5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father (ancestor): "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I am healing you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.

5 For His anger is but for a moment,

*His favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may endure for a night,

But a shout of joy comes in the morning. [2 Cor 4:17]

3 and then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them *[as their God,] [Lev 26:11, 12; Ezek 37:27; John 1:14; 1 Cor 3:16, 17] 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the *former order of things has passed away." [Is 25:8; 35:10]

16 They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun *beat down on them, nor any [scorching] heat; [Is 49:10; Ps 121:6] 17 for the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes [giving them eternal comfort]." [Ps 23:2; Is 25:8; Ezek 34:23; Rev 21:4]

10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet bestowing riches on many; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.

7 casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. [Ps 55:22]

8 It is the Lord who goes before you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief].

12 "Even now," says the Lord,

"Turn and come to Me with all your heart [in genuine repentance],

With fasting and weeping and mourning [until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored];

12 The vine dries up

And the fig tree fails;

The pomegranate, the palm also, and the apple tree,

All the trees of the field dry up,

Indeed, joy dries up and withdraws

From the sons of men.

20 Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God]. 21 He said,

"Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother’s womb,

And naked I will return there.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord."

1 The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.

18 For in much [human] wisdom there is much displeasure and exasperation; increasing knowledge increases sorrow.

10 Therefore, remove sorrow and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, for childhood and the prime of life are fleeting. [2 Cor 7:1; 2 Tim 2:22]

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin]. [Eph 1:13, 14; Phil 3:20, 21]