1. My child, if you come to serve the Lord,prepare yourself for testing.
2. Set your heart straight, be steadfast,and don’t act hastily in a time of distress.
3. Hold fast to Godand don’t keep your distance from him,so that you may find strengthat your end.
4. Accept whatever happens to you,and be patientwhen you suffer humiliation,
5. because gold is tested with fire,and acceptable people are testedin the furnace of humiliation.
6. Trust him, and he will help you;make your ways straight,and hope in him.
7. You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy,and don’t turn asideor else you might fall.
8. You who fear the Lord, trust him,and you won’t lose your reward.
9. You who fear the Lord,hope for good things,for unending joy and mercy.
10. Look at the peoplefrom long ago and see:Who trusted in the Lordand was put to shame?Or who remained firm in godly fearand was left behind?Or who called upon the Lord, and the Lordoverlooked him?
11. After all, the Lord is compassionateand merciful;he forgives sins and rescues peoplein a time of hardship.
12. How terrible it will befor cowardly hearts and idle handsand for a sinner who sets footupon two paths.
13. How terrible it will be for the timid heart.Because it doesn’t trust,therefore it won’t be protected.
14. How terrible it will be for youwho have lost your stamina.What will you do when the Lord comes for his inspection?
15. Those who fear the Lordwon’t disobey his words,and those who love himwill keep his ways.
16. Those who fear the Lordwill try to please him,and those who love him will be fully occupied with observing the Law.
17. Those who fear the Lordwill prepare their hearts,and they will humble themselves before him.
18. May we fall into the hands of the Lordand not into the hands of human beings,because his mercyis equal to his greatness.