Job 9:27

For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’

I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, Yahweh,

I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know.

She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, weeping bitterly.

“My soul is weary of my life. I will give free course to my complaint. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’

All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.

whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of his own heart, and spread out his hands toward this house,

When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint;’

Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.

that you ask, ‘What advantage will it be to you? What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’

I am weary with my groaning. Every night I flood my bed. I drench my couch with my tears.

Therefore I said, “Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Don’t labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

What will I say? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

“Let all their wickedness come before you. Do to them as you have done to me for all my transgressions. For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.

For this our heart is faint. For these things our eyes are dim.

Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”

They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”

When Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has promised you, and you say, “I want to eat meat,” because your soul desires to eat meat, you may eat meat, after all the desire of your soul.

King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead.

David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house.”

Now Elisha became sick with the illness of which he died; and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”

Do you intend to reprove words, since the speeches of one who is desperate are as wind?

“Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

“How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

I will be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain?

yet you will plunge me in the ditch. My own clothes will abhor me.

If I am wicked, woe to me. If I am righteous, I still will not lift up my head, being filled with disgrace, and conscious of my affliction.

“Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.

Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.

“Though I speak, my grief is not subsided. Though I forbear, what am I eased?

Yet the righteous will hold to his way. He who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

“Even today my complaint is rebellious. His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart every day? How long shall my enemy triumph over me?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully.

My heart was hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned. I spoke with my tongue:

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.

Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none.

Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence,

I remember God, and I groan. I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed.

You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can’t speak.

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad.

The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.

Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.

We have heard its report. Our hands become feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, and pains as of a woman in labor.

Oh that I could comfort myself against sorrow! My heart is faint within me.

I will weep and wail for the mountains, and lament for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are burned up, so that no one passes through; Men can’t hear the voice of the livestock. Both the birds of the sky and the animals have fled. They are gone.

“You shall say this word to them: “ ‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous wound.

Why did I come out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

‘You said, “Woe is me now! For Yahweh has added sorrow to my pain! I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.” ’

It shall be, when they ask you, ‘Why do you sigh?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the news, for it comes! Every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes, and it shall be done, says the Lord Yahweh.’ ”

I heard, and my body trembled. My lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place, because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble, for the coming up of the people who invade us.

You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God;’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Armies?

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.

And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’ ”

He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled.

Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.

“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.

Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established;

that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.

When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.

If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then “let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made to grieve, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside.

while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

I thank my God whenever I remember you,

since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

longing to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy;

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials,

For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain,