How Young People Can Keep Pure Their Ways

Psalm 119:9-16 reads,

119:9How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.

119:10With my whole heart, I have sought you.
Don’t let me wander from your commandments.

119:11I have hidden your word in my heart,
That I might not sin against you.

119:12Blessed are you, Yahweh.
Teach me your statutes.

119:13With my lips,
I have declared all the ordinances of your mouth.

119:14I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.

119:15I will meditate on your precepts,
And consider your ways.

119:16I will delight myself in your statutes.
I will not forget your word.

Fear Yah, For He Forgives Sins

Psalm 130 reads,

A Song of Ascents.

130:1Out of the depths I have cried to you, Yahweh.

130:2Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions.

130:3If you, Yah, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?

130:4But there is forgiveness with you,
Therefore you are feared.

130:5I wait for Yahweh.
My soul waits.
I hope in his word.

130:6My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning;
More than watchmen for the morning.

Hope In Yahweh

130:7Israel, hope in Yahweh,
For with Yahweh there is lovingkindness.
With him is abundant redemption.

130:8He will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Fear Yahweh And Do Not Consent To The Enticing Of Sinners

Proverbs 1:7-19 reads,

1:7The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

1:8My son, listen to your father’s instruction,
And don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:

1:9For they will be a garland to grace your head,
And chains around your neck.

1:10My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.

1:11If they say, "Come with us,
Let’s lay in wait for blood;
Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

1:12Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down into the pit.

1:13We’ll find all valuable wealth.
We’ll fill our houses with spoil.

1:14You shall cast your lot among us.
We’ll all have one purse."

1:15My son, don’t walk in the way with them.
Keep your foot from their path,

1:16For their feet run to evil.
They hurry to shed blood.

1:17For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

1:18These lay wait for their own blood.
They lurk secretly for their own lives.

1:19So are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain.
It takes away the life of its owners.

The Wicked Are Ensnared In Their Evil Deeds

Proverbs 5:22-23 reads,

5:22The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him.
The cords of his sin hold him firmly.

5:23He will die for lack of instruction.
In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.

Hear Instruction

Proverbs 8:32-36 reads,

8:32"Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.

8:33Hear instruction, and be wise,
Don’t refuse it.

8:34Blessed is the man who hears me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my door posts.

8:35For whoever finds me, finds life,
And will obtain favor from Yahweh.

8:36But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul.
All those who hate me love death."

The Increase Of The Wicked Leads To Sin

Proverbs 10:16 reads,

10:16The labor of the righteous leads to life.
The increase of the wicked leads to sin.

You Shall Be Repaid In The Earth For Your Works

Proverbs 11:31 reads,

11:31Behold, the righteous shall be repaid in the earth;
How much more the wicked and the sinner!

Do Righteousness To Avoid Entrapment By Sinfulness Of Lips

Proverbs 12:13-14 reads,

12:13An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips,
But the righteous shall come out of trouble.

12:14A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth.
The doings of a man’s hands shall be rewarded to him.

Wickedness Brings Shame And Disgrace

Proverbs 13:5-6 reads,

13:5A righteous man hates lies,
But a wicked man brings shame and disgrace.

13:6Righteousness guards the way of integrity,
But wickedness overthrows the sinner.

The Wealth Of The Sinner Is Stored For The Righteous

Proverbs 13:21-22 reads,

13:21Misfortune pursues sinners,
But prosperity rewards the righteous.

13:22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
But the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.

It Is Folly To Mock At Making Atonement For Sins

Proverbs 14:9 reads,

14:9Fools mock at making atonement for sins,
But among the upright there is good will.

Do Not Despise Your Neighbour

Proverbs 14:20-21 reads,

14:20The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor,
But the rich person has many friends.

14:21He who despises his neighbor sins,
But blessed is he who has pity on the poor.

Sin Is A Disgrace To Any People

Proverbs 14:34 reads,

14:34Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.

Is There Anyone Whose Heart Is Completely Pure And Without Sin?

Proverbs 20:9 reads,

20:9Who can say, "I have made my heart pure.
I am clean and without sin?"

It Is Sin To Be Haughty And Proud

Proverbs 21:4 reads,

21:4A high look, and a proud heart,
The lamp of the wicked, is sin.

Do Not Envy Sinners

Proverbs 23:15-22 reads,

23:15My son, if your heart is wise,
Then my heart will be glad, even mine:

23:16Yes, my heart will rejoice,
When your lips speak what is right.

23:17Don’t let your heart envy sinners;
But rather fear Yahweh all the day long.

23:18Indeed surely there is a future hope,
And your hope will not be cut off.

23:19Listen, my son, and be wise,
And keep your heart on the right path!

23:20Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine,
Or those who gorge themselves on meat:

23:21For the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor;
And drowsiness clothes them in rags.

23:22Listen to your father who gave you life,
And don’t despise your mother when she is old.

The Schemes Of Folly Are Sin

Proverbs 24:8-9 reads,

24:8One who plots to do evil
Will be called a schemer.

24:9The schemes of folly are sin.
The mocker is detested by men.

Confess And Renounce Your Sins To Find Mercy

Proverbs 28:13 reads,

28:13He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper,
But whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Sin Snares Sinners

Proverbs 29:6-7 reads,

29:6An evil man is snared by his sin,
But the righteous can sing and be glad.

29:7The righteous care about justice for the poor.
The wicked aren’t concerned about knowledge.

Sin Increases When The Wicked Increase

Proverbs 29:16 reads,

29:16When the wicked increase, sin increases;
But the righteous will see their downfall.

Wrathful People Abound In Sin

Proverbs 29:22 reads,

29:22An angry man stirs up strife,
And a wrathful man abounds in sin.

Yahweh Causes Sinners To Gather And Heap Up Only To Give To The Righteous

Ecclesiastes 2:26 reads,

2:26For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Let Your Words Before Yahweh Be Few But Listen Attentively

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 reads,

5:1Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil. 5:2Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 5:3For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words. 5:4When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow. 5:5It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay. 5:6Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands? 5:7For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words: but you must fear God.

Don't Take Heed To All Words That Are Spoken

Ecclesiastes 7:20-22 reads,

7:20Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn’t sin. 7:21Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you; 7:22for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.

Please Yahweh To Escape The Woman Whose Heart Is Snares And Traps

Ecclesiastes 7:26 reads,

7:26I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

Those Who Do Not Fear Yahweh Will Not Live Long

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 reads,

8:12Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. 8:13But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn’t fear God.

Sin Destroys Much Good

Ecclesiastes 9:18 reads,

9:18Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Judah Rebelled Against Yahweh

Isaiah 1 reads,

1:1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

1:2Hear, heavens,
And listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken:

I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against me.

1:3The ox knows his owner,
And the donkey his master’s crib;
But Israel doesn’t know,
My people don’t consider.

1:4Ah sinful nation,
A people laden with iniquity,
A seed of evil-doers,
Children who deal corruptly!

They have forsaken Yahweh.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel.
They are estranged and backward.

1:5Why should you be beaten more,
That you revolt more and more?

The whole head is sick,
And the whole heart faint.

1:6From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it:
Wounds, welts, and open sores.
They haven’t been closed, neither bandaged, neither soothed with oil.

1:7Your country is desolate.
Your cities are burned with fire.
Strangers devour your land in your presence,
And it is desolate,
As overthrown by strangers.

1:8The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
Like a hut in a field of melons,
Like a besieged city.

1:9Unless Yahweh of hosts had left to us a very small remnant,
We would have been as Sodom;
We would have been like Gomorrah.

Repentance Acts Yahweh Requires Of Judah

1:10Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

1:11"What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me," says Yahweh?
"I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams,
And the fat of fed animals.
I don’t delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs,
Or of male goats.

1:12When you come to appear before me,
Who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts?

1:13Bring no more vain offerings.
Incense is an abomination to me;
New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations:
I can’t bear with evil assemblies.

1:14My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts;
They are a burden to me.
I am weary of bearing them.

1:15When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you;
Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.

1:16Wash yourselves, make yourself clean.
Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes;
Cease to do evil.

1:17Learn to do well.
Seek justice,
Relieve the oppressed,
Judge the fatherless,
Plead for the widow."

1:18"Come now, and let us reason together," says Yahweh:
"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Consequences Of Listening Or Not Listening To Yahweh

1:19If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
1:20But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword;
For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it."

1:21How the faithful city has become a prostitute!
She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her,
But now murderers.

1:22Your silver has become dross,
Your wine mixed with water.

1:23Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards.
They don’t judge the fatherless,
Neither does the cause of the widow come to them.

1:24Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Hosts,
The Mighty One of Israel, says:

"Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries,
And avenge myself of my enemies;

1:25And I will turn my hand on you,
Thoroughly purge away your dross,
And will take away all your tin.

1:26I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning.

Afterward you shall be called ‘The city of righteousness,
A faithful town.’

1:27Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
And her converts with righteousness.

1:28But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together,
And those who forsake Yahweh shall be consumed.

1:29For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired,
And you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen.

1:30For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades,
And as a garden that has no water.

1:31The strong will be like tinder,
And his work like a spark.

They will both burn together,
And no one will quench them."

The Day Of Yahweh Will Destroy Sinners

Isaiah 13:9-13 reads,

13:9Behold, the day of Yahweh comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy the sinners of it out of it. 13:10For the stars of the sky and the constellations of it shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine. 13:11I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity: and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 13:12I will make a man more rare than fine gold, even a man than the pure gold of Ophir. 13:13Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Yahweh of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.


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© 1999, Isaac Aluochier, All rights reserved. Published by Christ the Lamp, a division of Servants of Yahweh, P O Box 44848, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya. E-mail: christthelamp@christthelamp.org. Permission is hereby GRANTED to reproduce this and other publications in the Christ the Lamp web site, http://www.christthelamp.org, unless otherwise stated.