My Lord, listen to me.

Listen to my cry for help.

LORD, if you punished people for all their sins, no one would be left alive.

But you forgive people, so they fear and respect you.

I am waiting for the LORD to help me. My soul waits for him. I trust what he says.

I am waiting for my Lord, like a guard waiting and waiting for the morning to come.

Israel, trust in the LORD. The LORD is the one who is faithful and true. He saves us again and again,

He is the one who will save the people from all their sins.

Tell the people that this is what the Lord GOD says: 'I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will gather them from all around and bring them back to their own land. I will make them one nation in their land among the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over them all. They will no longer be two nations. They will not be split into two kingdoms anymore. And they will no longer continue to make themselves filthy with their idols and horrible statues or with any of their other crimes. Instead, I will save them from all the places where they have sinned, and I will wash them and make them pure. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

I always thank my God for you because of the grace that he has given you through Christ Jesus. In him you have been blessed in every way. You have been blessed in all your speaking and all your knowledge. This proves that what we told you about Christ is true. Now you have every gift from God while you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again. He will keep you strong until the end so that on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes, you will be free from all blame. God is faithful. He is the one who has chosen you to share life with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

For the [remarkable, undeserved] grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly (immoral) desires, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives [lives with a purpose that reflect spiritual maturity] in this present age, awaiting and confidently expecting the [fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.