² All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, And Jehovah is pondering the spirits.

² Every way of a man `is' right in his own eyes, And Jehovah is pondering hearts.

⁷ And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Look not unto his appearance, and unto the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for `it is' not as man seeth -- for man looketh at the eyes, and Jehovah looketh at the heart.'

¹² A generation -- pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.

¹⁵ and he said to them, `Ye are those declaring yourselves righteous before men, but God doth know your hearts; because that which among men is high, `is' abomination before God;

¹² When thou sayest, `Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.

¹⁰ I Jehovah do search the heart, try the reins, Even to give to each according to his way, According to the fruit of his doings.

⁹ And he spake also unto certain who have been trusting in themselves that they were righteous, and have been despising the rest, this simile:

¹⁰ `Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer;

¹¹ the Pharisee having stood by himself, thus prayed: God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer;

²² But though thou dost wash with nitre, And dost multiply to thyself soap, Marked is thine iniquity before Me, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

²³ How sayest thou, `I have not been defiled, After the Baalim I have not gone?' See thy way in a valley, know what thou hast done, A swift dromedary winding her ways,

²⁵ There is a way right before a man, And its latter end -- ways of death.

²¹ For over-against the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of each, And all his paths He is pondering.

²³ and her children I will kill in death, and know shall all the assemblies that I am he who is searching reins and hearts; and I will give to you -- to each -- according to your works.

²⁷ Weighed -- Thou art weighed in the balances, and hast been found lacking.

⁷ The path for the righteous `is' uprightness, O upright One, The path of the righteous Thou dost ponder.

² For he made `it' smooth to himself in his eyes, To find his iniquity to be hated.

⁷ What, then, shall we say? the law `is' sin? let it not be! but the sin I did not know except through law, for also the covetousness I had not known if the law had not said:

⁸ `Thou shalt not covet;' and the sin having received an opportunity, through the command, did work in me all covetousness -- for apart from law sin is dead.

⁹ And I was alive apart from law once, and the command having come, the sin revived, and I died;

¹⁸ `And to the messenger of the assembly of Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who is having his eyes as a flame of fire, and his feet like to fine brass;

¹³ And Samuel cometh in unto Saul, and Saul saith to him, `Blessed `art' thou of Jehovah; I have performed the word of Jehovah.'

¹⁴ And Samuel saith, `And what `is' the noise of this flock in mine ears -- and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?'