A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit. A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed.

A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit.

may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come.

If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’

Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes.

The light of the eyes cheers the heart, and good news nourishes the bones.

Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,

Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD. You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. . . .

Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens. . . .

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with a shout of joy.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

Then our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with shouts of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”

For no word from God will ever fail.”

Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.”

Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. . . .

Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked?

You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit. A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. All the days of the oppressed are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

Many ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD.

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. . . .

Then you will look and be radiant, and your heart will tremble and swell with joy, because the riches of the sea will be brought to you, and the wealth of the nations will come to you.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

On the third day, Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner court of the palace across from the king’s quarters. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom, facing the entrance. As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter. “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.” “If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for the king.” “Hurry,” commanded the king, “and bring Haman, so we can do as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared. . . .

Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

Then our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with shouts of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near. John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven Spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood, . . .

They scoff at kings and make rulers an object of scorn. They laugh at every fortress and build up siege ramps to seize it.

“Go away,” He told them. “The girl is not dead, but asleep.” And they laughed at Him.

Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow.

Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.

Blessed are the people of whom this is so; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

I will be glad and rejoice in Your loving devotion, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the anguish of my soul.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.

So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’ Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.” But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”

Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered and set me free.

Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,

Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful, as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may declare it clearly, as I should. Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time. . . .

And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.

You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints— the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel . . .

For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face, that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric. For although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I delight to see your orderly condition and firm faith in Christ. . . .

Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. . . .

Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.