1   
Then the Lord formed human beings from the dust
  and sent each of them back to it again.

2   
He gave them only a limited time to live,
  but he gave them authority over everything on earth.

3   
He made them to be like himself,
  and gave them his ^note own strength. ^note

4   
He made all other creatures afraid of them;
  he gave them authority over all the animals and birds. ^note

6   
He gave them their tongues, their eyes,
  their ears, their minds, and their consciences.

7   
He filled them with knowledge and understanding
  and showed them the difference between good and evil. ^note

8   
He gave them his own insight
  to let them see the majesty of his creation. ^note

10   
They will praise his holy name
  and proclaim the greatness of all he does.

11   
He made knowledge available to them
  and gave them the Law as a source of life.

12   
He made an eternal covenant with them
  and revealed his commands to them.

13   
They saw the splendor of his majesty
  and heard the glory of his voice.

14   
He warned them against unrighteousness
  and taught each person how to treat others.
God Is Judge

15   The Lord is always aware of what people do; there is no way to hide from him. ^note

17   He gave each

nation its own ruler, but Israel is the Lord's own possession. ^note

19   The Lord is always watching what people do; everything they do is as clear as day to him.

20   None of their sins are hidden from him; he is aware of them all. ^note

22   When we give to the poor, the Lord considers it as precious as a valuable ring. Human kindness is as precious to him as life itself.

23   Later he will judge the wicked and punish them; they will get what they deserve.

24   But the Lord will allow those who repent to return to him. He always gives encouragement to those who are losing hope. A Call to Repentance

25   Come to the Lord, and leave your sin behind. Pray sincerely that he will help you live a better life.

26   Return to the Most High and turn away from sin. Have an intense hatred for wickedness. ^note

27   Those who are alive can give thanks to the Lord, but can anyone in the world of the dead sing praise to the Most High?

28   A person who is alive and well can sing the Lord's praises, but the dead, who no longer exist, have no way to give him thanks. ^note

29   How great is the Lord's merciful forgiveness of those who turn to him!

30   But this is not the nature of human beings; ^note not one of us is immortal.

31   Nothing is brighter than the sun, but even the sun's light fails during an eclipse. How much easier it is for human thoughts to be eclipsed by evil!

32   The Lord can look out over all the stars in the sky. Human beings? They are dust and ashes.

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