Duties towards God

2My child, when you come to serve the Lord,
   prepare yourself for testing.^*
2Set your heart right and be steadfast,
   and do not be impetuous in time of calamity.
³Cling to him and do not depart,
   so that your last days may be prosperous.
⁴Accept whatever befalls you,
   and in times of humiliation be patient.
⁵For gold is tested in the fire,
   and those found acceptable, in the furnace of humiliation.^*
6Trust in him, and he will help you;
   make your ways straight, and hope in him.

⁷You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
   do not stray, or else you may fall.
⁸You who fear the Lord, trust in him,
   and your reward will not be lost.
⁹You who fear the Lord, hope for good things,
   for lasting joy and mercy.^*
10Consider the generations of old and see:
   has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed?
Or has anyone persevered in the fear of the Lord^* and been forsaken?
   Or has anyone called upon him and been neglected?
¹¹For the Lord is compassionate and merciful;
   he forgives sins and saves in time of distress.