1 My child, if you come to serve the Lord,prepare yourself for testing.
2 Set your heart straight, be steadfast,and don’t act hastily in a time of distress.
3 Hold fast to Godand don’t keep your distance from him,so that you may find strengthat your end.
4 Accept whatever happens to you,and be patientwhen you suffer humiliation,
5 because gold is tested with fire,and acceptable people are testedin the furnace of humiliation.
6 Trust him, and he will help you;make your ways straight,and hope in him.
7 You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy,and don’t turn asideor else you might fall.