Judaism
Psalms 86
Text
A Prayer of David. Incline Thine ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am poor and needy.
Keep my soul, for I am godly; O Thou my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee.
Be gracious unto me, O Lord; For unto Thee do I cry all the day.
Rejoice the soul of Thy servant; For unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to pardon, And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.
Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; And attend unto the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I call upon Thee; For Thou wilt answer me.
There is none like unto Thee among the gods, O Lord, And there are no works like Thine.
All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and prostrate themselves before Thee, O Lord; And they shall glorify Thy name.
For Thou art great, and doest wondrous things; Thou art God alone.
Teach me, O LORD, Thy way, that I may walk in Thy truth; Make one my heart to fear Thy name. .
I will thank Thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; And I will glorify Thy name for evermore.
For great is Thy mercy toward me; And Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest nether-world.
O God, the proud are risen up against me, And the company of violent men have sought after my soul, And have not set Thee before them.
But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
O turn unto me, and be gracious unto me; Give Thy strength unto Thy servant, And save the son of Thy handmaid.
Work in my behalf a sign for good; That they that hate me may see it, and be put to shame, Because Thou, LORD, hast helped me, and comforted me.
Text: The Holy Scriptures, Jewish Publication Society (1917), public domain, via Sefaria.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
Divine Compassion & Mercy
Quran 1:1
“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.”
Luke 6:36
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Snp 1.8 (trans. Bhikkhu Sujato)
“Even as a mother would protect with her life her child, her only child, so too for all creatures unfold a boundless heart.”
Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1
“ik oankaar sat naam: one Creator, whose Name is Truth, beyond fear and enmity.”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
Dhammapada 2 (trans. Bhikkhu Sujato)
“Intention is the leader of things; intention is first, they’re made by intention. If with pure intent you speak or act, happiness follows you like a shadow that never leaves.”
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16 (trans. Edwin Arnold)
“The Doors of Hell Are threefold, whereby men to ruin pass, The door of Lust, the door of Wrath, the door Of Avarice. Let a man shun those three!”