1 Then the Lord formed human beings from the dust

and sent each of them back to it again.

2He gave them only a limited time to live,

but he gave them authority over everything on earth.

3He made them to be like himself,

and gave them his own strength.

4He made all other creatures afraid of them;

he gave them authority over all the animals and birds.

6He 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.

8He gave them his own insight

to let them see the majesty of his creation.

10They will praise his holy name

and proclaim the greatness of all he does.

11He made knowledge available to them

and gave them the Law as a source of life.

12He made an eternal covenant with them

and revealed his commands to them.

13They saw the splendor of his majesty

and heard the glory of his voice.

14He warned them against unrighteousness

and taught each person how to treat others.

God Is Judge

15The Lord is always aware of what people do; there is no way to hide from him. 17He gave each nation its own ruler, but Israel is the Lord's own possession. 19The Lord is always watching what people do; everything they do is as clear as day to him. 20None of their sins are hidden from him; he is aware of them all. 22When 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. 23Later he will judge the wicked and punish them; they will get what they deserve. 24But 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. 26Return to the Most High and turn away from sin. Have an intense hatred for wickedness. 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? 28A 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. 29How great is the Lord's merciful forgiveness of those who turn to him! 30But this is not the nature of human beings; not one of us is immortal. 31Nothing 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! 32The Lord can look out over all the stars in the sky. Human beings? They are dust and ashes.