Listen, you heavens, and I will speak; hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.

The king asked, “Isn’t the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant.

I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.

I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.

Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.

Psalm 78

A maskil of Asaph.

My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.

All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.

I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand— I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

“As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.

Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth— then my judgments go forth like the sun.