You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives.

Even a young man ¹  is known ²  by his actions, whether his activity is pure and whether it is right. ³ 

The wicked person’s sacrifice ¹  is an abomination; how much more ²  when he brings it with evil intent! ³ 

Beware ¹  of people, because they will hand you over to councils ²  and flog ³  you in their synagogues. ⁴ 

But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me?

A person should examine himself first, ¹  and in this way ²  let him eat the bread and drink of the cup.

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.

May the evil deeds of the wicked ¹  come to an end! ²  But make the innocent ³  secure, ⁴  O righteous God, you who examine ⁵  inner thoughts and motives! ⁶ 

The one whose deeds are blameless and whose motives are pure, ¹  who does not lie, ²  or make promises with no intention of keeping them. ³ 

They court you eagerly, ¹  but for no good purpose; ²  they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly. ³ 

Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ¹  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

For we never appeared ¹  with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is our witness –

I know, my God, that you examine thoughts ¹  and are pleased with integrity. With pure motives ²  I contribute all this; and now I look with joy as your people who have gathered here contribute to you.

For our reason for confidence ¹  is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives ²  and sincerity which are from God ³  – not by human wisdom ⁴  but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more ⁵  toward you.

O Lord God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, maintain the motives of your people and keep them devoted to you. ¹ 

You have scrutinized my inner motives; ¹  you have examined me during the night. ²  You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin. I am determined I will say nothing sinful. ³ 

So I said to the Lord, ¹  “O Lord who rules over all, ²  you are a just judge! You examine people’s hearts and minds. ³  I want to see you pay them back for what they have done because I trust you to vindicate my cause.” ⁴ 

I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. ¹  I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. ¹  In fact, it would be better for me to die than – no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting! ² 

If from a human point of view I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, ¹  what did it benefit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. ²