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"At all times bless the Lord God, and ask him to
make all your paths straight and to grant success to all your
endeavors and plans. For no pagan nation possesses good counsel,
but the Lord himself gives all good things. If the Lord chooses,
he raises a man up; but if he should decide otherwise, he casts
him down to the deepest recesses of the nether world. So now, my
son, keep in mind my commandments, and never let them be erased
from your heart." [TOBIT 4:19]
Then he added: "For each day you are away I
will give you the normal wages, plus expenses for you and for my
son. If you go with my son, I will even add a bonus to your
wages!" Raphael replied: "I will go with him; have no
fear. In good health we shall leave you, and in good health we
shall return to you, for the way is safe." Tobit said,
"God bless you, brother." Then he called his son and
said to him: "My son, prepare whatever you need for the
journey, and set out with your kinsman. May God in heaven protect
you on the way and bring you back to me safe and sound; and may
his angel accompany you for safety, my son." Before setting
out on his journey, Tobiah kissed his father and mother. Tobit
said to him, "Have a safe journey." [TOBIT 5:15-17]
Raguel sprang up and kissed him, shedding tears
of joy. But when he heard that Tobit had lost his eyesight, he was
grieved and wept aloud. He said to Tobiah: "My child, God
bless you! You are the son of a noble and good father. But what a
terrible misfortune that such a righteous and charitable man
should be afflicted with blindness!" He continued to weep in
the arms of his kinsman Tobiah. [TOBIT 7:6-7]
She got up, and they started to pray and beg
that deliverance might be theirs. He began with these
words: "Blessed are you, O God of our
fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the
heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made
Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and
support; and from these two the human race
descended. You said, 'It is not good for the man to be
alone; let us make him a partner like himself.' Now, Lord,
you know that I take this wife of mine not because of
lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on
me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old
age." [TOBIT 8:5-7]
The maid went out and told the girl's parents
that Tobiah was alive, and that there was nothing wrong. Then
Raguel praised the God of heaven in these
words: "Blessed are you, O God, with every holy and pure
blessing! Let all your chosen ones praise you; let them
bless you forever! Blessed are you, who have made me
glad; what I feared did not happen. Rather you have
dealt with us according to your great mercy. Blessed are you,
for you were merciful toward two only children. Grant
them, Master, mercy and deliverance, and bring their lives to
fulfillment with happiness and mercy." [TOBIT 8:14-17]
The following morning they got an early start
and traveled to the wedding celebration. When they entered
Raguel's house, they found Tobiah reclining at table. He sprang up
and greeted Gabael, who wept and blessed him, exclaiming: "O
noble and good child, son of a noble and good, upright and
charitable man, may the Lord grant heavenly blessing to you and to
your wife, and to your wife's father and mother. Blessed be God,
because I have seen the very image of my cousin Tobit!" [TOBIT
9:6]
When Tobiah left Raguel, he was full of
happiness and joy, and he blessed the Lord of heaven and earth,
the King of all, for making his journey so successful. Finally he
said good-bye to Raguel and his wife Edna, and added, "May I
honor you all the days of my life!" [TOBIT 10:14]
Next he smeared the medicine on his eyes, and it
made them smart. Then, beginning at the corners of Tobit's eyes,
Tobiah used both hands to peel off the cataracts. When Tobit saw
his son, he threw his arms around him and wept. He exclaimed,
"I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!" Then he
said: "Blessed be God, and praised be his great
name, and blessed be all his holy angels. May his holy
name be praised throughout all the ages, Because it was he
who scourged me, and it is he who has had mercy on
me. Behold, I now see my son Tobiah!" Then Tobit
went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice.
Tobiah told his father that his journey had been a success;
that he had brought back the money; and that he had married
Raguel's daughter Sarah, who would arrive shortly, for she
was approaching the gate of Nineveh. [TOBIT 11:12-15]
Before them all Tobit proclaimed how God had
mercifully restored sight to his eyes. When Tobit reached Sarah,
the wife of his son Tobiah, he greeted her: "Welcome, my
daughter! Blessed be your God for bringing you to us, daughter!
Blessed are your father and your mother. Blessed is my son Tobiah,
and blessed are you, daughter! Welcome to your home with blessing
and joy. Come in, daughter!" That day there was joy for all
the Jews who lived in Nineveh. [TOBIT 11:17]
Raphael called the two men aside privately and
said to them: "Thank God! Give him the praise and the glory.
Before all the living, acknowledge the many good things he has
done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Before
all men, honor and proclaim God's deeds, and do not be slack in
praising him." [Taken from TOBIT 12:6]
Then Tobit composed this joyful
prayer: Blessed be God who lives forever, because his
kingdom lasts for all ages. For he scourges and then has
mercy; he casts down to the depths of the nether
world, and he brings up from the great abyss. No one can
escape his hand. Praise him, you Israelites, before the
Gentiles, for though he has scattered you among them, he has
shown you his greatness even there. Exalt him before every
living being, because he is the Lord our God, our Father
and God forever. He scourged you for your iniquities, but
will again have mercy on you all. He will gather you from all
the Gentiles among whom you have been scattered. When you
turn back to him with all your heart, to do what is right
before him, Then he will turn back to you, and no longer
hide his face from you. So now consider what he has done for
you, and praise him with full voice. Bless the Lord of
righteousness, and exalt the King of the ages. In the
land of my exile I praise him, and show his power and majesty
to a sinful nation. "Turn back, you sinners! do the
right before him: perhaps he may look with favor upon
you and show you mercy." [Taken from TOBIT 13:1-6]
O Jerusalem, holy city, he scourged you for
the works of your hands, but will again pity the children of
the righteous. Praise the Lord for his goodness, and bless
the King of the ages, so that his tent may be rebuilt in you
with joy. May he gladden within you all who were
captives; all who were ravaged may he cherish within
you for all generations to come. A bright light will shine to
all parts of the earth; many nations shall come to you from
afar, and the inhabitants of all the limits of the
earth, drawn to you by the name of the Lord God, bearing
in their hands their gifts for the King of heaven. Every
generation shall give joyful praise in you, and shall call
you the chosen one, through all ages forever. Accursed are
all who speak a harsh word against you; accursed are all who
destroy you and pull down your walls, and all who
overthrow your towers and set fire to your homes; but
forever blessed are all those who build you up. Go, then, rejoice
over the children of the righteous, who shall all be gathered
together and shall bless the Lord of the ages. Happy are
those who love you, and happy those who rejoice in your
prosperity. Happy are all the men who shall grieve over
you, over all your chastisements, for they shall rejoice
in you as they behold all your joy forever. My spirit blesses
the Lord, the great King; Jerusalem shall be rebuilt as his home
forever. Happy for me if a remnant of my offspring
survive to see your glory and to praise the King of
heaven! The gates of Jerusalem shall be built with sapphire
and emerald, and all your walls with precious
stones. The towers of Jerusalem shall be built with
gold, and their battlements with pure gold. The streets of
Jerusalem shall be paved with rubies and stones of Ophir; The
gates of Jerusalem shall sing hymns of gladness, and all her
houses shall cry out, "Alleluia! Blessed be God
who has raised you up! may he be blessed for all
ages!" For in you they shall praise his holy name
forever. [Taken from TOBIT
13:9-18]
Tobit died peacefully at the age of a hundred
and twelve, and received an honorable burial in Nineveh. He was
sixty-two years old when he lost his eyesight, and after he
recovered it he lived in prosperity, giving alms and continually
blessing God and praising the divine Majesty. [TOBIT 14:1-2]
All the nations of the world shall be
converted and shall offer God true worship; all shall abandon
their idols which have deceitfully led them into error, and shall
bless the God of the ages in righteousness. Because all the
Israelites who are to be saved in those days will truly be mindful
of God, they shall be gathered together and go to Jerusalem; in
security shall they dwell forever in the land of Abraham, which
will be given over to them. Those who sincerely love God shall
rejoice, but those who become guilty of sin shall completely
disappear from the land. [Taken from TOBIT 14:6-7]
"Now, children, I give you this command:
serve God faithfully and do what is right before him; you must
tell your children to do what is upright and to give alms, to be
mindful of God and at all times to bless his name sincerely and
with all their strength." [TOBIT 14:9]
But before he died, he heard of the destruction
of Nineveh and saw its effects. He witnessed the exile of the
city's inhabitants when Cyaxares, king of Media, led them captive
into Media. Tobiah praised God for all that he had done against
the citizens of Nineveh and Assyria. Before dying he rejoiced over
Nineveh's destruction, and he blessed the Lord God forever and
ever. Amen. [TOBIT 14:15]
All the people were greatly astonished. They
bowed down and worshiped God, saying with one accord,
"Blessed are you, our God, who today have brought to nought
the enemies of your people." Then Uzziah said to her:
"Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all
the women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, the creator of
heaven and earth, who guided your blow at the head of the chief of
our enemies. Your deed of hope will never be forgotten by those
who tell of the might of God. May God make this redound to your
everlasting honor, rewarding you with blessings, because you
risked your life when your people were being oppressed, and you
averted our disaster, walking uprightly before our God." And
all the people answered, "Amen! Amen!" [JDTH 13:17-20]
Then, after they lifted him up, he threw himself at the feet of
Judith in homage, saying: "Blessed are you in every tent of
Judah; and in every foreign nation, all who hear of you will be
struck with terror. But now, tell me all that you did during these
days." So Judith told him, in the presence of the people, all
that she had been doing from the day she left till the time she
began speaking to them. When she finished her account, the people
cheered loudly, and their city resounded with shouts of joy. [JDTH
14:7-9]
When they had visited her, all with one accord
blessed her, saying: "You are the glory of
Jerusalem, the surpassing joy of Israel; You are the
splendid boast of our people. With your own hand you have done all
this; You have done good to Israel, and God is pleased
with what you have wrought. May you be blessed by the Lord
Almighty forever and ever!" And all the people
answered, "Amen!" For thirty days the whole populace
plundered the camp, giving Judith the tent of Holofernes, with all
his silver, his couches, his dishes, and all his furniture, which
she accepted. She harnessed her mules, hitched her wagons to them,
and loaded these things on them. All the women of Israel gathered
to see her; and they blessed her and performed a dance in her
honor. She took branches in her hands and distributed them to the
women around her, and she and the other women crowned themselves
with garlands of olive leaves. At the head of all the people, she
led the women in the dance, while the men of Israel followed in
their armor, wearing garlands and singing hymns. [JDTH 15:9-13]
Then he blessed them, and he was united with his
fathers. He died in the year one hundred and forty-six, and was
buried in the tombs of his fathers in Modein, and all Israel
mourned him greatly. [Taken from 1MACC 2:69-70]
The lawbreakers were cowed by fear of
him, and all evildoers were dismayed. By his hand
redemption was happily achieved, and he afflicted many
kings; He made Jacob glad by his deeds, and his memory
is blessed forever. [Taken from 1MACC 3:6-7]
They came into Idumea and camped at Beth-zur,
and Judas met them with ten thousand men. Seeing that the army was
strong, he prayed thus: "Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel,
who broke the rush of the mighty one by the hand of your servant
David and delivered the camp of the Philistines into the hand of
Jonathan, the son of Saul, and his armor-bearer. Give this army
into the hands of your people Israel; make them ashamed of their
troops and their cavalry. Strike them with fear, weaken the
boldness of their strength, and let them tremble at their own
destruction. Strike them down by the sword of those who love you,
that all who know your name may hymn your praise." [1MACC 4:29-33]
May God bless you and remember his covenant with
his faithful servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. [2MACC 1:2]
Forever blessed be our God, who has thus
punished the wicked! [2MACC 1:17]
On completing these exploits, they blessed, with
hymns of grateful praise, the Lord who shows great kindness to
Israel and grants them victory. [2MACC 10:38]
At this, everyone looked toward heaven and
praised the Lord who manifests his divine power, saying,
"Blessed be he who has kept his own Place undefiled!" [Taken
from 2MACC 15:34]
And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you
noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like
him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?"
But Satan answered the LORD and said, "Is it for nothing that
Job is God-fearing? Have you not surrounded him and his family and
all that he has with your protection? You have blessed the work of
his hands, and his livestock are spread over the land. But now put
forth your hand and touch anything that he has, and surely he will
blaspheme you to your face." And the LORD said to Satan,
"Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a
hand upon his person." So Satan went forth from the presence
of the LORD. [JOB 1:8-12]
Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his
hair. He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and
said, "Naked I came forth from my mother's
womb, and naked shall I go back again. The LORD gave and
the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the
LORD!" [JOB 1:20-21]
Whoever heard of me blessed me; those who
saw me commended me. For I rescued the poor who cried out for
help, the orphans, and the unassisted; The blessing of those
in extremity came upon me, and the heart of the widow I made
joyful. [Taken from JOB 29:11-13]
If I have denied anything to the poor, or
allowed the eyes of the widow to languish while I ate my portion
alone, with no share in it for the fatherless, though like a
father God has reared me from my youth, guiding me even from
my mother's womb - If I have seen a wanderer without
clothing, or a poor man without covering, whose limbs have
not blessed me when warmed with the fleece of my sheep; If I
have raised my hand against the innocent because I saw that I
had supporters at the gate - Then may my arm fall from the
shoulder, my forearm be broken at the elbow! For the dread of
God will be upon me, and his majesty will overpower me. [JOB
31:16-23]
Also, the LORD restored the prosperity of Job,
after he had prayed for his friends; the LORD even gave to Job
twice as much as he had before. Then all his brethren and his
sisters came to him, and all his former acquaintances, and they
dined with him in his house. They condoled with him and comforted
him for all the evil which the LORD had brought upon him; and each
one gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. Thus the LORD
blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones. [Taken from JOB
42:10-12]
Arise, LORD! Save me, my God! You will shatter the jaws of all my foes; you will break the teeth of the wicked. Safety comes from the LORD! Your blessing for your people!
[Taken from PS
3:8-9]
For you, LORD,
bless the just; you surround them with favor like a shield. [PS
5:13]
I bless the LORD who counsels me; even at
night my heart exhorts me. I keep the LORD always before
me; with the Lord at my right, I shall never be shaken. [PS
16:7-8]
The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted
be God, my savior! [PS 18:47]
LORD, the king finds joy in your
power; in your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have
granted him his heart's desire; you did not refuse the prayer
of his lips. For you welcomed him with goodly blessings; you
placed on his head a crown of pure gold. He asked life of
you; you gave it to him, length of days forever. Great
is his glory in your victory; majesty and splendor you confer
upon him. You make him the pattern of blessings forever, you
gladden him with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in
the LORD, stands firm through the love of the Most High. [Taken from PS
21:2-8]
Who may go up the mountain of the
LORD? Who can stand in his holy place? "The clean of
hand and pure of heart, who are not devoted to
idols, who have not sworn falsely. They will receive
blessings from the LORD, and justice from their saving God.
Such are the people that love the LORD, that seek the face of
the God of Jacob." [Taken from PS 24:3-6]
Do not take me away with sinners, nor
my life with the violent. Their hands carry out their
schemes; their right hands are full of bribes. But I walk
without blame; redeem me, be gracious to me! My foot stands
on level ground; in assemblies I will bless the Lord. [PS 26:9-12]
Blessed be the LORD, who has heard the
sound of my pleading. The LORD is my strength and my
shield, in whom my heart trusted and found help. So my
heart rejoices; with my song I praise my God. [PS 28:6-7]
LORD, you are the strength of your
people, the saving refuge of your anointed king. Save your
people, bless your inheritance; feed and sustain them
forever! [PS 28:8-9]
The LORD sits enthroned above the flood! The LORD reigns as king forever! May the LORD give might to his people; may the LORD bless his people with peace! [PS
29:10-11]
Blessed be the LORD, who has shown me wondrous
love, and been for me a city most secure. [PS 31:22]
I will bless the LORD at all times; praise
shall be always in my mouth. My soul will glory in the
LORD that the poor may hear and be glad. Magnify the LORD
with me; let us exalt his name together. [PS 34:2-4]
For those blessed by the Lord will possess the
land, but those accursed will be cut off. [PS 37:22]
The just always lend generously, and their
children become a blessing. [PS 37:26]
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from all
eternity and forever. Amen. Amen. [PS 41:14]
My heart is stirred by a noble theme, as I
sing my ode to the king. My tongue is the pen of a nimble
scribe. You are the most handsome of men; fair speech
has graced your lips, for God has blessed you forever. Gird
your sword upon your hip, mighty warrior! In splendor and
majesty ride on triumphant! In the cause of truth and
justice may your right hand show you wondrous deeds. [PS 45:2-5]
Even from my place on high they plot to dislodge
me. They delight in lies; they bless with their mouths, but
inwardly they curse. [Taken from PS 62:5]
I will bless you as long as I live; I will
lift up my hands, calling on your name. My soul shall savor the
rich banquet of praise, with joyous lips my mouth shall honor
you! [PS 63:5-6]
Happy the chosen ones you bring to dwell in your
courts. May we be filled with the good things of your house, the
blessings of your holy temple! [PS 65:5]
You visit the earth and water it, make it
abundantly fertile. God's stream is filled with
water; with it you supply the world with grain. Thus do
you prepare the earth: you drench plowed furrows, and level
their ridges. With showers you keep the ground
soft, blessing its young sprouts. You adorn the year with
your bounty; your paths drip with fruitful rain. The untilled
meadows also drip; the hills are robed with joy. The pastures
are clothed with flocks, the valleys blanketed with
grain; they cheer and sing for joy. [PS 65:10-14]
Bless our God, you peoples; loudly sound
his praise, Who has kept us alive and not allowed our feet to
slip. [Taken from PS 66:8-9]
Come and hear, all you who fear God, while
I recount what has been done for me. I called to the Lord with my
mouth; praise was upon my tongue. Had I cherished evil in my
heart, the Lord would not have heard. But God did
hear and listened to my voice in prayer. Blessed be God, who
did not refuse me the kindness I sought in prayer. [PS 66:16-20]
May God be gracious to us and bless us; may
God's face shine upon us. [PS 67:2]
The earth has yielded its harvest; God, our
God, blesses us. May God bless us still; that the ends of the
earth may revere our God. [PS 67:7-8]
Blessed be the Lord day by day, God, our salvation, who carries us.
Our God is a God who saves; escape from death is in the LORD God's hands. [PS
68:20-21]
In your choirs, bless God; bless the LORD, you
from Israel's assemblies. [PS 68:27]
Awesome is God in his holy place, the God of
Israel, who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be
God! [PS 68:36]
May he rule from sea to sea, from the river
to the ends of the earth. May his foes kneel before him, his
enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and the islands
bring tribute, the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts. May
all kings bow before him, all nations serve him. For he
rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no
one to help. He shows pity to the needy and the poor and
saves the lives of the poor. From extortion and violence he frees
them, for precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he
live, receiving gold from Arabia, prayed for without cease,
blessed day by day. May wheat abound in the land, flourish
even on the mountain heights. May his fruit increase like
Lebanon's, his wheat like the grasses of the land. May his
name be blessed forever; as long as the sun, may his name
endure. May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his
name; may all the nations regard him as favored. Blessed be
the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wonderful deeds.
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may all the earth be
filled with the LORD'S glory. Amen and amen. [PS 72:8-20]
Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and amen! [PS
89:53]
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the
LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless his
name; announce his salvation day after day. Tell God's glory
among the nations; among all peoples, God's marvelous deeds. [PS
96:1-3]
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
worship the LORD with cries of gladness; come before him with
joyful song. Know that the LORD is God, our maker to whom we
belong, whose people we are, God's well-tended flock. Enter
the temple gates with praise, its courts with
thanksgiving. Give thanks to God, bless his name; good indeed
is the LORD, Whose love endures forever, whose
faithfulness lasts through every age.
[PS 100:1-5]
Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being,
bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, my soul; do not forget
all the gifts of God, Who pardons all your sins, heals all
your ills, delivers your life from the pit, surrounds you
with love and compassion, fills your days with good
things; your youth is renewed like the eagle's. [PS 103:1-5]
The LORD'S throne is established in
heaven; God's royal power rules over all. Bless the LORD, all
you angels, mighty in strength and attentive, obedient
to every command. Bless the LORD, all you hosts, ministers
who do God's will. Bless the LORD, all creatures, everywhere
in God's domain. Bless the LORD, my soul! [PS 103:19-22]
Bless the LORD, my soul! LORD, my God, you
are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak. You spread out the heavens
like a tent; you raised your palace upon the waters. You make
the clouds your chariot; you travel on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers; flaming fire, your
ministers. [PS 104:1-4]
May sinners vanish from the earth, and the
wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul! Hallelujah! [PS
104:35]
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from
everlasting to everlasting! Let all the people say, Amen!
Hallelujah! [PS 106:48]
He loved cursing; may it come upon him; he hated
blessing; may none come to him. [PS 109:17]
My knees totter from fasting; my flesh has
wasted away. I have become a mockery to them; when they see
me, they shake their heads. Help me, LORD, my God; save me in
your kindness. Make them know this is your hand, that you,
LORD, have acted. Though they curse, may you bless; shame my
foes, that your servant may rejoice. Clothe my accusers with
disgrace; make them wear shame like a mantle. I will give
fervent thanks to the LORD; before all I will praise my God.
For God stands at the right hand of the poor to defend them
against unjust accusers. [PS 109:24-31]
Hallelujah! Happy are those who fear the
LORD, who greatly delight in God's commands. Their
descendants shall be mighty in the land, generation upright
and blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in their homes; their
prosperity shall endure forever. [PS 112:1-3]
Hallelujah! Praise, you servants of the
LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the
LORD both now and forever. From the rising of the sun to its
setting let the name of the LORD be praised. [PS 113:1-3]
The LORD
remembers us and will bless us, will bless the house of
Israel, will bless the house of Aaron, Will bless those who
fear the LORD, small and great alike.
[PS 115:12-13]
May you be blessed by
the LORD, who made heaven and earth. [PS 115:15]
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
LORD. We bless you from the LORD'S house. The LORD is God and
has given us light. Join in procession with leafy
branches up to the horns of the altar. [PS 118:26-27]
Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your
laws. With my lips I recite all the edicts you have spoken. I
find joy in the way of your decrees more than in all riches.
I will ponder your precepts and consider your paths. In your
laws I take delight; I will never forget your word. [PS
119:12-16]
For the peace of Jerusalem pray: "May
those who love you prosper! May peace be within your
ramparts, prosperity within your towers." For family and
friends I say, "May peace be yours." For the house
of the LORD, our God, I pray, "May blessings be
yours." [PS 122:6-9]
Children too are a gift from the LORD, the
fruit of the womb, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a
warrior are the children born in one's youth. Blessed are
they whose quivers are full. They will never be
shamed contending with foes at the gate. [PS 127:3-5]
Like a fruitful vine your wife within your
home, Like olive plants your children around your table.
Just so will they be blessed who fear the LORD. May the LORD bless you from Zion, all the
days of your life That you may share Jerusalem's joy and live
to see your children's children. Peace upon Israel! [PS 128:3-6]
May they be scattered in disgrace, all who
hate Zion. May they be like grass on the rooftops withered in
early growth, Never to fill the reaper's hands, nor the arms
of the binders of sheaves, With none passing by to call
out: "The blessing of the LORD be upon you! We
bless you in the name of the LORD!" [PS 129:5-8]
I will clothe its priests with blessing; its
faithful shall shout for joy. [PS 132:16]
How good it is, how pleasant, where the
people dwell as one! Like precious ointment on the
head, running down upon the beard, Upon the beard of
Aaron, upon the collar of his robe. Like dew of Hermon coming
down upon the mountains of Zion. There the LORD has
lavished blessings, life for evermore! [PS 133:1-3]
Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of
the LORD Who stand in the house of the LORD through the
long hours of night. Lift up your hands toward the
sanctuary, and bless the LORD. May the LORD who made heaven
and earth bless you from Zion. [PS 134:1-3]
House of Israel, bless the LORD! House of
Aaron, bless the LORD! House of Levi, bless the LORD! You who
fear the LORD, bless the LORD! Blessed from Zion be the
LORD, who dwells in Jerusalem! Hallelujah! [PS 135:19-21]
Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my
hands for battle, my fingers for war; My safeguard and my
fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in
whom I trust, who subdues peoples under me. [PS 144:1-2]
I will extol you, my God and king; I will
bless your name forever. Every day I will bless you; I will
praise your name forever. Great is the LORD and worthy of high
praise; God's grandeur is beyond understanding. [PS 145:1-3]
The LORD is good to all, compassionate to
every creature. All your works give you thanks, O LORD and
your faithful bless you. They speak of the glory of your
reign and tell of your great works, Making known to all your
power, the glorious splendor of your rule. Your reign is a
reign for all ages, your dominion for all
generations. The LORD is trustworthy in every word, and
faithful in every work. [PS 145:9-13]
My mouth will speak your praises, LORD; all
flesh will bless your holy name forever. [PS 145:21]
Glorify the LORD, Jerusalem; Zion, offer
praise to your God, Who has strengthened the bars of your
gates, blessed your children within you, Brought peace to
your borders, and filled you with finest wheat. [PS 147:12-14]
The curse of the LORD is on the house of the
wicked, but the dwelling of the just he blesses; When he is
dealing with the arrogant, he is stern, but to the humble he
shows kindness. [PROV 3:33-34]
The memory of the just will be blessed, but the
name of the wicked will rot. [PROV 10:7]
It is the LORD'S blessing that brings wealth,
and no effort can substitute for it. [PROV 10:22]
Through the blessing of the righteous the city
is exalted, but through the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
[PROV 11:11]
Him who monopolizes grain, the people curse - but blessings upon the head of him who distributes it! [PROV
11:26]
Possessions gained hastily at the outset will in
the end not be blessed. [PROV 20:21]
The kindly man will be blessed, for he gives of
his sustenance to the poor. [PROV 22:9]
He who says to the wicked man, "You are
just"- men will curse him, people will denounce him;
But those who convict the evildoer will fare well, and on
them will come the blessing of prosperity. [PROV 24:24-25]
The trustworthy man will be richly blessed; he
who is in haste to grow rich will not go unpunished. [PROV 28:20]
There is a group of people that curses its
father, and blesses not its mother. [PROV 30:11]
Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of noble
birth, and whose princes dine at the right time (for vigor and not
in drinking bouts). [ECCL 10:17]
I came down to the nut garden to look at
the fresh growth of the valley, To see if the vines were in
bloom. if the pomegranates had blossomed. Before I knew it,
my heart had made me the blessed one of my kinswomen. [SONG
6:11-12]
But the souls of the just are in the hand of
God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the
view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was
thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter
destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men,
indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of
immortality; Chastised a little, they shall be greatly
blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of
himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as
sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of
their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as
sparks through stubble; They shall judge nations and rule over
peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who
trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall
abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his
holy ones, and his care is with the elect. But the wicked
shall receive a punishment to match
their thoughts, since they neglected justice and forsook
the LORD. For he who despises wisdom and instruction is
doomed. Vain is their hope, fruitless are their
labors, and worthless are their works. Their wives are
foolish and their children wicked; accursed is their brood. [WISDOM
3:1-12]
Yes, blessed is she who, childless and
undefiled, knew not transgression of the marriage bed; she shall
bear fruit at the visitation of souls. [WISDOM 3:13]
He who fears the LORD will have a happy end;
even on the day of his death he will be blessed. [SIRACH 1:11]
In word and deed honor your father that his
blessing may come upon you; For a father's blessing gives a family
firm roots, but a mother's curse uproots the growing plant. [SIRACH
3:8-9]
Wisdom instructs her children and
admonishes those who seek her. He who loves her loves
life; those who seek her out win her favor. He who holds her
fast inherits glory; wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows
blessings. Those who serve her serve the Holy One; those who
love her the LORD loves. He who obeys her judges nations; he
who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers. If one trusts
her, he will possess her; his descendants too will inherit
her. [Taken from SIRACH 4:11-16]
To the poor man also extend your hand, that
your blessing may be complete; Be generous to all the
living, and withhold not your kindness from the dead. Avoid
not those who weep, but mourn with those who mourn; Neglect
not to visit the sick - for these things you will be loved.
In whatever you do, remember your last days, and you will
never sin. [SIRACH 7:32-36]
God's blessing is the lot of the just man, and
in due time his hopes bear fruit. [SIRACH 11:22]
When at the first God created his
works and, as he made them, assigned their tasks, He ordered
for all time what they were to do and their domains from
generation to generation. They were not to hunger, nor grow
weary, nor ever cease from their tasks. Not one should ever
crowd its neighbor, nor should they ever disobey his word.
Then the LORD looked upon the earth, and filled it with his
blessings. Its surface he covered with all manner of
life which must return into it again. [SIRACH 16:24-28]
There are nine who come to my mind as blessed, a
tenth whom my tongue proclaims: The man who finds joy in his
children, and he who lives to see his enemies' downfall. [SIRACH
25:7]
Choicest of blessings is a modest wife,
priceless her chaste person. [SIRACH 26:15]
On a man generous with food, blessings are
invoked, and this testimony to his goodness is lasting; He
who is miserly with food is denounced in public, and this
testimony to his stinginess is lasting. [SIRACH 31:23-24]
Why is one day more important than
another, when it is the sun that lights up every day? It is
due to the LORD'S wisdom that they differ; it is through him
the seasons and feasts come and go. Some he dignifies and
sanctifies, and others he lists as ordinary days. So too, all
men are of clay, for from earth man was formed; Yet with his
great knowledge the LORD makes men unlike; in different paths
he has them walk. Some he blesses and makes great, some he
sanctifies and draws to himself. Others he curses and brings
low, and expels them from their place. Like clay in the hands
of a potter, to be molded according to his pleasure, so
are men in the hands of their Creator, to be assigned by him
their function. [SIRACH 33:7-13]
Now I am the last to keep vigil, like a
gleaner after the vintage; Since by the LORD'S blessing I have
made progress till like a vintager I have filled my wine
press, I would inform you that not for myself only have I
toiled, but for every seeker after wisdom. [SIRACH 33:16-18]
The eyes of the LORD are upon those who love
him; he is their mighty shield and strong support, A
shelter from the heat, a shade from the noonday sun, a guard
against stumbling, a help against falling. He buoys up the
spirits, brings a sparkle to the eyes, gives health and life
and blessing. [SIRACH 34:16-17]
Once more I will set forth my theme to
shine like the moon in its fullness! Listen, my faithful children:
open up your petals, like roses planted near running waters;
Send up the sweet odor of incense, break forth in blossoms
like the lily. Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of
praise; bless the LORD for all he has done! Proclaim the
greatness of his name, loudly sing his praises, With
music on the harp and all stringed instruments; sing out with
joy as you proclaim: The works of God are all of them
good; in its own time every need is supplied. At his word the
waters become still as in a flask; he had but to speak and
the reservoirs were made. He has but to command and his will is
done; nothing can limit his achievement. The works of all
mankind are present to him; not a thing escapes his eye. His
gaze spans all the ages; to him there is nothing unexpected.
No cause then to say: "What is the purpose of
this?" Everything is chosen to satisfy a need. His
blessing overflows like the Nile; like the Euphrates it
enriches the surface of the earth. Again, his wrath expels the
nations and turns fertile land into a salt marsh. For the
virtuous his paths are level, to the haughty they are steep;
Good things for the good he provided from the beginning, but
for the wicked good things and bad. [SIRACH 39:12-25]
The works of God are all of them
good; every need when it comes he fills. No cause then to
say: "This is not as good as that"; for each shows
its worth at the proper time. So now with full joy of heart
proclaim and bless the name of the Holy One. [SIRACH 39:33-35]
Wealth and vigor build up confidence, but
better than either, fear of God. Fear of the LORD leaves
nothing wanting; he who has it need seek no other support:
The fear of God is a paradise of blessings; its canopy, all
that is glorious.
[SIRACH 40:26-27]
Behold the rainbow! Then bless its Maker, for majestic indeed is its splendor; It spans the heavens with its glory, this bow bent by the mighty hand of God.
[SIRACH 43:11-12]
Abraham, father of many peoples, kept his
glory without stain: He observed the precepts of the Most
High, and entered into an agreement with him; In his own
flesh he incised the ordinance, and when tested he was found
loyal. For this reason, God promised him with an oath that in
his descendants the nations would be blessed, that he would
make him numerous as the grains of dust, and exalt his
posterity like the stars; that he would give them an
inheritance from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends
of the earth. And for Isaac he renewed the same
promise because of Abraham, his father. The covenant
with all his forebears was confirmed, and the blessing rested
upon the head of Jacob. God acknowledged him as the
first-born, and gave him his inheritance. He fixed the
boundaries for his tribes, and their division into twelve. [SIRACH 44:19-23]
For Moses ordained him and anointed him with the
holy oil, In a lasting covenant with him and with his family, as
permanent as the heavens, That he should serve God in his
priesthood and bless his people in his name. [SIRACH 45:15]
And now bless the LORD who has crowned you with
glory! May he grant you wisdom of heart to govern his
people in justice, Lest their welfare should ever be
forgotten, or your authority, throughout all time. [SIRACH
45:26]
The Judges, too, each one of them, whose
hearts were not deceived, who did not abandon God: may
their memory be ever blessed, their bones return to life from
their resting place, and their names receive fresh luster in
their children! [SIRACH 46:11-12]
Blessed is he who shall have seen you before he dies, O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind! [Taken from SIRACH
48:11-12]
Then coming down he would raise his
hands over all the congregation of Israel. The blessing
of the LORD would be upon his lips, the name of the LORD
would be his glory. Then again the people would lie
prostrate to receive from him the blessing of the Most High.
[SIRACH 50:20-21]
And now, bless the God of all, who has done
wondrous things on earth; Who fosters men's growth from their
mother's womb, and fashions them according to his will! May
he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; May
his goodness toward us endure in Israel as long as the
heavens are above. [SIRACH 50:22-24]
I called out: O Lord, you are my
father, you are my champion and my savior; Do not
abandon me in time of trouble, in the midst of storms and
dangers. I will ever praise your name and be constant in my
prayers to you. Thereupon the LORD heard my voice, he
listened to my appeal; He saved me from evil of every
kind and preserved me in time of trouble. For this
reason I thank him and I praise him; I bless the name of the
LORD. [SIRACH 51:10-12]
Although the LORD shall smite Egypt severely, he
shall heal them; they shall turn to the LORD and he shall be won
over and heal them. On that day there shall be a highway from
Egypt to Assyria; the Assyrians shall enter Egypt, and the
Egyptians enter Assyria, and Egypt shall serve Assyria. On that
day Israel shall be a third party with Egypt and Assyria, a
blessing in the midst of the land, when the LORD of hosts blesses
it: "Blessed be my people Egypt, and the work of my hands
Assyria, and my inheritance, Israel." [ISA 19:22-25]
A thousand shall tremble at the threat of
one; if five threaten you, you shall flee, Until you are
left like a flagstaff on the mountaintop, like a flag on the
hill. Yet the LORD is waiting to show you favor, and he rises
to pity you; For the LORD is a God of justice: blessed
are all who wait for him! [Taken from ISA 30:17-18]
Hear then, O Jacob, my servant, Israel,
whom I have chosen. Thus says the LORD who made you, your
help, who formed you from the womb: Fear not, O Jacob, my
servant, the darling whom I have chosen. I will pour out
water upon the thirsty ground, and streams upon the dry
land; I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring, and
my blessing upon your descendants. They shall spring up amid the
verdure like poplars beside the flowing waters. [Taken from
ISA 44:1-4]
Listen to me, you who pursue justice, who
seek the LORD; Look to the rock from which you were
hewn, to the pit from which you were quarried; Look to
Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you
birth; When he was but one I called him, I blessed him
and made him many. Yes, the LORD shall comfort Zion and have
pity on all her ruins; Her deserts he shall make like
Eden, her wasteland like the garden of the LORD; Joy and
gladness shall be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of
song. [ISA 51:1-3]
For I, the LORD, love what is right, I hate
robbery and injustice; I will give them their recompense
faithfully, a lasting covenant I will make with them. Their
descendants shall be renowned among the nations, and their
offspring among the peoples; All who see them shall
acknowledge them as a race the LORD has blessed. [ISA 61:8-9]
My servants shall shout for joy of
heart, but you shall cry out for grief of heart and howl
for anguish of spirit. The Lord GOD shall slay you, and the
name you leave shall be used by my chosen ones for
cursing; but my servants shall be called by another name by
which he will be blessed on whom a blessing is invoked in the
land; He who takes an oath in the land shall swear by
the God of truth; For the hardships of the past shall be
forgotten, and hidden from my eyes. [Taken from ISA 65:14-16]
Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a
new earth; The things of the past shall not be
remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be
rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create
Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will
rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer
shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of
crying; No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives
but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full
lifetime; He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred
years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought
accursed. They shall live in the houses they build, and eat
the fruit of the vineyards they plant; They shall not build houses
for others to live in, or plant for others to eat. As
the years of a tree, so the years of my people; and my chosen
ones shall long enjoy the produce of their hands. They shall
not toil in vain, nor beget children for sudden
destruction; For a race blessed by the LORD are they and
their offspring. Before they call, I will answer; while they
are yet speaking, I will hearken to them. The wolf and the lamb
shall graze alike, and the lion shall eat hay like the
ox (but the serpent's food shall be dust). None shall
hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.
[ISA 65:17-25]
If you wish to return, O Israel, says the
LORD, return to me. If you put your detestable things
out of my sight, and do not stray, Then you can swear,
"As the LORD lives," in truth, in judgment, and in
justice; Then shall the nations use his name in
blessing, and glory in him. [JER 4:1-2]
Should you not fear me, says the
LORD, should you not tremble before me? I made the sandy
shore the sea's limit, which by eternal decree it may not
overstep. Toss though it may, it is to no avail; though its
billows roar, they cannot pass. But this people's heart is
stubborn and rebellious; they turn and go away, and say not
in their hearts, "Let us fear the LORD, our
God, Who gives us rain early and late, in its time; Who
watches for us over the appointed weeks of harvest."
Your crimes have prevented these things, your sins have
turned back these blessings from you. [Taken from JER 5:22-25]
Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who
trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in
flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a
barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of
season, But stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty
earth. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope
is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that
stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat
when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of
drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. [JER 17:5-8]
Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not
do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the
LORD. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in
my hand, house of Israel. Sometimes I threaten to uproot and tear
down and destroy a nation or a kingdom. But if that nation which I
have threatened turns from its evil, I also repent of the evil
which I threatened to do. Sometimes, again, I promise to build up
and plant a nation or a kingdom. But if that nation does what is
evil in my eyes, refusing to obey my voice, I repent of the good
with which I promised to bless it. And now, tell this to the men
of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem: Thus says the LORD: Take
care! I am fashioning evil against you and making a plan. Return,
each of you, from his evil way; reform your ways and your deeds.
But they will say, "No use! We will follow our own devices;
each one of us will behave according to the stubbornness of his
evil heart!" [JER 18:5-12]
Cursed be the day on which I was born! May the
day my mother gave me birth never be blessed! [JER 20:14]
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
When I change their lot in the land of Judah and her cities, they
shall again repeat this greeting: "May the LORD bless you,
holy mountain, abode of justice!" [JER 31:23]
Blessed are we, O Israel; for what pleases God
is known to us! [BARUCH 4:4]
I will place them about my hill, sending rain in
due season, rains that shall be a blessing to them. [Taken from
EZEK 34:26]
During the night the mystery was revealed to
Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom
and power are his. He causes the changes of the times and
seasons, makes kings and unmakes them. He gives wisdom
to the wise and knowledge to those who understand. He reveals
deep and hidden things and knows what is in the
darkness, for the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my
fathers, I give thanks and praise, because you have
given me wisdom and power. Now you have shown me what we
asked of you, you have made known to us the king's dream." [DAN
2:19-23]
They walked about in flames, singing to God and
blessing the Lord. In the fire Azariah stood up and prayed aloud:
"Blessed are you, and praiseworthy, O Lord, the God of
our fathers, and glorious forever is your name. For you are
just in all you have done; all your deeds are faultless, all
your ways right, and your judgments proper. You have executed
proper judgments in all that you have brought upon
us and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers. By
a proper judgment you have done all this because of our sins;
For we have sinned and transgressed by departing from
you, and we have done every kind of evil." [Taken from DAN 3:24-29]
Then these three in the furnace with one voice
sang, glorifying and blessing God: "Blessed are you, O Lord,
the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all
forever; And blessed is your holy and glorious
name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
Blessed are you in the temple of you holy glory, praiseworthy
and glorious above all forever. Blessed are you on the throne of
your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne
upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and
glorious forever. Bless the Lord, all you works of the
Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. Angels of the
Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
You heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all
forever. All you waters above the heavens, bless the
Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. All you hosts
of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever. Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him
above all forever. Stars of heaven, bless the Lord; praise
and exalt him above all forever. Every shower and dew, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. All you winds,
bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Fire
and heat, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever. (Cold and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt
him above all forever. Dew and rain, bless the Lord; praise
and exalt him above all forever.) Frost and chill, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Ice and snow,
bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
Nights and days, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above
all forever. Light and darkness, bless the Lord; praise and
exalt him above all forever. Lightnings and clouds, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Let the earth bless
the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. Mountains and
hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever. Everything growing from the earth, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. You springs,
bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Seas
and rivers, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever. You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. All you birds
of the air, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever. All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. You sons of
men, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
O Israel, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever. Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and
exalt him above all forever. Servants of the Lord, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Spirits and
souls of the just, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above
all forever. Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord; praise and
exalt him above all forever. Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. For he has
delivered us from the nether world, and saved us from the
power of death; He has freed us from the raging
flame and delivered us from the fire. Give thanks to the
Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Bless
the God of gods, all you who fear the Lord; praise him and give
him thanks, because his mercy endures forever." [DAN
3:51-90]
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