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Now
the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD
God had made. The serpent asked the woman, "Did God really
tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" The
woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the
trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the
middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even
touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman:
"You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the
moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like
gods who know what is good and what is bad." The woman saw
that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and
desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and
ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they
realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves...But the serpent said to the
woman: "You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that
the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be
like gods who know what is good and what is bad." The woman
saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and
desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and
ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they
realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves... The LORD God then asked the
woman, "Why did you do such a thing?" The woman
answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."
Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done
this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the
wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you
eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and
the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at
your head, while you strike at his heel." To the woman he
said: "I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in
pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for
your husband, and he shall be your master." To the man he
said: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the
tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, "Cursed be the
ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the
days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to
you, as you eat of the plants of the field. By the sweat of your
face shall you get bread to eat, Until you return to the ground,
from which you were taken; For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall
return." [Taken from GEN 3:1-7,13-19]
When the LORD saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil,
he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved.
[Taken from GEN 6:5-6]
"Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the
desires of man's heart are evil from the start; nor will I ever
again strike down all living beings, as I have done." [Taken
from GEN 8:21]
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and tell
them that they and their descendants must put tassels on the
corners of their garments, fastening each corner tassel with a
violet cord. When you use these tassels, let the sight of them
remind you to keep all the commandments of the LORD, without going
wantonly astray after the desires of your hearts and eyes. Thus
you will remember to keep all my commandments and be holy to your
God. I, the LORD, am your God who, as God, brought you out of
Egypt that I, the LORD, may be your God." [NUM 15:37-41]
'You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not
desire your neighbor's house or field, nor his male or female
slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything that belongs to him.' [DEUT
5:21]
"When a Levite goes from one of your communities anywhere
in Israel in which he ordinarily resides, to visit, as his heart
may desire, the place which the LORD chooses, he may minister
there in the name of the LORD, his God, like all his fellow
Levites who are in attendance there before the LORD. He shall then
receive the same portions to eat as the rest, along with his
monetary offerings and heirlooms." [Taken from DEUT 18:6-8]
Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said, "Please tell me
where the seer lives." Samuel answered Saul: "I am the
seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you, I will tell you whatever
you wish. As for the asses you lost three days ago, do not worry
about them, for they have been found. Whom does Israel desire
ardently if not you and your father's family?" [Taken from
1SAM 9:18-20]
Saul then ordered his servants to speak to David privately and
to say: "The king is fond of you, and all his officers love
you. You should become the king's son-in-law." But when
Saul's servants mentioned this to David, he said: "Do you
think it easy to become the king's son-in-law? I am poor and
insignificant." When his servants reported to him the nature
of David's answer, Saul commanded them to say this to David:
"The king desires no other price for the bride than the
foreskins of one hundred Philistines, that he may thus take
vengeance on his enemies." Saul intended in this way to bring
about David's death through the Philistines. [1SAM 18:22-25]
Is not my house firm before God? He has made an eternal
covenant with me, set forth in detail and secured. Will he not
bring to fruition all my salvation and my every desire? [Taken
from 2SAM
23:5]
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she desired and
asked for, besides such presents as were given her from Solomon's
royal bounty. Then she returned with her servants to her own
country. [1KGS 10:13]
I will take you; you shall reign over all that you desire and
shall become king of Israel. [Taken from 1KGS 11:37]
Jeroboam did not give up his evil ways after this event, but
again made priests for the high places from among the common
people. Whoever desired it was consecrated and became a priest of
the high places. This was a sin on the part of the house of
Jeroboam for which it was to be cut off and destroyed from the
earth. [1KGS 13:33-34]
The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well what I
deem right, and have treated the house of Ahab as I desire, your
sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of
Israel." [2KGS 10:30]
David expressed a desire: "Oh, that someone would give me
a drink from the cistern that is by the gate at Bethlehem!"
Thereupon the Three broke through the encampment of the
Philistines, drew water from the cistern by the gate at Bethlehem,
and carried it back to David. But David refused to drink it.
Instead, he poured it out as a libation to the LORD, saying,
"God forbid that I should do such a thing! Could I drink the
blood of these men who risked their lives?" For at the risk
of their lives they brought it; and so he refused to drink it. [Taken
from 1CHRON 11:17-19]
"Give to my son Solomon a wholehearted desire to keep your
commandments, precepts, and statutes, that he may carry out all
these plans and build the castle for which I have made
preparation." [Taken from 1CHRON 29:19]
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she desired and
asked him for, more than she had brought to the king. Then she
returned to her own country with her servants. [2CHRON 9:12]
After them, all those of the Israelite tribes who firmly
desired to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem [Taken
from 2CHRON 11:16]
They swore to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and sought him with complete desire, so that he was present to them. And the LORD gave them rest on every side.
[2CHRON 15:14-15]
"Through all your days, my son, keep the Lord in mind, and
suppress every desire to sin or to break his commandments. Perform
good works all the days of your life, and do not tread the paths
of wrongdoing. For if you are steadfast in your service, your good
works will bring success, not only to you, but also to all those
who live uprightly." [Taken from TOBIT 4:5-6]
Then Judith came in and reclined on it. The heart of Holofernes
was in rapture over her, and his spirit was shaken. He was burning
with the desire to possess her, for he had been biding his time to
seduce her from the day he saw her. [Taken from JDTH 12:16]
When I came to rule many peoples and to hold sway over the
whole world, I determined not to be carried away with the sense of
power, but always to deal fairly and with clemency; to provide for
my subjects a life of complete tranquility; and by making my
government humane and effective as far as the borders, to restore
the peace desired by all men. [Taken from ESTH B:2]
Recalling all that the Lord had done, he prayed to him and said: "O Lord God, almighty King, all things are in your power, and there is no one to oppose you in your will to save Israel. You made heaven and earth and every wonderful thing under the heavens. You are Lord of all, and there is no one who can resist you, Lord. You know all things. You know, O Lord, that it was not out of insolence or pride or desire for fame that I acted thus in not bowing down to the proud Haman. Gladly would I have kissed the soles of his feet for the salvation of Israel. But I acted as I did so as not to place the honor of man above that of God. I will not bow down to anyone but you, my Lord. It is not out of pride that I am acting thus."
[Taken from ESTH C:1-7]
At that time some priests fell in battle
who had gone out rashly to fight in their desire to distinguish
themselves. [1MACC 5:67]
Then all the lawless and impious men of Israel came to him.
They were led by Alcimus, who desired to be high priest. They made
this accusation to the king against the people: "Judas and
his brothers have destroyed all your friends and have driven us
out of our country. So now, send a man whom you trust to go and
see all the havoc Judas has done to us and to the king's land, and
let him punish them and all their supporters." [Taken from
1MACC 7:5-7]
In truth, those whom they desired to help to a kingdom became
kings, and those whom they wished to depose they deposed; and they
were greatly exalted. [Taken from 1MACC 8:13]
They despised what their ancestors had regarded as honors,
while they highly prized what the Greeks esteemed as glory.
Precisely because of this, they found themselves in serious
trouble: the very people whose manner of life they emulated, and
whom they desired to imitate in everything, became their enemies
and oppressors. It is no light matter to flout the laws of God, as
the following period will show. [2MACC 4:15-17]
Since we desire that this people too should be undisturbed, our
decision is that their temple be restored to them and that they
live in keeping with the customs of their ancestors. [Taken from
2MACC 11:25]
If you are well, it is what we desire. We too are in good
health. [2MACC 11:28]
But he had decided, and who can say him nay? What he desires,
that he does. [JOB 23:13]
The statutes of the LORD are true, all
of them just; More desirable than gold, than a hoard of purest
gold, sweeter also than honey or drippings from the comb. By them
your servant is instructed; obeying them brings much reward. [Taken
from PS 19:10-12]
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. [Taken from PS 21:2-3]
Trust in the LORD and do good that you may dwell in the land
and live secure. Find your delight in the LORD who will give you
your heart's desire. [PS 37:3-4]
Put to shame and confound all who seek to take my life. Turn
back in disgrace those who desire my ruin. [PS 40:15]
Listen, my daughter, and understand; pay me careful heed.
Forget your people and your father's house, that the king might
desire your beauty. He is your lord; honor him, daughter of Tyre.
Then the richest of the people will seek your favor with gifts.
All glorious is the king's daughter as she enters, her raiment
threaded with gold; In embroidered apparel she is led to the king.
The maids of her train are presented to the king. They are led in
with glad and joyous acclaim; they enter the palace of the king. [PS
45:11-16]
Confound and put to shame those who seek my life. Turn back in
disgrace those who desire my ruin. [PS 70:3]
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. They
shine through the darkness, a light for the upright; they are
gracious, merciful, and just. All goes well for those gracious in
lending, who conduct their affairs with justice. They shall never
be shaken; the just shall be remembered forever. They shall not
fear an ill report; their hearts are steadfast, trusting the LORD.
Their hearts are tranquil, without fear, till at last they look
down on their foes. Lavishly they give to the poor; their
prosperity shall endure forever; their horn shall be exalted in
honor. The wicked shall be angry to see this; they will gnash
their teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked come to
nothing.
[PS 112:1-10]
Yes, the LORD has chosen Zion, desired it for a dwelling:
"This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I
desire it." [Taken from PS 132:13-14]
LORD, do not grant the desires of the wicked; do not let their
plots succeed. [Taken from PS 140:9]
The eyes of all look hopefully to you; you give them their food
in due season. You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of
every living thing. You, LORD, are just in all your ways, faithful
in all your works. You, LORD, are near to all who call upon you,
to all who call upon you in truth. You satisfy the desire of those
who fear you; you hear their cry and save them. [PS 145:15-19]
What the wicked man fears will befall him, but the desire of
the just will be granted. [PROV 10:24]
The desire of the just ends only in good; the expectation of
the wicked is wrath. [PROV 11:23]
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To acquire
understanding is more desirable than silver. [PROV 16:16]
Chastise your son, for in this there is hope; but do not desire
his death. [PROV 19:18]
The soul of the wicked man desires evil; his neighbor finds no
pity in his eyes. [PROV 21:10]
A good name is more desirable than great riches, and high
esteem, than gold and silver. [PROV 22:1]
Do not desire his delicacies; they are deceitful food. [Taken
from PROV
23:3]
Do not take food with a grudging man, and do not desire his
dainties; For in his greed he is like a storm. "Eat and
drink," he says to you, though his heart is not with you; The
little you have eaten you will vomit up, and you will have wasted your agreeable words.
[PROV 23:6-8]
Be not emulous of evil men, and desire not to be with them; For
their hearts plot violence, and their lips speak of foul play.
[PROV 24:1-2]
Nothing that my eyes desired did I deny them, nor did I deprive
myself of any joy, but my heart rejoiced in the fruit of all my
toil. This was my share for all my toil. But when I turned to all
the works that my hands had wrought, and to the toil at which I
had taken such pains, behold! all was vanity and a chase after
wind, with nothing gained under the sun. [ECCL 2:10-11]
All man's toil is for his mouth, yet his desire is not
fulfilled. [Taken from ECCL 6:7]
"What the eyes see is better than what the desires
wander after." [Taken from ECCL
6:7-9]
Because the sentence against evildoers is not promptly
executed, therefore the hearts of men are filled with the desire
to commit evil - because the sinner does evil a hundred times and
survives. Though indeed I know that it shall be well with those
who fear God, for their reverence toward him; and that it shall
not be well with the wicked man, and he shall not prolong his
shadowy days, for his lack of reverence toward God. [ECCL 8:11-13]
But the just man, though he die early, shall be at rest. For
the age that is honorable comes not with the passing of time, nor
can it be measured in terms of years. Rather, understanding is the
hoary crown for men, and an unsullied life, the attainment of old
age. He who pleased God was loved; he who lived among sinners was
transported - snatched away, lest wickedness pervert his mind or
deceit beguile his soul; For the witchery of paltry things
obscures what is right and the whirl of desire transforms the
innocent mind. Having become perfect in a short while, he reached
the fullness of a long career; for his soul was pleasing to the
LORD, therefore he sped him out of the midst of wickedness. But
the people saw and did not understand, nor did they take this into
account. [WISDOM 4:7-14]
To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed that you
may learn wisdom and that you may not sin. For those who keep the
holy precepts hallowed shall be found holy, and those learned in
them will have ready a response. Desire therefore my words; long
for them and you shall be instructed. Resplendent and unfading is
Wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and
found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in
anticipation of men's desire; he who watches for her at dawn shall
not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate.
For taking thought of her is the perfection of prudence, and he
who for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly be free from care;
Because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and
graciously appears to them in the ways, and meets them with all
solicitude. For the first step toward discipline is a very earnest
desire for her; then, care for discipline is love of her; love
means the keeping of her laws; To observe her laws is the basis
for incorruptibility; and incorruptibility makes one close to God;
thus the desire for Wisdom leads up to a kingdom. [WISDOM 6:9-20]
And if riches be a desirable possession in life, what is more
rich than Wisdom, who produces all things? [WISDOM 8:5]
Instead of this, you nourished your people with food of angels
and furnished them bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for,
endowed with all delights and conforming to every taste. For this
substance of yours revealed your sweetness toward your children,
and serving the desire of him who received it, was blended to
whatever flavor each one wished. [Taken from WISDOM 16:20-21]
For your creation, serving you, its maker, grows tense for
punishment against the wicked, but is relaxed in benefit for those
who trust in you. Therefore at that very time, transformed in all
sorts of ways, it was serving your all-nourishing bounty according
to what they needed and desired; That your sons whom you loved
might learn, O LORD, that it is not the various kinds of fruits
that nourish man, but it is your word that preserves those who
believe you! [Taken from WISDOM 16:24-26]
If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the LORD will
bestow her upon you; For fear of the LORD is wisdom and culture;
loyal humility is his delight. [SIRACH 1:23-24]
Rely not on your wealth; say not: "I have the power."
Rely not on your strength in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: "Who can prevail against me?" for the LORD will
exact the punishment. Say not: "I have sinned, yet what has
befallen me?" for the LORD bides his time. Of forgiveness be
not overconfident, adding sin upon sin. Say not: "Great is
his mercy; my many sins he will forgive." For mercy and anger
alike are with him; upon the wicked alights his wrath. Delay not
your conversion to the LORD, put it not off from day to day; For
suddenly his wrath flames forth; at the time of vengeance, you
will be destroyed. [SIRACH 5:1-9]
Fall not into the grip of
desire, lest, like fire, it consume your strength; Your leaves it
will eat, your fruits destroy, and you will be left a dry tree,
For contumacious desire destroys its owner and makes him the sport
of his enemies. [SIRACH 6:2-4]
Reflect on the precepts of the LORD, let his commandments be
your constant meditation; Then he will enlighten your mind, and
the wisdom you desire he will grant. [SIRACH 6:37]
Desire not a brood of worthless children, nor rejoice in wicked
offspring. Many though they be, exult not in them if they have not
the fear of the LORD. Count not on their length of life, have no
hope in their future. For one can be better than a thousand;
rather die childless than have godless children! [SIRACH 16:1-3]
Go not after your lusts, but keep your desires in check. If you satisfy your lustful appetites they will make you the sport of your enemies.
[SIRACH 18:30-31]
Wine and women make the mind giddy, and the companion of
harlots becomes reckless. He who lightly trusts in them has no
sense, and he who strays after them sins against his own life.
Rottenness and worms will possess him, for contumacious desire
destroys its owner. [SIRACH 19:2-4]
A brazen look allow me not; ward off passion from my heart, Let not the lustful cravings of the flesh master me, surrender me not to shameless desires.
[SIRACH 23:5-6]
When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom. She came to me
in her beauty, and until the end I will cultivate her. As the
blossoms yielded to ripening grapes, the heart's joy, my feet kept
to the level path because from earliest youth I was familiar with
her. In the short time I paid heed, I met with great instruction.
Since in this way I have profited, I will give my teacher grateful
praise. I became resolutely devoted to her - the good I
persistently strove for. I burned with desire for her, never
turning back. I became preoccupied with her, never weary of
extolling her. My hand opened her gate and I came to know her
secrets. For her I purified my hands; in cleanness I attained to
her. At first acquaintance with her, I gained understanding such
that I will never forsake her. My whole being was stirred as I
learned about her; therefore I have made her my prize possession.
[SIRACH 51:13-21]
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD, we look to you;
Your name and your title are the desire of our souls. [ISA 26:8]
Cry out full-throated and unsparingly, lift up your voice like
a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness, and the house of
Jacob their sins. They seek me day after day, and desire to know
my ways, Like a nation that has done what is just and not
abandoned the law of their God; They ask me to declare what is due
them, pleased to gain access to God. "Why do we fast, and you
do not see it? afflict ourselves, and you take no note of
it?" Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers. Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and
fighting... [Taken from ISA 58:1-11]
Heal me, LORD, that I may be healed; save me, that I may be
saved, for it is you whom I praise. See how they say to me,
"Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come to pass!"
Yet I did not press you to send calamity; the day without remedy I
have not desired. You know what passed my lips; it is present
before you. Do not be my ruin, you, my refuge in the day of
misfortune. Let my persecutors, not me, be confounded; let them,
not me, be broken. Bring upon them the day of misfortune, crush
them with repeated destruction. [Taken from JER 17:14-18]
Then all the army leaders, Johanan, son of Kareah, Azariah, son
of Hoshaiah, and all the people, high and low, approached the
prophet Jeremiah and said, "Grant our petition; pray for us
to the LORD, your God, for all this remnant. We are now few who
once were many, as you well see. Let the LORD, your God, show us
what way we should take and what we should do." Very well!
the prophet Jeremiah answered them: I will pray to the LORD, your
God, as you desire; whatever the LORD answers you, I will tell
you; I will withhold nothing from you. And they said to Jeremiah,
"May the LORD be our witness: we will truly and faithfully
follow all the instructions the LORD, your God, will send us.
Whether it is pleasant or difficult, we will obey the command of
the LORD, our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go
well with us for obeying the command of the LORD, our God." [JER
42:1-6]
Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: I will now
desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold of your pride, the delight
of your eyes, the desire of your soul. The sons and daughters you
left behind shall fall by the sword. Ezekiel shall be a sign for
you: all that he did you shall do when it happens. Thus you shall
know that I am the LORD. You shall do as I have done, not covering
your beards nor eating the customary bread. Your turbans shall
remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet. You shall not
mourn or weep, but you shall rot away because of your sins and
groan one to another. [EZEK 24:21-23]
As for you, son of man, truly, on the day I take away from them
their bulwark, their glorious joy, the delight of their eyes, the
desire of their soul, and the pride of their hearts, their sons
and daughters, that day the fugitive will come to you, that you
may hear it for yourself; that day your mouth shall be opened and
you shall be dumb no longer. Thus you shall be a sign to them, and
they shall know that I am the LORD. [EZEK 24:25-27]
As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking about you
along the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to one
another, "Come and hear the latest word that comes from the
LORD." My people come to you as people always do; they sit
down before you and hear your words, but they will not obey them,
for lies are on their lips and their desires are fixed on
dishonest gain. For them you are only a ballad singer, with a
pleasant voice and a clever touch. They listen to your words, but
they will not obey them. But when it comes - and it is surely
coming! - they shall know that there was a prophet among them. [EZEK
33:30-33]
That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges, of
whom the Lord said, "Wickedness has come out of Babylon: from
the elders who were to govern the people as judges." These
men, to whom all brought their cases, frequented the house of
Joakim. When the people left at noon, Susanna used to enter her
husband's garden for a walk. When the old men saw her enter every
day for her walk, they began to lust for her. They suppressed
their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to
heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments. Though both were
enamored of her, they did not tell each other their trouble, for
they were ashamed to reveal their lustful desire to have her. Day
by day they watched eagerly for her. One day they said to each
other, "Let us be off for home, it is time for lunch."
So they went out and parted; but both turned back, and when they
met again, they asked each other the reason. They admitted their
lust, and then they agreed to look for an occasion when they could
meet her alone. [Taken from DAN 13:5-14]
For it is love that I desire, not
sacrifice [Taken from HOSEA 6:6]
Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And
suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, and
the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming,
says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner's
fire, or like the fuller's lye. [MAL 3:1-2]
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why
does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He
heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a
physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words,
'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the
righteous but sinners." [MT 9:11-13]
At that time Jesus was going through a field of grain on the
sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of
grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
"See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the
sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David
did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the
house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor
his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have
you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in
the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? I say to you,
something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this
meant, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have
condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."
[MT 12:1-8]
"(And) no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he
says, 'The old is good.'" [Taken from LK 5:39]
Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
[LK 10:23-24]
When the hour came, he took his place at table with the
apostles. He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat
this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall
not eat it (again) until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of
God." [Taken from LK 22:14-16]
They answered and said to him, "Our father is
Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's
children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are
trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard
from God; Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your
father!" (So) they said to him, "We are not
illegitimate. We have one Father, God." Jesus said to them,
"If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from
God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do
you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot bear to
hear my word. You belong to your father the devil and you
willingly carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from
the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because
he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the
truth, you do not believe me. Can any of you charge me with sin?
If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever
belongs to God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not
listen, because you do not belong to God." [Taken from JN 8:39-47]
If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall
also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead,
dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death,
he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as (being) dead to
sin and living for God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, sin must not
reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And
do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for
wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead
to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for
righteousness. [Taken from ROM 6:8-13]
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God on their behalf
is for salvation. I testify with regard to them that they have
zeal for God, but it is not discerning. For, in their unawareness
of the righteousness that comes from God and their attempt to
establish their own (righteousness), they did not submit to the
righteousness of God. [ROM 10:1-3]
And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for
you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when
we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let
us then throw off the works of darkness (and) put on the armor of
light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in
orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not
in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
make no provision for the desires of the flesh. [Taken from ROM
13:11-14]
But now, since I no longer have any opportunity in these regions and since I have desired to come to you for many years, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be sent on my way there by you, after I have enjoyed being with you for a time.
[ROM 15:23-24]
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors
were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all
of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All
ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual
drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of
them, for they were struck down in the desert. These things
happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil
things, as they did. And do not become idolaters, as some of them
did, as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink,
and rose up to revel." Let us not indulge in immorality as
some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell within a single
day. Let us not test Christ as some of them did, and suffered
death by serpents. Do not grumble as some of them did, and
suffered death by the destroyer. These things happened to them as
an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us,
upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, whoever thinks
he is standing secure should take care not to fall. No trial has
come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let
you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also
provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it. [1COR 10:1-13]
This we desire to avoid, that anyone blame us about this lavish
gift administered by us, for we are concerned for what is
honorable not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight
of others. [Taken from 2COR 8:20-21]
For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this
freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another
through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,
namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But
if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are
not consumed by one another. I say, then: live by the Spirit and
you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the
flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do
what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not
under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality,
impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry,
jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions,
factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things
will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no
law. Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their
flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let
us also follow the Spirit. Let us not be conceited, provoking one
another, envious of one another. [GAL 5:13-26]
All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh,
following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses, and we were by
nature children of wrath, like the rest. But God, who is rich in
mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were
dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by
grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us
with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come
he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness
to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through
faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not
from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created
in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in
advance, that we should live in them. [Taken from EPH 2:3-10]
So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer
live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; darkened
in understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their
ignorance, because of their hardness of heart, they have become
callous and have handed themselves over to licentiousness for the
practice of every kind of impurity to excess. That is not how you
learned Christ, assuming that you have heard of him and were
taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away the
old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful
desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on
the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.
[EPH 4:17-24]
So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only
when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out
your salvation with fear and trembling . For God is the one who,
for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do
everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be
blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the
midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine
like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so
that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
[PHIL 2:12-16]
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where
Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above,
not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you
too will appear with him in glory. Put to death, then, the parts
of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil
desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Because of these the wrath
of God is coming (upon the disobedient). [COL 3:1-6]
Brothers, when we were bereft of you for a short time, in
person, not in heart, we were all the more eager in our great
desire to see you in person. We decided to go to you - I, Paul,
not only once but more than once - yet Satan thwarted us. For what
is our hope or joy or crown to boast of in the presence of our
Lord Jesus at his coming if not you yourselves? For you are our
glory and joy. [1THES 2:17-20]
This saying is trustworthy: whoever aspires to the office of
bishop desires a noble task. [Taken from 1TM 3:1]
Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain. For we
brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to
take anything out of it. If we have food and clothing, we shall be
content with that. Those who want to be rich are falling into
temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful
desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love
of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire
for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves
with many pains. [Taken from 1TM 6:6-10]
So turn from youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord with
purity of heart. [2TM 2:22]
But understand this: there will be terrifying times in the last
days. People will be self-centered and lovers of money, proud,
haughty, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,
irreligious, callous, implacable, slanderous, licentious, brutal,
hating what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God, as they make a pretense of
religion but deny its power. Reject them. For some of these slip
into homes and make captives of women weighed down by sins, led by
various desires, always trying to learn but never able to reach a
knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,
so they also oppose the truth - people of depraved mind,
unqualified in the faith. But they will not make further progress,
for their foolishness will be plain to all, as it was with those
two. [2TM 3:1-9]
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who
will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his
kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is
convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through
all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will
not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and
insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop
listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be
self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform
the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. [2TM 4:1-5]
For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us
to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live
temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the
blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of
our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us
from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his
own, eager to do what is good. Say these things. Exhort and
correct with all authority. Let no one look down on you. [TI 2:11-15]
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded,
slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and
envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. But when the
kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because
of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he
saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in
hope of eternal life. [TI 3:3-7]
We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the
promises. [HEB 6:11-12]
All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been
promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged
themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who
speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been
thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had
opportunity to return. But now they desire a better homeland, a
heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their
God, for he has prepared a city for them. [HEB 11:13-16]
Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he
has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised
to those who love him. No one experiencing temptation should say,
"I am being tempted by God"; for God is not subject to
temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each
person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches
maturity it gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved
brothers: all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth
by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his
creatures. [JMS 1:12-18]
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and
set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ. Like obedient children, do not act in
compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he
who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your
conduct, for it is written, "Be holy because I (am)
holy." [1PT 1:13-16]
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from
worldly desires that wage war against the soul. Maintain good
conduct among the Gentiles, so that if they speak of you as
evildoers, they may observe your good works and glorify God on the
day of visitation. [1PT 2:11-12]
Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves
also with the same attitude (for whoever suffers in the flesh has
broken with sin), so as not to spend what remains of one's life in
the flesh on human desires, but on the will of God. For the time
that has passed is sufficient for doing what the Gentiles like to
do: living in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies,
carousing, and wanton idolatry. They are surprised that you do not
plunge into the same swamp of profligacy, and they vilify you; but
they will give an account to him who stands ready to judge the
living and the dead. [1PT 4:1-5]
His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for
life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by
his own glory and power. Through these, he has bestowed on us the
precious and very great promises, so that through them you may
come to share in the divine nature, after escaping from the
corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this
very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with
virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion
with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. If these are
yours and increase in abundance, they will keep you from being
idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Anyone who lacks them is blind and shortsighted, forgetful of the
cleansing of his past sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more
eager to make your call and election firm, for, in doing so, you
will never stumble. For, in this way, entry into the eternal
kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ will be richly
provided for you. [2PT 1:3-11]
There were also false prophets among the people, just as there
will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive
heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing
swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their licentious
ways, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. In
their greed they will exploit you with fabrications, but from of
old their condemnation has not been idle and their destruction
does not sleep. For if God did not spare the angels when they
sinned, but condemned them to the chains of Tartarus and handed
them over to be kept for judgment; and if he did not spare the
ancient world, even though he preserved Noah, a herald of
righteousness, together with seven others, when he brought a flood
upon the godless world; and if he condemned the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah (to destruction), reducing them to ashes, making them
an example for the godless (people) of what is coming; and if he
rescued Lot, a righteous man oppressed by the licentious conduct
of unprincipled people (for day after day that righteous man
living among them was tormented in his righteous soul at the
lawless deeds that he saw and heard), then the Lord knows how to
rescue the devout from trial and to keep the unrighteous under
punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who
follow the flesh with its depraved desire and show contempt for
lordship. [Taken from 2PT 2:1-10]
Their eyes are full of adultery and insatiable for sin. They
seduce unstable people, and their hearts are trained in greed.
Accursed children! Abandoning the straight road, they have gone
astray, following the road of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved
payment for wrongdoing, but he received a rebuke for his own
crime: a mute beast spoke with a human voice and restrained the
prophet's madness. These people are waterless springs and mists
driven by a gale; for them the gloom of darkness has been
reserved. For, talking empty bombast, they seduce with licentious
desires of the flesh those who have barely escaped from people who
live in error. They promise them freedom, though they themselves
are slaves of corruption, for a person is a slave of whatever
overcomes him. For if they, having escaped the defilements of the
world through the knowledge of (our) Lord and savior Jesus Christ,
again become entangled and overcome by them, their last condition
is worse than their first. For it would have been better for them
not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it
to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them. What
is expressed in the true proverb has happened to them, "The
dog returns to its own vomit," and "A bathed sow returns
to wallowing in the mire." [Taken from 2PT 2:14-22]
This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you;
through them by way of reminder I am trying to stir up your
sincere disposition, to recall the words previously spoken by the
holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and savior through
your apostles. Know this first of all, that in the last days
scoffers will come (to) scoff, living according to their own
desires and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? From
the time when our ancestors fell asleep, everything has remained
as it was from the beginning of creation." They deliberately
ignore the fact that the heavens existed of old and earth was
formed out of water and through water by the word of God; through
these the world that then existed was destroyed, deluged with
water. The present heavens and earth have been reserved by the
same word for fire, kept for the day of judgment and of
destruction of the godless. But do not ignore this one fact,
beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a
thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise,
as some regard "delay," but he is patient with you, not
wishing that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and
then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the
elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything
done on it will be found out. [2PT 3:1-10]
These people are complainers, disgruntled ones who live by
their desires; their mouths utter bombast as they fawn over people
to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words spoken
beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, for they told
you, "In (the) last time there will be scoffers who will live
according to their own godless desires." These are the ones
who cause divisions; they live on the natural plane, devoid of the
Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy
faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God
and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to
eternal life. On those who waver, have mercy; save others by
snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear,
abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh. [Taken from
JUDE 1:16-23]
Also try:
sin
/ sins / sinned / sinful / sinner / wrongdoing [S18a]
profane
[P16]
pure
/ purify / purity [P23]
love
/ love of God / loving / loved [L7a]
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