|
good / goodness related
links |
In the beginning, when God created the heavens
and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness
covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. Then
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God
saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the
darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness
he called "night." Thus evening came, and morning
followed - the first day. [GEN 1:1-5]
Then God said, "Let there be a dome in the
middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the
other." And so it happened: God made the dome, and it
separated the water above the dome from the water below it. God
called the dome "the sky." Evening came, and morning
followed - the second day. Then God said, "Let the water
under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry
land may appear." And so it happened: the water under the sky
was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. God called
the dry land "the earth," and the basin of the water he
called "the sea." God saw how good it was. [GEN 1:6-10]
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth
vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of
fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened: the earth brought forth every kind of plant
that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears
fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was. [GEN 1:11-12]
Evening came, and morning followed - the third
day. Then God said: "Let there be lights in the dome of the
sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times,
the days and the years, and serve as luminaries in the dome of the
sky, to shed light upon the earth." And so it happened: God
made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and
the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars. God set
them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, to
govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the
darkness. God saw how good it was. [GEN 1:13-18]
Evening came, and morning followed - the fourth
day. Then God said, "Let the water teem with an abundance of
living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome
of the sky." And so it happened: God created the great sea
monsters and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water
teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw how good it was, and
God blessed them, saying, "Be fertile, multiply, and fill the
water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth." [GEN
1:19-22]
Evening came, and morning followed - the fifth
day. Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth all kinds of
living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all
kinds." And so it happened: God made all kinds of wild
animals, all kinds of cattle, and all kinds of creeping things of
the earth. God saw how good it was. [GEN 1:23-25]
Then God said: "Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of
the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the
wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have
dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all
the living things that move on the earth." God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and
all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the
green plants for food." And so it happened. God looked at
everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came,
and morning followed - the sixth day. [GEN 1:26-31]
Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in
the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of
the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were
delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in
the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and
bad. The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden
of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. The LORD God gave man this
order: "You are free to eat from any of the trees of the
garden except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that
tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely
doomed to die." [GEN 2:8-9,15-17]
The LORD God said: "It is not good for the
man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him." So
the LORD God formed out of the ground various wild animals and
various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see
what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them
would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the
birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be
the suitable partner for the man. So the LORD God cast a deep
sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his
ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD God then built
up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he
brought her to the man, the man said: "This one, at last, is
bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called
'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken." That
is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one body. [GEN 2:18-24]
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. When they
heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden at the
breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from
the LORD God among the trees of the garden. The LORD God then
called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He
answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid,
because I was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked,
"Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from
the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man
replied, "The woman whom you put here with me - she gave me
fruit from the tree, so I ate it." 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." [GEN 3:1-19]
Then the LORD God said: "See! The man has
become like one of us, knowing what is good and what is bad!
Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take
fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live
forever." The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden
of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. When he
expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and
he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard
the way to the tree of life. [GEN 3:22-24]
Noah, a good man and blameless in that age, for he walked with God, begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
[Taken from GEN 6:9-10]
Some time after these events, this word of the
LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram! I am your
shield; I will make your reward very great." But Abram said,
"O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being
childless and have as my heir the steward of my house,
Eliezer?" Abram continued, "See, you have given me no
offspring, and so one of my servants will be my heir." Then
the word of the LORD came to him: "No, that one shall not be
your heir; your own issue shall be your heir." [GEN 15:1-4]
But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night
and said to him, "You are about to die because of the woman
you have taken, for she has a husband." Abimelech, who had
not approached her, said: "O Lord, would you slay a man even
though he is innocent? He himself told me, 'She is my sister,' and
she herself also stated, 'He is my brother.' I did it in good
faith and with clean hands." God answered him in the dream:
"Yes, I know you did it in good faith. In fact, it was I who
kept you from sinning against me; that is why I did not let you
touch her. Therefore, return the man's wife - as a spokesman he
will intercede for you - that your life may be saved. If you do
not return her, you can be sure that you and all who are yours
will certainly die." [GEN 20:3-7]
Isaac entreated the LORD on behalf of his wife,
since she was sterile. The LORD heard his entreaty, and Rebekah
became pregnant. But the children in her womb jostled each other
so much that she exclaimed, "If this is to be so, what good
will it do me!" She went to consult the LORD, and he answered
her: "Two nations are in your womb, two peoples are
quarreling while still within you; But one shall surpass the
other, and the older shall serve the younger." [GEN 25:21-23]
"Look," said Esau, "I'm on the point of dying. What good will any birthright do me?"
But Jacob insisted, "Swear to me first!" So he sold Jacob his birthright under oath.
[GEN 25:32-33]
Rebekah said to Isaac: "I am disgusted with
life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob also should marry a
Hittite woman, a native of the land, like these women, what good
would life be to me?" [GEN 27:46]
Leah then said, "What good luck!" So she named him Gad. Then Leah's maidservant Zilpah bore a second son to Jacob;
and Leah said, "What good fortune!" - meaning, "Women call me fortunate." So she named him Asher. [GEN 30:11-13]
Then he prayed: "O God of my father Abraham
and God of my father Isaac! You told me, O LORD, 'Go back to the
land of your birth, and I will be good to you.' I am unworthy of
all the acts of kindness that you have loyally performed for your
servant: although I crossed the Jordan here with nothing but my
staff, I have now grown into two companies. Save me, I pray, from
the hand of my brother Esau! Otherwise I fear that when he comes
he will strike me down and slay the mothers and children. You
yourself said, 'I will be very good to you, and I will make your
descendants like the sands of the sea, which are too numerous to
count.'" [GEN 32:10-13]
That Pharaoh had the same dream twice means that
the matter has been reaffirmed by God and that God will soon bring
it about. "Therefore, let Pharaoh seek out a wise and
discerning man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Pharaoh
should also take action to appoint overseers, so as to regiment
the land during the seven years of abundance. They should husband
all the food of the coming good years, collecting the grain under
Pharaoh's authority, to be stored in the towns for food. This food
will serve as a reserve for the country against the seven years of
famine that are to follow in the land of Egypt, so that the land
may not perish in the famine." [GEN 41:32-36]
When Joseph came home, they presented him with
the gifts they had brought inside, while they bowed down before
him to the ground. After inquiring how they were, he asked them,
"And how is your aged father, of whom you spoke? Is he still
in good health?" "Your servant our father is thriving
and still in good health," they said, as they bowed
respectfully. When Joseph's eye fell on his full brother Benjamin,
he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told
me?" Then he said to him, "May God be gracious to you,
my boy!" With that, Joseph had to hurry out, for he was so
overcome with affection for his brother that he was on the verge
of tears. He went into a private room and wept there. [GEN 43:26-30]
They had not gone far out of the city when
Joseph said to his head steward: "Go at once after the men!
When you overtake them, say to them, 'Why did you repay good with
evil? Why did you steal the silver goblet from me'?" [GEN 44:4]
Joseph could no longer control himself in the
presence of all his attendants, so he cried out, "Have
everyone withdraw from me!" Thus no one else was about when
he made himself known to his brothers. But his sobs were so loud
that the Egyptians heard him, and so the news reached Pharaoh's
palace. "I am Joseph," he said to his brothers. "Is
my father still in good health?" But his brothers could give
him no answer, so dumbfounded were they at him. "Come closer
to me," he told his brothers. When they had done so, he said:
"I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But
now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for
having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives
that God sent me here ahead of you." [GEN 45:1-5]
When he saw how good a settled life was, and how
pleasant the country, He bent his shoulder to the burden and
became a toiling serf. [GEN 49:15]
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves
down before him and said, "Let us be your slaves!" But
Joseph replied to them: "Have no fear. Can I take the place
of God? Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people. Therefore
have no fear. I will provide for you and for your children."
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them. Joseph
remained in Egypt, together with his father's family. He lived a
hundred and ten years. [GEN 50:18-22]
Now a certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, who conceived and bore a son. Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months.
When she could hide him no longer, she took a papyrus basket, daubed it with bitumen and pitch, and putting the child in it, placed it among the reeds on the river bank.
[EX 2:1-3]
But the LORD said, "I have witnessed the
affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of
complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they
are suffering. Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the
hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good
and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the country
of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and
Jebusites." [EX 3:7-8]
Moses then told his father-in-law of all that
the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for the sake of
Israel, and of all the hardships they had had to endure on their
journey, and how the LORD had come to their rescue. Jethro
rejoiced over all the goodness that the LORD had shown Israel in
rescuing them from the hands of the Egyptians. "Blessed be
the LORD," he said, "who has rescued his people from the
hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is a
deity great beyond any other; for he took occasion of their being
dealt with insolently to deliver the people from the power of the
Egyptians." [EX 18:8-11]
If someone, without being aware of it, rashly
utters an oath to do good or evil, such as men are accustomed to
utter rashly, and then recognizes that he is guilty of such an
oath; then whoever is guilty in any of these cases shall confess
the sin he has incurred... [Taken from LEV 5:4-5]
"When someone dedicates his house as sacred
to the LORD, the priest shall determine its value in keeping with
its good or bad points, and the value set by the priest shall
stand." [LEV 27:14]
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your
encampments, O Israel! [NUM 24:5]
Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not warn the very messengers whom you sent to me,
'Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not of my own accord to anything, good or evil, contrary to the command of the LORD'? Whatever the LORD says I must repeat."
[NUM 24:12-13]
They set out into the hill country as far as the Wadi Eshcol, and explored it.
Then, taking along some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, 'The land which the LORD, our God, gives us is good.'
[DEUT 1:24-25]
When the LORD heard your words, he was angry;
and he swore, 'Not one man of this evil generation shall look upon
the good land I swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb, son
of Jephunneh; he shall see it. For to him and to his sons I will
give the land he trod upon, because he has followed the LORD
unreservedly.' "The LORD was angered against me also on your
account, and said, 'Not even you shall enter there, but your aide
Joshua, son of Nun, shall enter. Encourage him, for he is to give
Israel its heritage. Your little ones, who you said would become
booty, and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad -
they shall enter; to them I will give it, and they shall occupy
it. But as for yourselves: turn about and proceed into the desert
on the Red Sea road.'" [DEUT 1:34-40]
"And it was then that I besought the LORD,
'O Lord GOD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness
and might. For what god in heaven or on earth can perform deeds as
mighty as yours? Ah, let me cross over and see this good land
beyond the Jordan, this fine hill country, and the Lebanon!' But
the LORD was angry with me on your account and would not hear me.
'Enough!' the LORD said to me. 'Speak to me no more of this.'" [DEUT
3:23-26]
Since the LORD was angered against me on your account and swore that I should not cross the Jordan nor enter the good land which he is giving you as a heritage,
I myself shall die in this country without crossing the Jordan; but you will cross over and take possession of that good land.
[DEUT 4:21-22]
Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that you may, according to his word, prosper, and may enter in and possess the good land which the LORD promised on oath to your fathers,
thrusting all your enemies out of your way. [DEUT
6:18-19]
For the LORD, your God, is bringing you into a
good country, a land with streams of water, with springs and
fountains welling up in the hills and valleys, a land of wheat and
barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, of olive trees
and of honey, a land where you can eat bread without stint and
where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones contain iron and
in whose hills you can mine copper. But when you have eaten your
fill, you must bless the LORD, your God, for the good country he
has given you. Be careful not to forget the LORD, your God, by
neglecting his commandments and decrees and statutes which I
enjoin on you today: lest, when you have eaten your fill, and have
built fine houses and lived in them, and have increased your herds
and flocks, your silver and gold, and all your property, you then
become haughty of heart and unmindful of the LORD, your God, who
brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery; who
guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its saraph
serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who
brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in
the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers, that he
might afflict you and test you, but also make you prosperous in
the end. Otherwise, you might say to yourselves, 'It is my own
power and the strength of my own hand that has obtained for me
this wealth.' Remember then, it is the LORD, your God, who gives
you the power to acquire wealth, by fulfilling, as he has now
done, the covenant which he swore to your fathers. But if you
forget the LORD, your God, and follow other gods, serving and
worshiping them, I forewarn you this day that you will perish
utterly. Like the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so
shall you too perish for not heeding the voice of the LORD, your
God.
[DEUT 8:7-20]
No, it is not because of your merits or the integrity of your heart that you are going in to take possession of their land; but the LORD, your God, is driving these nations out before you on account of their wickedness and in order to keep the promise which he made on oath to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Understand this, therefore: it is not because of your merits that the LORD, your God, is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
[DEUT 9:5-6]
"And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul,
to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD which I enjoin on you today for your own good?"
[DEUT 10:12-13]
But be careful lest your heart be so lured away that you serve other gods and worship them.
For then the wrath of the LORD will flare up against you and he will close up the heavens, so that no rain will fall, and the soil will not yield its crops, and you will soon perish from the good land he is giving you.
[DEUT 11:16-17]
Be careful to heed all these commandments I
enjoin on you, that you and your descendants may always prosper
for doing what is good and right in the sight of the LORD, your
God. [DEUT 12:28]
"When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, you shall not enter his house to receive a pledge from him,
but shall wait outside until the man to whom you are making the loan brings his pledge outside to you.
If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in the mantle he gives as a pledge,
but shall return it to him at sunset that he himself may sleep in it. Then he will bless you, and it will be a good deed of yours before the LORD, your God."
[DEUT 24:10-13]
'Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.' And having set them before the LORD, your God, you shall bow down in his presence.
Then you and your family, together with the Levite and the aliens who live among you, shall make merry over all these good things which the LORD, your God, has given you.
[DEUT 26:10-11]
Provided that you keep the commandments of the
LORD, your God, and walk in his ways, he will establish you as a
people sacred to himself, as he swore to you; so that, when all
the nations of the earth see you bearing the name of the LORD,
they will stand in awe of you. The LORD will increase in more than
goodly measure the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your
livestock, and the produce of your soil, in the land which he
swore to your fathers he would give you. [DEUT 28:9-11]
You, however, must again heed the LORD'S voice and carry out all his commandments which I now enjoin on you.
Then the LORD, your God, will increase in more than goodly measure the returns from all your labors, the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your soil; for the LORD, your God, will again take delight in your prosperity, even as he took delight in your fathers',
if only you heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul.
[DEUT 30:8-10]
Take great care, however, to love the LORD, your
God. For if you ever abandon him and ally yourselves with the
remnant of these nations while they survive among you, by
intermarrying and intermingling with them, know for certain that
the LORD, your God, will no longer drive these nations out of your
way. Instead they will be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge
for your sides and thorns for your eyes, until you perish from
this good land which the LORD, your God, has given you.
"Today, as you see, I am going the way of all men. So now
acknowledge with your whole heart and soul that not one of all the
promises the LORD, your God, made to you has remained unfulfilled.
Every promise has been fulfilled for you, with not one single
exception. But just as every promise the LORD, your God, made to
you has been fulfilled for you, so will he fulfill every threat,
even so far as to exterminate you from this good land which the
LORD, your God, has given you. If you transgress the covenant of
the LORD, your God, which he enjoined on you, serve other gods and
worship them, the anger of the LORD will flare up against you and
you will quickly perish from the good land which he has given
you." [JOSH 23:11-16]
Joshua in turn said to the people, "You may not be able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
If, after the good he has done for you, you forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, he will do evil to you and destroy you."
But the people answered Joshua, "We will still serve the LORD." [JOSH
24:19-21]
At a good old age Gideon, son of Joash, died and
was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the
Abiezrites. But after Gideon was dead, the Israelites again
abandoned themselves to the Baals, making Baal of Berith their god
and forgetting the LORD, their God, who had delivered them from
the power of their enemies all around them. Nor were they grateful
to the family of Jerubbaal (Gideon) for all the good he had done
for Israel. [JUDG 8:32-35]
"Now then, if you have acted in good faith
and honorably in appointing Abimelech your king, if you have dealt
well with Jerubbaal and with his family, and if you have treated
him as he deserved - for my father fought for you at the risk of
his life when he saved you from the power of Midian; but you have
risen against his family this day and have killed his seventy sons
upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his handmaid,
king over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your kinsman -
if, then, you have acted in good faith and with honor toward
Jerubbaal and his family this day, rejoice in Abimelech and may he
in turn rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come forth from
Abimelech to devour the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo, and
let fire come forth from the citizens and from Beth-millo to
devour Abimelech." [JUDG 9:16-20]
When the five returned to their kinsmen in Zorah and Eshtaol and were asked for a report,
they replied, "Come, let us attack them, for we have seen the land and it is very good. Are you going to hesitate? Do not be slothful about beginning your expedition to possess the land.
Those against whom you go are a trusting people, and the land is ample. God has indeed given it into your power: a place where no natural resource is lacking."
[JUDG 18:8-10]
When Eli was very old, he heard repeatedly how his sons were treating all Israel (and that they were having relations with the women serving at the entry of the meeting tent).
So he said to them: "Why are you doing such things? No, my sons, you must not do these things! It is not a good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading about you.
If a man sins against another man, one can intercede for him with the LORD; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they disregarded their father's warning, since the LORD had decided on their death. [1SAM 2:22-25]
"Now you have the king you want, a king the LORD has given you.
If you fear the LORD and worship him, if you are obedient to him and do not rebel against the LORD'S command, if both you and the king who rules you follow the LORD your
God - well and good. But if you do not obey the LORD and if you rebel against his command, the LORD will deal severely with you and your king, and destroy you."
[1SAM 12:13-15]
As for me, far be it from me to sin against the
LORD by ceasing to pray for you and to teach you the good and
right way. [1SAM 12:23]
David had just been saying: "Indeed, it was
in vain that I guarded all this man's possessions in the desert,
so that he missed nothing. He has repaid good with evil." [1SAM
25:21]
David said to Abigail: "Blessed be the
LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today. Blessed be
your good judgment and blessed be you yourself, who this day have
prevented me from shedding blood and from avenging myself
personally. Otherwise, as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who
has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come so
promptly to meet me, by dawn Nabal would not have had a single man
or boy left alive." David then took from her what she had
brought him and said to her: "Go up to your home in peace!
See, I have granted your request as a personal favor." [1SAM
25:32-35]
But David replied to Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite: "As the LORD lives, who rescued me from all difficulty,
in Ziklag I seized and put to death the man who informed me of Saul's death, thinking himself the bearer of good news for which I ought to give him a reward."
[2SAM 4:9-10]
And the woman concluded: "Let the word of
my lord the king provide a resting place; indeed, my lord the king
is like an angel of God, evaluating good and bad. The LORD your
God be with you." [2SAM 14:17]
Falling prostrate to the ground in homage and
blessing the king, Joab said, "This day I know that I am in
good favor with you, my lord the king, since the king has granted
the request of his servant." [2SAM 14:22]
Absalom would say to him, "Your suit is
good and just, but there is no one to hear you in the king's
name." And he would continue: "If only I could be
appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a lawsuit to be
decided might come to me and I would render him justice."
Whenever a man approached him to show homage, he would extend his
hand, hold him, and kiss him. By behaving in this way toward all
the Israelites who came to the king for judgment, Absalom was
stealing away the loyalties of the men of Israel. [2SAM 15:3-6]
Two hundred men had accompanied Absalom from
Jerusalem. They had been invited and went in good faith, knowing
nothing of the plan. [2SAM 15:11]
When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him: "This is what Ahithophel proposed. Shall we follow his proposal? If not, speak up."
Hushai replied to Absalom, "This time Ahithophel has not given good counsel." [2SAM 17:6-7]
Then Absalom and all the Israelites pronounced
the counsel of Hushai the Archite better than that of Ahithophel.
For the LORD had decided to undo Ahithophel's good counsel, in
order thus to bring Absalom to ruin. [2SAM 17:14]
Then Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, "Let me
run to take the good news to the king that the LORD has set him
free from the grasp of his enemies." But Joab said to him: "You are not the man
to bring the news today. On some other day you may take the good
news, but today you would not be bringing good news, for in fact
the king's son is dead." [2SAM 18:19-20]
Now David was sitting between the two gates, and
a lookout mounted to the roof of the gate above the city wall,
where he looked about and saw a man running all alone. The lookout
shouted to inform the king, who said, "If he is alone, he has
good news to report." As he kept coming nearer, the lookout
spied another runner. From his place atop the gate he cried out,
"There is another man running by himself." And the king
responded, "He, too, is bringing good news." Then the
lookout said, "I notice that the first one runs like Ahimaaz,
son of Zadok." The king replied, "He is a good man; he
comes with good news." Then Ahimaaz called out and greeted
the king. With face to the ground he paid homage to the king and
said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the
men who rebelled against my lord the king." But the king
asked, "Is the youth Absalom safe?" And Ahimaaz replied,
"I saw a great disturbance when the king's servant Joab sent
your servant on, but I do not know what it was." The king
said, "Step aside and remain in attendance here." So he
stepped aside and remained there. When the Cushite came in, he
said, "Let my lord the king receive the good news that this
day the LORD has taken your part, freeing you from the grasp of
all who rebelled against you." [2SAM 18:24-31]
I am now eighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks, or still appreciate the voices of singers and songstresses? Why should your servant be any further burden to my lord the king?
[2SAM 19:36]
As he was speaking, Jonathan, son of Abiathar
the priest, arrived. "Come," said Adonijah, "you
are a man of worth and must bring good news." [1KGS 1:42]
The LORD will strike Israel like a reed tossed
about in the water and will pluck out Israel from this good land
which he gave their fathers, scattering them beyond the River,
because they made sacred poles for themselves and thus provoked
the LORD. [1KGS 14:15]
Hearing this as a good omen, the men quickly
took him at his word and said, "Ben-hadad is your
brother." He answered, "Go and get him." When Ben-hadad
came out to him, the king had him mount his chariot. [1KGS 20:33]
The king of Israel answered, "There is one
other through whom we might consult the LORD, Micaiah, son of
Imlah; but I hate him because he prophesies not good but evil
about me." Jehoshaphat said, "Let not your majesty speak
of evil against you."
[1KGS 22:8]
The messenger who had gone to call Micaiah said to him, "Look now, the prophets are unanimously predicting good for the king. Let your word be the same as any of theirs; predict good."
"As the LORD lives," Micaiah answered, "I shall say whatever the LORD tells me." [1KGS 22:13-14]
Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the
room overnight. Then he said to his servant Gehazi, "Call
this Shunammite woman." He did so, and when she stood before
Elisha, he told Gehazi, "Say to her, 'You have lavished all
this care on us; what can we do for you? Can we say a good word
for you to the king or to the commander of the army?'" She
replied, "I am living among my own people." Later Elisha
asked, "Can something be done for her?" "Yes!"
Gehazi answered. "She has no son, and her husband is getting
on in years." "Call her," said Elisha. When she had
been called, and stood at the door, Elisha promised, "This
time next year you will be fondling a baby son."
"Please, my lord," she protested, "you are a man of
God; do not deceive your servant." Yet the woman conceived,
and by the same time the following year she had given birth to a
son, as Elisha had promised. [2KGS 4:11-17]
After the lepers reached the edge of the camp, they went first into one tent, ate and drank, and took silver, gold, and clothing from it, and went out and hid them. Back they came into another tent, took things from it, and again went out and hid them.
Then they said to one another: "We are not doing right. This is a day of good news, and we are keeping silent. If we wait until morning breaks, we shall be blamed. Come, let us go and inform the palace."
[2KGS 7:8-9]
They found abundant and good pastures, and the
land was spacious, quiet, and peaceful. [1CHRON 4:40]
After David had taken counsel with his
commanders of thousands and of hundreds, that is to say, with
every one of his leaders, he said to the whole assembly of Israel:
"If it seems good to you, and is so decreed by the LORD our
God, let us summon the rest of our brethren from all the districts
of Israel, and also the priests and the Levites from their cities
with pasture lands, that they may join us; and let us bring the
ark of our God here among us, for in the days of Saul we did not
visit it." [1CHRON 13:1-3]
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his kindness endures forever;
And say, "Save us, O God, our savior, gather us and deliver us from the nations,
That we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in praising you."
[1CHRON 16:34-35]
"Because you, O my God, have revealed to your servant that
you will build him a house, your servant has made bold to pray before you.
Since you, O LORD, are truly God and have promised this good thing to your servant,
and since you have deigned to bless the house of your servant, so that it will remain
forever - since it is you, O LORD, who blessed it, it is blessed forever."
[1CHRON 17:25-27]
For he said to me: 'It is your son Solomon who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him for my son, and I will be a father to him.
I will establish his kingdom forever, if he perseveres in keeping my commandments and decrees as he keeps them now.'
Therefore, in the presence of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, I exhort you to keep and to carry out all the commandments of the LORD, your God, that you may continue to possess this good land and afterward leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.
[1CHRON 28:6-8]
When the trumpeters and singers were heard as a single voice praising and giving thanks to the LORD, and when they raised the sound of the trumpets, cymbals and other musical instruments to "give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever," the building of the LORD'S temple was filled with a cloud.
The priests could not continue to minister because of the cloud, since the LORD'S glory filled the house of God.
[2CHRON 5:13-14]
My God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.
And now, "Advance, LORD God, to your resting place, you and the ark of your majesty.
May your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, may your faithful ones rejoice in good things.
LORD God, reject not the plea of your anointed, remember the devotion of David, your servant."
[2CHRON 6:40-42]
But the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. All the Israelites looked on while the fire came down and the glory of the LORD was upon the house, and they fell down upon the pavement with their faces to the earth and adored, praising the LORD, "for he is good, for his mercy endures forever."
[2CHRON 7:2-3]
On the eighth day they held a special meeting, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the feast for seven days.
On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people back to their tents, rejoicing and glad at heart at the good things the LORD had done for David, for Solomon, and for his people Israel.
[2CHRON 7:9-10]
Because he had humbled himself, the anger of the
LORD turned from him so that it did not destroy him completely;
and in Judah, moreover, good deeds were found. [2CHRON 12:12]
Asa did what was good and pleasing to the LORD, his God,
removing the heathen altars and the high places, breaking to pieces the sacred pillars, and cutting down the sacred poles.
He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and its commands.
[2CHRON 14:1-3]
But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no other
prophet of the LORD here whom we may consult?" The king of
Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still another through
whom we may consult the LORD, but I hate him, for he prophesies
not good but always evil about me. That is Micaiah, son of
Imlah." Jeshoshaphat said, "Let not your Majesty speak
of evil against you." [2CHRON 18:6-7]
King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem.
Jehu the seer, son of Hanani, met King Jehoshaphat and said to him: "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? For this reason, wrath is upon you from the LORD.
Yet some good things are to be found in you, since you have removed the sacred poles from the land and have been determined to seek God." [2CHRON
19:1-3]
He gave them this command: "You shall act
faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD. And in
every dispute that your brethren living in their cities bring to
you, whether it concerns bloodguilt or questions of law, command,
statutes, or judgments, warn them lest they become guilty before
the LORD and his wrath come upon you and your brethren. Do that
and you shall be guiltless. See now, Amariah is high priest over
you in everything that pertains to the LORD, and Zebadiah, son of
Ishmael, is leader of the house of Judah in all that pertains to
the king; and the Levites will be your officials. Act firmly, and
the LORD will be with the good." [2CHRON 19:9-11]
Jehoiada lived to a ripe old age; he was a hundred and thirty years old when he died.
He was buried in the City of David with the kings, because he had done good in Israel, in particular with respect to God and his temple.
[2CHRON 24:15-16]
The greater part of the people, in fact, chiefly from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves. Nevertheless they ate the Passover, contrary to the prescription; for Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, grant pardon to
everyone who has resolved to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, though he be not clean as holiness requires."
The LORD heard Hezekiah and spared the people. [2CHRON 30:18-20]
This Hezekiah did in all Judah. He did what was good, upright and
faithful before the LORD, his God. Everything that he undertook, for the service of the house of God or for the law and the
commandments, was to do the will of his God. He did this wholeheartedly,
and he prospered.
[2CHRON 31:20-21]
They alternated in songs of praise and
thanksgiving to the LORD, "for he is good, for his kindness
to Israel endures forever"; and all the people raised a great
shout of joy, praising the LORD because the foundation of the
LORD'S house had been laid. [EZRA 3:11]
"And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God, who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place; thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief in our servitude.
For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us; rather, he has turned the good will of the kings of Persia toward us. Thus he has given us new life to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins, and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem." [EZRA 9:8-9]
Then I explained to them how the favoring hand
of my God had rested upon me, and what the king had said to me.
They replied, "Let us be up and building!" And they
undertook the good work with vigor. [NEH 2:18]
"And though these are our own kinsmen and our
children are as good as theirs, we have had to reduce our sons and
daughters to slavery, and violence has been done to some of our
daughters! Yet we can do nothing about it, for our fields and our
vineyards belong to others." [NEH 5:5]
I was extremely angry when I heard the reasons
they had for complaint. After some deliberation, I called the
nobles and magistrates to account, saying to them, "You are
exacting interest from your own kinsmen!" I then rebuked them
severely, saying to them: "As far as we were able, we bought
back our fellow Jews who had been sold to Gentiles; you, however,
are selling your own brothers, to have them bought back by
us." They remained silent, for they could find no answer. I
continued: "What you are doing is not good. Should you not
walk in the fear of our God, and put an end to the derision of our
Gentile enemies?" [NEH 5:6-9]
The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of
Elul; it had taken fifty-two days. When all our enemies had heard
of this, and all the nations round about had taken note of it, our
enemies lost much face in the eyes of the nations, for they knew
that it was with our God's help that this work had been completed.
At that same time, however, many letters were going to Tobiah from
the nobles of Judah, and Tobiah's letters were reaching them, for
many in Judah were in league with him, since he was the son-in-law
of Shecaniah, son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the
daughter of Meshullam, son of Berechiah. Thus they would praise
his good deeds in my presence and relate to him whatever I said;
and Tobiah sent letters trying to frighten me. [NEH 6:15-19]
On Mount Sinai you came down, you spoke with
them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances, firm laws, good
statutes, and commandments; Your holy sabbath you made known to
them, commandments, statutes, and law you prescribed for them, by
the hand of Moses your servant. [NEH 9:13-14]
"Your good spirit you bestowed on them, to give them understanding;
your manna you did not withhold from their mouths, and you gave them water in their thirst.
Forty years in the desert you sustained them: they did not want; their garments did not become worn, and their feet did not become
swollen." [NEH 9:20-21]
"While they were yet in their kingdom, in
the midst of the many good things that you had given them and in
the wide and fertile land that you had spread out before them,
they did not serve you nor did they turn away from their evil
deeds. But, see, we today are slaves; and as for the land which
you gave our fathers that they might eat its fruits and good
things - see, we have become slaves upon it! Its rich produce goes
to the kings whom you set over us because of our sins... We are in
great distress!" [Taken from NEH 9:35-37]
"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. Give alms from your
possessions. Do not turn your face away from any of the poor, and
God's face will not be turned away from you. Son, give alms in
proportion to what you own. If you have great wealth, give alms
out of your abundance; if you have but little, distribute even
some of that. But do not hesitate to give alms; you will be
storing up a goodly treasure for yourself against the day of
adversity. Almsgiving frees one from death, and keeps one from
going into the dark abode. Alms are a worthy offering in the sight
of the Most High for all who give them." [TOBIT 4:5-11]
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]
Tobit exclaimed: "Welcome! God save you,
brother! Do not be provoked with me, brother, for wanting to learn
the truth about your family. So it turns out that you are a
kinsman, and from a noble and good line! I knew Hananiah and
Nathaniah, the two sons of Shemaiah the elder; with me they used
to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where we would worship
together. No, they did not stray from the right path; your kinsmen
are good men. You are certainly of good lineage, and
welcome!" 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 5:14-16]
But his mother began to weep. She said to Tobit:
"Why have you decided to send my child away? Is he not the
staff to which we cling, ever there with us in all that we do? I
hope more money is not your chief concern! Rather let it be a
ransom for our son! What the Lord has given us to live on is
certainly enough for us." Tobit reassured her: "Have no
such thought. Our son will leave in good health and come back to
us in good health. Your own eyes will see the day when he returns
to you safe and sound. So, no such thought; do not worry about
them, my love. For a good angel will go with him, his journey will
be successful, and he will return unharmed." [TOBIT 5:18-22]
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 7:7]
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]
"Take, to begin with, half of whatever I own when
you go back in good health to your father; the other half will be
yours when I and my wife die. Be of good cheer, my son! I am your
father, and Edna is your mother; and we belong to you and to your
beloved now and forever. So be happy, son!" [TOBIT 8:21]
Then he kissed his daughter Sarah and said to
her: "My daughter, honor your father-in-law and your
mother-in-law, because from now on they are as much your parents
as the ones who brought you into the world. Go in peace, my
daughter; let me hear good reports about you as long as I
live." Finally he said good-bye to them and sent them away. [TOBIT
10:12]
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. A king's secret it is prudent to keep, but the works
of God are to be declared and made known. Praise them with due
honor. Do good, and evil will not find its way to you. Prayer and
fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied
by righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than
abundance with wickedness. It is better to give alms than to store
up gold; for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every
sin. Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life; but
those habitually guilty of sin are their own worst enemies."
[TOBIT 12:6-10]
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. [TOBIT
13:10]
Not one
of all the oracles shall remain unfulfilled, but everything shall
take place in the time appointed for it. So it will be safer in
Media than in Assyria or Babylon. For I know and believe that
whatever God has spoken will be accomplished. It shall happen, and
not a single word of the prophecies shall prove false. "As
for our kinsmen who dwell in Israel, they shall all be scattered
and led away into exile from the Good Land. The entire country of
Israel shall become desolate; even Samaria and Jerusalem shall
become desolate! God's temple there shall be burnt to the ground
and shall be desolate for a while." [Taken from TOBIT 14:4]
It is not for you to make the Lord our God give surety
for his plans. "God is not man that he should be moved by threats, nor human, that he may be given an ultimatum.
So while we wait for the salvation that comes from him, let us call upon him to help us, and he will hear our cry if it is his good pleasure." [JDTH 8:16-17]
Then Uzziah said to her: "All that you have said was spoken with good sense, and no one can gainsay your words.
Not today only is your wisdom made evident, but from your earliest years all the people have recognized your prudence, which corresponds to the worthy dispositions of your heart."
[JDTH 8:28-29]
The high priest Joakim and the elders of the
Israelites, who dwelt in Jerusalem, came to see for themselves the
good things that the Lord had done for Israel, and to meet and
congratulate Judith. 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!" [JDTH 15:8-10]
Not only do they drive out gratitude from among men; with the arrogant boastfulness of those to whom goodness has no meaning, they suppose they will escape the vindictive judgment of the all-seeing God.
"Often, too, the fair speech of friends entrusted with the administration of affairs has induced many placed in authority to become accomplices in the shedding of innocent blood, and has involved them in irreparable calamities
by deceiving with malicious slander the sincere good will of rulers." [ESTH E:4-6]
Then Judas went back to plunder the camp, and his men collected much gold and silver, violet and crimson cloth, and great treasure.
As they returned, they were singing hymns and glorifying Heaven, "for he is
good, for his mercy endures forever." Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.
[1MACC 4:23-25]
As Judas saw that his army was melting away just
when the battle was imminent, he was panic-stricken, because he
had no time to gather them together. But in spite of his
discouragement, he said to those who remained: "Let us go
forward to meet our enemies; perhaps we can put up a good fight
against them." They tried to dissuade him, saying: "We
certainly cannot. Let us save our lives now, and come back with
our kinsmen, and then fight against them. Now we are too
few." But Judas said: "Far be it from me to do such a
thing as to flee from them! If our time has come, let us die
bravely for our kinsmen and not leave a stain upon our
glory!" [1MACC 9:7-10]
Because of the good will they show us, we have
decided to bestow benefits on the Jewish nation, who are our
friends and who observe their obligations to us. [1MACC 11:33]
The land was at rest all the days of Simon, who
sought the good of his nation. His people were delighted with his
power and his magnificence throughout his reign. [1MACC 14:4]
Then, when Simon and his sons had drunk freely, Ptolemy and his men sprang up, weapons in hand, rushed upon Simon in the banquet hall, and killed him, his two sons, and some of his servants.
By this vicious act of treason he repaid good with evil. [1MACC
16:16-17]
Onias saw that the opposition was serious and that Apollonius, son of Menestheus, the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, was abetting Simon's wickedness.
So he had recourse to the king, not as an accuser of his countrymen, but as a man looking to the general and particular good of all the people.
He saw that, unless the king intervened, it would be impossible to have a peaceful government, and that Simon would not desist from his folly. [2MACC 4:4-6]
Therefore all prayed that this vision might be a
good omen. [2MACC 5:4]
Therefore, the Place itself, having shared in
the people's misfortunes, afterward participated in their good
fortune; and what the Almighty had forsaken in his anger was
restored in all its glory, once the great Sovereign became
reconciled. [2MACC 5:20]
When Maccabeus and his men learned that Lysias
was besieging the strongholds, they and all the people begged the
Lord with lamentations and tears to send a good angel to save
Israel. [2MACC 11:6]
Maccabeus, solicitous for the common good,
agreed to all that Lysias proposed; and the king, on his part,
granted in behalf of the Jews all the written requests of
Maccabeus to Lysias. [2MACC 11:15]
When he came to Ptolemais, the people of that city were angered by the peace treaty; in fact they were so indignant that they wanted to annul its provisions.
But Lysias took the platform, defended the treaty as well as he could and won them over by persuasion. After calming them and gaining their good will, he returned to Antioch. That is how the king's attack and withdrawal went. [2MACC 13:25-26]
What he saw was this: Onias, the former high
priest, a good and virtuous man, modest in appearance, gentle in
manners, distinguished in speech, and trained from childhood in
every virtuous practice, was praying with outstretched arms for
the whole Jewish community. Then in the same way another man
appeared, distinguished by his white hair and dignity, and with an
air about him of extraordinary, majestic authority. Onias then
said of him, "This is God's prophet Jeremiah, who loves his
brethren and fervently prays for his people and their holy
city." Stretching out his right hand, Jeremiah presented a
gold sword to Judas. As he gave it to him he said, "Accept
this holy sword as a gift from God; with it you shall crush your
adversaries." [2MACC 15:12-16]
Maccabeus, contemplating the hosts before him,
their elaborate equipment, and the fierceness of their elephants,
stretched out his hands toward heaven and called upon the LORD who
works miracles; for he knew that it is not through arms but
through the LORD'S decision that victory is won by those who
deserve it. He prayed to him thus: "You, O LORD, sent your
angel in the days of King Hezekiah of Judea, and he slew a hundred
and eighty-five thousand men of Sennacherib's army. Sovereign of
the heavens, send a good angel now to spread fear and dread before
us. By the might of your arm may those be struck down who have
blasphemously come against your holy people!" With this he
ended his prayer. [2MACC 15:21-24]
So Satan went forth from the presence of the
LORD and smote Job with severe boils from the soles of his feet to
the crown of his head. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself,
as he sat among the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Are
you still holding to your innocence? Curse God and die." But
he said to her, "Are even you going to speak as senseless
women do? We accept good things from God; and should we not accept
evil?" Through all this, Job said nothing sinful. [JOB 2:7-10]
Yet when I looked for good, then evil came; when
I expected light, then came darkness. [JOB 30:26]
Then the three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
But the anger of Elihu, son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was kindled. He was angry with Job for considering himself rather than God to be in the right.
He was angry also with the three friends because they had not found a good answer and had not condemned Job. [JOB 32:1-3]
The LORD tests the good and the bad, hates those who love violence,
And rains upon the wicked fiery coals and brimstone, a scorching wind their allotted cup. The LORD is just and loves just deeds; the upright shall see his face.
[PS 11:5-7]
I trust in your faithfulness. Grant my heart
joy in your help, That I may sing of the LORD, "How good our
God has been to me!" [PS 13:6]
Will these evildoers never learn? They devour my people as they devour bread; they do not call upon the LORD. They have good reason, then, to fear; God is with the company of the just. [PS 14:4-5]
I say to the Lord, you are my Lord, you are my
only good. [PS 16:2]
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.
[Taken from PS 21:2-7]
You set a table before me as my enemies watch;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and
love will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the
house of the LORD for years to come. [PS 23:5-6]
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are
God my savior. For you I wait all the long day, because of your
goodness, LORD. [PS 25:5]
Good and upright is the LORD, who shows sinners
the way, Guides the humble rightly, and teaches the humble the
way. All the paths of the LORD are faithful love toward those who
honor the covenant demands. [PS 25:8-10]
Do not abandon me to the will of my foes; malicious and lying witnesses have risen against me.
But I believe I shall enjoy the LORD'S goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD!
[PS 27:12-14]
How great is your goodness, Lord, stored up
for those who fear you. You display it for those who trust you, in
the sight of all the people. [PS 31:20]
The LORD loves justice and right and fills the
earth with goodness. [PS 33:5]
Learn to savor how good the LORD is; happy are
those who take refuge in him. [PS 34:9]
The powerful grow poor and hungry, but those who
seek the LORD lack no good thing. [PS 34:11]
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and
pursue it. [PS 34:15]
Malicious witnesses come forward, accuse me of things I do not know.
They repay me evil for good and I am all alone. [PS 35:11-12]
Sin directs the heart of the wicked; their eyes are closed to the fear of God.
For they live with the delusion: their guilt will not be known and hated.
Empty and false are the words of their mouth; they have ceased to be wise and do good.
In their beds they hatch plots; they set out on a wicked way; they do not reject evil. [PS 36:2-5]
Trust in the LORD and do good that you may dwell
in the land and live secure. [PS 37:3]
Turn from evil and do good, that you may inhabit
the land forever. [PS 37:27]
I am very near to falling; my pain is with me
always. I acknowledge my guilt and grieve over my sin. But many
are my foes without cause, a multitude of enemies without reason,
Repaying me evil for good, harassing me for pursuing good. Forsake
me not, O LORD; my God, be not far from me! Come quickly to help
me, my Lord and my salvation! [PS 38:18-23]
Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your
abundant compassion blot out my offense. Wash away all my guilt;
from my sin cleanse me. For I know my offense; my sin is always
before me. Against you alone have I sinned; I have done such evil
in your sight That you are just in your sentence, blameless when
you condemn. True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother
conceived me. Still, you insist on sincerity of heart; in my
inmost being teach me wisdom. Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may
be pure; wash me, make me whiter than snow. [PS 51:3-9]
Make Zion prosper in your good pleasure; rebuild
the walls of Jerusalem. [PS 51:20]
I will praise you always for what you have done.
I will proclaim before the faithful that your name is good. [PS
52:11]
They have good reason to fear, though now they
do not fear. For God will certainly scatter the bones of the
godless. They will surely be put to shame, for God has rejected
them. [PS 53:6]
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]
How good God is to the
upright, the Lord, to those who are clean of heart! [PS 73:1]
But those who are far from you perish; you destroy those unfaithful to you.
As for me, to be near God is my good, to make the Lord GOD my refuge.
I shall declare all your works in the gates of daughter Zion. [PS
73:27-28]
For a sun and shield is the LORD God, bestowing all grace and glory.
The LORD withholds no good thing from those who walk without reproach. O LORD of hosts, happy are those who trust in you!
[PS 84:12-13]
You once favored, LORD, your land, restored the
good fortune of Jacob. You forgave the guilt of your people,
pardoned all their sins. You withdrew all your wrath, turned back
your burning anger. Restore us once more, God our savior; abandon
your wrath against us. [Taken from PS 85:2-5]
I will listen for the word of God; surely the
LORD will proclaim peace To his people, to the faithful, to those
who trust in him. Near indeed is salvation for the loyal;
prosperity will fill our land. Love and truth will meet; justice
and peace will kiss. Truth will spring from the earth; justice
will look down from heaven. The LORD will surely grant abundance;
our land will yield its increase. Prosperity will march before the
Lord, and good fortune will follow behind. [PS 85:9-14]
It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your love in the morning, your faithfulness in the night,
With the ten-stringed harp, with melody upon the lyre. For you make me jubilant, LORD, by your deeds; at the works of your hands I shout for joy. [PS 92:2-5]
This
topic continued on next page - Click here to view
more
alphabetical scripture | more
categorized scripture | top
|
