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"You will be lost among the Gentiles, swallowed up in your
enemies' country. Those of you who survive in the lands of their
enemies will waste away for their own and their fathers' guilt.
Thus they will have to confess that they and their fathers were
guilty of having rebelled against me and of having defied me, so
that I, too, had to defy them and bring them into their enemies'
land. Then, when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they
make amends for their guilt, I will remember my covenant with
Jacob, my covenant with Isaac, and my covenant with Abraham; and
of the land, too, I will be mindful. But the land must first be
rid of them, that in its desolation it may make up its lost
sabbaths, and that they, too, may make good the debt of their
guilt for having spurned my precepts and abhorred my statutes. Yet
even so, even while they are in their enemies' land, I will not
reject or spurn them, lest, by wiping them out, I make void my
covenant with them; for I, the LORD, am their God. I will remember
them because of the covenant I made with their forefathers, whom I
brought out of the land of Egypt under the very eyes of the
Gentiles, that I, the LORD, might be their God." [LEV
26:38-45]
Thus on that day God humbled the Canaanite king, Jabin, before the Israelites; their power weighed ever heavier upon him, till at length they destroyed the Canaanite king,
Jabin. [JUDG 4:23-24]
The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts.
[1SAM 2:7]
Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time. I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son."
[1KGS 21:28-29]
"'Thus says the LORD: I will bring upon this place and
upon its inhabitants all the evil that is threatened in the book
which the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me
and have burned incense to other gods, provoking me by everything
to which they turn their hands, my anger is ablaze against this
place and it cannot be extinguished.' But to the king of Judah who
sent you to consult the LORD, give this response: 'Thus says the
LORD, the God of Israel: As for the threats you have heard,
because you were heartsick and have humbled yourself before the
LORD when you heard my threats that this place and its inhabitants
would become a desolation and a curse; because you tore your
garments and wept before me; I in turn have listened, says the
LORD. I will therefore gather you to your ancestors; you shall go
to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil I
will bring upon this place.'" This they reported to the king.
[2KGS 22:16-20]
The LORD appeared to Solomon during the night and said to him:
"I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this place for
my house of sacrifice. If I close heaven so that there is no rain,
if I command the locust to devour the land, if I send pestilence
among my people, and if my people, upon whom my name has been
pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my presence and
turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon
their sins and revive their land. Now my eyes shall be open and my
ears attentive to the prayer of this place. And now I have chosen
and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever; my
eyes and my heart also shall be there always. As for you, if you
live in my presence as your father David did, doing all that I
have commanded you and keeping my statutes and ordinances, I will
establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David
when I said, 'There shall never be lacking someone of yours as
ruler in Israel.' But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and
commands which I placed before you, if you proceed to venerate and
worship strange gods, then I will uproot the people from the land
I gave them; I will cast from my sight this house which I have
consecrated to my honor, and I will make it a proverb and a byword
among all peoples. This temple which is so exalted - everyone
passing by it will be amazed and ask: 'Why has the LORD done this
to this land and to this house?' And men will answer: 'They
forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out
of the land of Egypt, and they adopted strange gods and worshiped
them and served them. That is why he has brought down upon them
all this evil.'" [2CHRON 7:12-22]
After Rehoboam had consolidated his rule and had become
powerful, he abandoned the law of the LORD, he and all Israel with
him. Thus it happened that in the fifth year of King Rehoboam,
Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem, for they had been
unfaithful to the LORD. He came up with twelve hundred chariots
and sixty thousand horsemen, and there was no counting the army
that came with him from Egypt - Libyans, Sukkites and Ethiopians.
They captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as
Jerusalem. Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the
commanders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of
Shishak, and said to them: "Thus says the LORD: 'You have
abandoned me, and therefore I have abandoned you to the power of
Shishak.'" However, the commanders of Israel and the king
humbled themselves saying, "The LORD is just." When the
LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD
came to Shemaiah: "Because they have humbled themselves, I
will not destroy them; I will give them some deliverance, and my
wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem through Shishak. But
they shall be his servants, that they may know what it is to serve
me and what it is to serve earthly kingdoms." Therefore
Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem and carried off the
treasures of the temple of the LORD and of the king's palace. He
took everything, including the gold bucklers that Solomon had
made. (To replace them, King Rehoboam made bronze bucklers, which
he entrusted to the officers of the guard on duty at the entrance
of the royal palace. Whenever the king visited the temple of the
LORD, the troops would come bearing them, and then they would
return them to the guardroom.) 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
12:1-12]
When this proposal had been approved by the king and the entire
assembly, they issued a decree to be proclaimed throughout all
Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan, that everyone should come to
Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover in honor of the LORD, the God
of Israel; for not many had kept it in the manner prescribed.
Accordingly the couriers, with the letters written by the king and
his princes, traversed all Israel and Judah, and at the king's
command they said: "Israelites, return to the LORD, the God
of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you, the
remnant left from the hands of the Assyrian kings. Be not like
your fathers and your brethren who proved faithless to the LORD,
the God of their fathers, so that he delivered them over to
desolation, as you yourselves now see. Be not obstinate, as your
fathers were; extend your hands to the LORD and come to his
sanctuary that he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD,
your God, that he may turn away his burning anger from you. For
when you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will
find mercy with their captors and return to this land; for
merciful and compassionate is the LORD, your God, and he will not
turn away his face from you if you return to him." So the
couriers passed from city to city in the land of Ephraim and
Manasseh and as far as Zebulun, but they were derided and scoffed
at. Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled
themselves and came to Jerusalem. In Judah, however, the power of
God brought it about that the people were of one mind to carry out
the command of the king and the princes in accordance with the
word of the LORD. Thus many people gathered in Jerusalem to
celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month; it
was a very great assembly. [2CHRON 30:4-13]
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. He prayed to the
LORD, who answered him by giving him a sign. Hezekiah, however,
did not then discharge his debt of gratitude, for he had become
proud. Therefore anger descended upon him and upon Judah and
Jerusalem. But then Hezekiah humbled himself for his pride - both
he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and therefore the LORD did
not vent his anger on them during the time of Hezekiah. [2CHRON
32:24-26]
Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into
doing even greater evil than the nations which the LORD had
destroyed at the coming of the Israelites. The LORD spoke to
Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the
LORD brought against them the army commanders of the Assyrian
king; they took Manasseh with hooks, shackled him with chains, and
transported him to Babylon. In this distress, he began to appease
the LORD, his God. He humbled himself abjectly before the God of
his fathers and prayed to him. The LORD let himself be won over:
he heard his prayer and restored him to his kingdom in Jerusalem.
Then Manasseh understood that the LORD is indeed God. [2CHRON 33:9-13]
The rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and
the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD,
the God of Israel, can be found written in the chronicles of the
kings of Israel. His prayer and how his supplication was heard,
all his sins and his infidelity, the sites where he built high
places and erected sacred poles and carved images before he
humbled himself, all can be found written down in the history of
his seers. Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in
his own palace. His son Amon succeeded him as king. [2CHRON 33:18-20]
[Anon] did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done; on the contrary, Amon only increased his guilt. His servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house.
[Taken from 2CHRON 33:23-24]
Then Hilkiah and the other men from the king went to the
prophetess Huldah, the wife of Shallum, son of Tokhath, son of
Hasrah, the guardian of the wardrobe; she dwelt in Jerusalem, in
the new quarter. They spoke to her as they had been instructed,
and she said to them: "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
'Tell the one who sent you to me, The LORD says: I am prepared to
bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the
curses written in the book that has been read before the king of
Judah. Because they have abandoned me and have offered incense to
other gods, provoking me by every deed that they have performed,
my anger is ablaze against this place and cannot be extinguished.'
But to the king of Judah who sent you to consult the LORD, give
this response: 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning
the threats you have heard: Because you were heartsick and have
humbled yourself before God on hearing his words spoken against
this place and its inhabitants; because you have humbled yourself
before me, have torn your garments, and have wept before me, I in
turn have listened - so declares the LORD. I will gather you to
your ancestors and you shall be taken to your grave in peace. Your
eyes shall not see all the evil I will bring upon this place and
upon its inhabitants.'" They brought back this message to the
king. [2CHRON 34:22-28]
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he
reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the
LORD, his God, and he did not humble himself before the prophet
Jeremiah, who spoke the word of the LORD. He also rebelled against
King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He became
stiff-necked and hardened his heart rather than return to the
LORD, the God of Israel. Likewise all the princes of Judah, the
priests and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing
all the abominations of the nations and polluting the LORD'S
temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. Early and often did
the LORD, the God of their fathers, send his messengers to them,
for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place. But
they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and
scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the LORD against his
people was so inflamed that there was no remedy. [2CHRON 36:11-16]
Then I proclaimed a fast, there by the river of Ahava, that we
might humble ourselves before our God to petition from him a safe
journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions. For
I would have been ashamed to ask the king for troops and horsemen
to protect us against enemies along the way, since we had said to
the king, "The favoring hand of our God is upon all who seek
him, but his mighty wrath is against all who forsake him." So
we fasted, and prayed to our God for this, and our petition was
granted.
[EZRA 8:21-23]
"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. You gave them kingdoms and peoples, which you
divided up among them as border lands. They possessed the land of
Sihon, king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan. You
made their children as numerous as the stars of the heavens, and
you brought them into the land which you had commanded their
fathers to enter and possess. The sons went in to take possession
of the land, and you humbled before them the Canaanite inhabitants
of the land and delivered them over into their power, their kings
as well as the peoples of the land, to do with them as they would.
They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took
possession of houses filled with all good things, cisterns already
dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They
could eat and have their fill, fatten and feast themselves on your
immense good gifts. But they were contemptuous and rebellious:
they cast your law behind their backs, they slew your prophets who
bore witness against them in order to bring them back to you, and
they were guilty of great effronteries. Therefore you delivered
them into the power of their enemies, who oppressed them. But in
the time of their oppression they would cry out to you, and you
would hear them from heaven, and according to your great mercy
give them saviors to deliver them from the power of their enemies.
As soon as they had relief, they would go back to doing evil in
your sight. Then again you abandoned them to the power of their
enemies, who crushed them. Then they cried out to you, and you
heard them from heaven and delivered them according to your mercy,
many times over." [Taken from NEH 9:21-28]
With the help of Heaven for our support, we have been saved
from our enemies, and they have been humbled. [Taken from 1MACC 12:15]
The accursed Nicanor, who had brought the thousand slave
dealers to buy the Jews, after being humbled through the Lord's
help by those whom he had thought of no account, laid aside his
fine clothes and fled alone across country like a runaway slave,
until he reached Antioch. He was eminently successful in
destroying his own army. So he who had promised to provide tribute
for the Romans by the capture of the people of Jerusalem testified
that the Jews had a champion, and that they were invulnerable for
the very reason that they followed the laws laid down by him. [2MACC
8:34-36]
For he brings down the pride of the haughty, but the man of
humble mien he saves. [JOB 22:29]
Humble people you save; haughty eyes you bring low. [PS 18:28]
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]
My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a
broken, humbled heart. [PS 51:19]
But I will call upon God, and the LORD will save me. At dusk,
dawn, and noon I will grieve and complain, and my prayer will be
heard. God will give me freedom and peace from those who war
against me, though there are many who oppose me. God, who sits
enthroned forever, will hear me and humble them. For they will not
mend their ways; they have no fear of God. [PS 55:17-20]
Who comprehends your terrible anger? Your wrath matches the
fear it inspires. Teach us to count our days aright, that we may
gain wisdom of heart. Relent, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your
servants! Fill us at daybreak with your love, that all our days we
may sing for joy. Make us glad as many days as you humbled us, for
as many years as we have seen trouble. [PS 90:11-15]
Some lived in darkness and gloom, in prison, bound with chains,
Because they rebelled against God's word, scorned the counsel of
the Most High, Who humbled their hearts through hardship; they
stumbled with no one to help. In their distress they cried to the
LORD, who saved them in their peril, Led them forth from darkness
and gloom and broke their chains asunder. Let them thank the LORD
for such kindness, such wondrous deeds for mere mortals. For he
broke down the gates of bronze and snapped the bars of iron. [PS
107:10-16]
The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but the
dwelling of the just he blesses; When he is dealing with the
arrogant, he is stern, but to the humble he shows kindness. [PROV
3:33-34]
When pride comes, disgrace comes; but with the humble is
wisdom. [PROV 11:2]
The fear of the LORD is training for wisdom, and humility goes
before honors. [PROV 15:33]
It is better to be humble with the meek than to share plunder
with the proud. [PROV 16:19]
Before his downfall a man's heart is haughty, but humility goes
before honors. [PROV 18:12]
The reward of humility and fear of the LORD is riches, honor
and life. [PROV 22:4]
Claim no honor in the king's presence, nor occupy the place of
great men; For it is better that you be told, "Come up
closer!" than that you be humbled before the prince. [PROV
25:6-7]
Man's pride causes his humiliation, but he who is humble of
spirit obtains honor. [PROV 29:23]
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]
Those who fear the LORD prepare their hearts and humble
themselves before him. [SIRACH 2:17]
My son, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be
loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the
greater you are, and you will find favor with God. For great is
the power of God; by the humble he is glorified. What is too
sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search
not. What is committed to you, attend to; for what is hidden is
not your concern. With what is too much for you meddle not, when
shown things beyond human understanding. Their own opinion has
misled many, and false reasoning unbalanced their judgment. Where
the pupil of the eye is missing, there is no light, and where
there is no knowledge, there is no wisdom. A stubborn man will
fare badly in the end, and he who loves danger will perish in it.
A stubborn man will be burdened with sorrow; a sinner will heap
sin upon sin. For the affliction of the proud man there is no
cure; he is the offshoot of an evil plant. [SIRACH 3:17-27]
Laugh not at an embittered man; be mindful of him who exalts
and humbles. [SIRACH 7:11]
More and more, humble your pride; what awaits man is worms. [SIRACH
7:17]
Why are dust and ashes proud? even during life man's body
decays; A slight illness - the doctor jests, a king today -
tomorrow he is dead. When a man dies, he inherits corruption;
worms and gnats and maggots. The beginning of pride is man's
stubbornness in withdrawing his heart from his Maker; For pride is
the reservoir of sin, a source which runs over with vice; Because
of it God sends unheard-of afflictions and brings men to utter
ruin. The thrones of the arrogant God overturns and establishes
the lowly in their stead. The roots of the proud God plucks up, to
plant the humble in their place: He breaks down their stem to the
level of the ground, then digs their roots from the earth. The
traces of the proud God sweeps away and effaces the memory of them
from the earth. Insolence is not allotted to a man, nor stubborn
anger to one born of woman. [SIRACH 10:9-18]
My son, with humility have self-esteem; prize yourself as you deserve.
Who will acquit him who condemns himself? who will honor him who discredits himself?
[SIRACH 10:27-28]
Never trust your enemy, for his wickedness is like corrosion in
bronze. Even though he acts humbly and peaceably toward you, take
care to be on your guard against him. Rub him as one polishes a
brazen mirror, and you will find that there is still corrosion.
Let him not stand near you, lest he oust you and take your place.
Let him not sit at your right hand, lest he then demand your seat,
And in the end you appreciate my advice, when you groan with
regret, as I warned you. Who pities a snake charmer when he is
bitten, or anyone who goes near a wild beast? [SIRACH 12:10-13]
Before you are judged, seek merit for yourself, and at the time of visitation you will have a ransom.
Before you have fallen, humble yourself; when you have sinned, show repentance.
Delay not to forsake sins, neglect it not till you are in distress.
[SIRACH 18:19-21]
Come to our aid, O God of the universe, and put all the nations
in dread of you! Raise your hand against the heathen, that they
may realize your power. As you have used us to show them your
holiness, so now use them to show us your glory. Thus they will
know, as we know, that there is no God but you. Give new signs and
work new wonders; show forth the splendor of your right hand and
arm; Rouse your anger, pour out wrath, humble the enemy, scatter
the foe. [SIRACH 36:1-6]
Lo, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and burning
anger; To lay waste the land and destroy the sinners within it!
The stars and constellations of the heavens send forth no light;
The sun is dark when it rises, and the light of the moon does not
shine. Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked
for their guilt. I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant,
the insolence of tyrants I will humble. I will make mortals more
rare than pure gold, men, than gold of Ophir. For this I will make
the heavens tremble and the earth shall be shaken from its place,
At the wrath of the LORD of hosts on the day of his burning anger.
[ISA 13:9-13]
Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock. He
humbles those in high places, and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground, levels it with the dust. It is
trampled underfoot by the needy, by the footsteps of the poor. The
way of the just is smooth; the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD, we look to you; Your
name and your title are the desire of our souls. My soul yearns
for you in the night, yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for
you; When your judgment dawns upon the earth, the world's
inhabitants learn justice. The wicked man, spared, does not learn
justice; in an upright land he acts perversely, and sees not the
majesty of the LORD. [ISA 26:4-10]
Give ear, listen humbly, for the LORD speaks. Give glory to the
LORD, your God, before it grows dark; Before your feet stumble on
darkening mountains; Before the light you look for turns to
darkness, changes into black clouds. If you do not listen to this
in your pride, I will weep in secret many tears; My eyes will run
with tears for the LORD'S flock, led away to exile. [JER 13:15-17]
With contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received. [Taken
from DAN 3:39]
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him
above all forever. [Taken from DAN 3:87]
Therefore, I, Nebuchadnezzar, now praise and exalt and glorify
the King of heaven, because all his works are right and his ways
just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. [DAN 4:34]
Daniel answered the king: "You may keep your gifts, or
give your presents to someone else; but the writing I will read
for you, O king, and tell you what it means. The Most High God
gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a great kingdom and glorious
majesty. Because he made him so great, the nations and peoples of
every language dreaded and feared him. Whomever he wished, he
killed or let live; whomever he wished, he exalted or humbled. But
when his heart became proud and his spirit hardened by insolence,
he was put down from his royal throne and deprived of his glory;
he was cast out from among men and was made insensate as a beast;
he lived with wild asses, and ate grass like an ox; his body was
bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High
God rules over the kingdom of men and appoints over it whom he
will. You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart,
though you knew all this; you have rebelled against the Lord of
heaven. You had the vessels of his temple brought before you, so
that you and your nobles, your wives and your entertainers, might
drink wine from them; and you praised the gods of silver and gold,
bronze and iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor hear nor
have intelligence. But the God in whose hand is your life breath
and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify." [Taken
from DAN 5:17-23]
So I was left alone, seeing this great vision. No strength
remained in me; I turned the color of death and was powerless.
When I heard the sound of his voice, I fell face forward in a
faint. But then a hand touched me, raising me to my hands and
knees. "Daniel, beloved," he said to me,
"understand the words which I am speaking to you; stand up,
for my mission now is to you." When he said this to me, I
stood up trembling. "Fear not, Daniel," he continued;
"from the first day you made up your mind to acquire
understanding and humble yourself before God, your prayer was
heard. Because of it I started out, but the prince of the kingdom
of Persia stood in my way for twenty-one days, until finally
Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. I left him
there with the prince of the kings of Persia, and came to make you
understand what shall happen to your people in the days to come;
for there is yet a vision concerning those days." [DAN 10:8-14]
Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
"I am like a verdant cypress tree"- Because of me you bear fruit!
[Taken from HOSEA 14:9]
You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires
of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to
walk humbly with your God. [MICAH 6:8]
The LORD is good, a refuge on the day of distress; He takes
care of those who have recourse to him, when the flood rages; He
makes an end of his opponents, and his enemies he pursues with
darkness. What are you imputing to the LORD? It is he who will
make an end! The enemy shall not rise a second time; As when a
tangle of thornbushes is set aflame, like dry stubble, they shall
be utterly consumed. For, says the LORD, be they ever so many and
so vigorous, still they shall be mown down and disappear. Though I
have humbled you, I will humble you no more. Now will I break his
yoke from off you, and burst asunder your bonds. [NAHUM 1:7-13]
Gather, gather yourselves together, O nation without shame!
Before you are driven away, like chaff that passes on; Before
there comes upon you the blazing anger of the LORD: Before there
comes upon you the day of the LORD'S anger. Seek the LORD, all you
humble of the earth, who have observed his law; Seek justice, seek
humility; perhaps you may be sheltered on the day of the LORD'S
anger. For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon shall be a waste,
Ashdod they shall drive out at midday, and Ekron shall be
uprooted. Woe to you who dwell by the seacoast, to the Cretan
folk! The word of the LORD is against you, I will humble you, land
of the Philistines, and leave you to perish without an inhabitant!
[ZEPH 2:1-5]
I have destroyed nations, their battlements are laid waste; I
have made their streets deserted, with no one passing through;
Their cities are devastated, with no man dwelling in them. I said,
"Surely now you will fear me, you will accept
correction"; She should not fail to see all I have visited
upon her. Yet all the more eagerly have they done all their
corrupt deeds. Therefore, wait for me, says the LORD, against the
day when I arise as accuser; For it is my decision to gather
together the nations, to assemble the kingdoms, In order to pour
out upon them my wrath, all my blazing anger; For in the fire of
my jealousy shall all the earth be consumed. For then I will
change and purify the lips of the peoples, That they all may call
upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one accord; From
beyond the rivers of Ethiopia and as far as the recesses of the
North, they shall bring me offerings. On that day You need not be
ashamed of all your deeds, your rebellious actions against me; For
then will I remove from your midst the proud braggarts, And you
shall no longer exalt yourself on my holy mountain. But I will
leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, Who
shall take refuge in the name of the LORD; the remnant of Israel.
They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; Nor shall there be found
in their mouths a deceitful tongue; They shall pasture and couch
their flocks with none to disturb them. Shout for joy, O daughter
Zion! sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your
heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment
against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel,
the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to
fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O
Zion, be not discouraged! [ZEPH 3:6-16]
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
[MT 11:28-30]
At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child
over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to
you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter
the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one
child such as this in my name receives me." [MT 18:1-5]
[Jesus said,] "The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
[Taken from MT 23:11-12]
He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how
they were choosing the places of honor at the table. "When
you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at
table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you
may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you
may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then
you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that
when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a
higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your
companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be
humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
[LK 14:7-11]
He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of
their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two
people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and
the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position
and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am
not like the rest of humanity - greedy, dishonest, adulterous - or
even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay
tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a
distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his
breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell
you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone
who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles
himself will be exalted." [LK 18:9-14]
"I served the Lord with all humility and with the tears
and trials that came to me because of the plots of the Jews, and I
did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit,
or from teaching you in public or in your homes. I earnestly bore
witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to
faith in our Lord Jesus. But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am
going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know,
except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been
warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me. Yet I
consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my
course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to
bear witness to the gospel of God's grace." [Taken from ACTS
20:19-24]
Now I myself, Paul, urge you through the gentleness and
clemency of Christ, I who am humble when face to face with you,
but brave toward you when absent, I beg you that, when present, I
may not have to be brave with that confidence with which I intend
to act boldly against some who consider us as acting according to
the flesh. For, although we are in the flesh, we do not battle
according to the flesh, for the weapons of our battle are not of
flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying
fortresses. We destroy arguments and every pretension raising
itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought
captive in obedience to Christ, and we are ready to punish every
disobedience, once your obedience is complete. [Taken from 2COR
10:1-6]
Did I make a mistake when I humbled myself so that you might be
exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without
charge? I plundered other churches by accepting from them in order
to minister to you. And when I was with you and in need, I did not
burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied
my needs. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in
any way. [2COR 11:7-9]
I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner
worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and
gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of
peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one
hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and
Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. [EPH 4:1-6]
If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness
or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more
important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own
interests, but (also) everyone for those of others. Have among
yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality
with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found
human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to
death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted
him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and
on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [PHIL 2:1-11]
I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be
self-sufficient. I know indeed how to live in humble
circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every
circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being
well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being
in need. I have the strength for everything through him who
empowers me. [Taken from PHIL 4:11-13]
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). By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you
lived in that way. But now you must put them all away: anger,
fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths.
Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self
with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being
renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is
not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian,
Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all. Put on then,
as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one
another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against
another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And
over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And
let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which
you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and
admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word
or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him. [COL 3:5-17]
In a large household there are vessels not only of gold and
silver but also of wood and clay, some for lofty and others for
humble use. If anyone cleanses himself of these things, he will be
a vessel for lofty use, dedicated, beneficial to the master of the
house, ready for every good work. So turn from youthful desires
and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those
who call on the Lord with purity of heart. Avoid foolish and
ignorant debates, for you know that they breed quarrels. A slave
of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with
everyone, able to teach, tolerant, correcting opponents with
kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads
to knowledge of the truth, and that they may return to their
senses out of the devil's snare, where they are entrapped by him,
for his will. [2TM 2:20-26]
Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of a man does not
accomplish the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filth
and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted
in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and
not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer
of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own
face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly
forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the
perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who
forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what
he does. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his
tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain. Religion that
is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care
for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself
unstained by the world. [JMS 1:19-27]
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works
by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you
have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not
boast and be false to the truth. Wisdom of this kind does not come
down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where
jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every
foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness
is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace. [JMS 3:13-18]
Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come
from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your
members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you
cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because
you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask
wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Adulterers! Do you not know
that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore,
whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of
God. Or do you suppose that the scripture speaks without meaning
when it says, "The spirit that he has made to dwell in us
tends toward jealousy"? But he bestows a greater grace;
therefore, it says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace
to the humble." So submit yourselves to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will
draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your
hearts, you of two minds. Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let
your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.
Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. Do not
speak evil of one another, brothers. Whoever speaks evil of a
brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges
the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a
judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save or to
destroy. Who then are you to judge your neighbor? [JMS 4:1-12]
Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward
one another, compassionate, humble. Do not return evil for evil,
or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to
this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing. For:
"Whoever would love life and see good days must keep the
tongue from evil and the lips from speaking deceit, must turn from
evil and do good, seek peace and follow after it. For the eyes of
the Lord are on the righteous and his ears turned to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against evildoers." [1PT 3:8-12]
So I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and
witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the
glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst,
(overseeing) not by constraint but willingly, as God would have
it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those
assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief
Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of
glory. Likewise, you younger members, be subject to the
presbyters. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility in
your dealings with one another, for: "God opposes the proud
but bestows favor on the humble." So humble yourselves under
the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast
all your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and
vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a
roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour. Resist him,
steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout
the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who
called you to his eternal glory through Christ (Jesus) will
himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you
have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen. [1PT 5:1-11]
Also try:
modest
/ modesty [M]
innocent
/ innocence [I2]
gracious
/ graciously [G7]
kind
/ kindness / kindly [K1]
patient
/ patience [P3]
holy
/ holiness [H14a]
peace
/ peaceful / peaceable [P4a]
saints
[S4]
pride
/ proud [P14]
hardness
of heart [H2]
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