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How different the man who devotes himself to the study of
the law of the Most High! He explores the wisdom of the men
of old and occupies himself with the prophecies; He treasures
the discourses of famous men, and goes to the heart of
involved sayings; He studies obscure parables, and is busied
with the hidden meanings of the sages. He is in attendance on the
great, and has entrance to the ruler. He travels among the
peoples of foreign lands to learn what is good and evil among
men. His care is to seek the LORD, his Maker, to petition the
Most High, To open his lips in prayer, to ask pardon for
his sins. Then, if it pleases the LORD Almighty, he will
be filled with the spirit of understanding; He will pour
forth his words of wisdom and in prayer give thanks to the
LORD [Taken from SIRACH 39:1-6]
The works of God are all of them good; in its own time
every need is supplied. At his word the waters become still as in
a flask; he had but to speak and the reservoirs were made. He
has but to command and his will is done; nothing can limit
his achievement. The works of all mankind are present to
him; not a thing escapes his eye. [SIRACH 39:16-19]
A great anxiety has God allotted, and a heavy yoke, to the
sons of men; From the day one leaves his mother's
womb to the day he returns to the mother of all the living,
His thoughts, the fear in his heart, and his troubled
forebodings till the day he dies - Whether he sits on a lofty
throne or grovels in dust and ashes, Whether he bears a
splendid crown or is wrapped in the coarsest of cloaks - Are
of wrath and envy, trouble and dread, terror of death, fury
and strife. Even when he lies on his bed to rest, his
cares at night disturb his sleep. So short is his rest it seems
like none, till in his dreams he struggles as he did by
day, Terrified by what his mind's eye sees, like a
fugitive being pursued; As he reaches safety, he wakes
up astonished that there was nothing to fear. So it is with
all flesh, with man and with beast, but for sinners seven
times more. [SIRACH 40:1-8]
In the mouth of the shameless man begging is sweet, but within
him it burns like fire. [SIRACH 40:30]
O death! how bitter the thought of you for the man at
peace amid his possessions, For the man unruffled and always
successful, who still can enjoy life's pleasures. O death!
how welcome your sentence to the weak man of failing
strength, Tottering and always rebuffed, with no more
sight, with vanished hope. Fear not death's decree for
you; remember, it embraces those before you, and those after.
Thus God has ordained for all flesh; why then should you
reject the will of the Most High? [Taken from SIRACH 41:1-4]
Woe to you, O sinful men, who forsake the law of the Most
High. If you have children, calamity will seize them; you
will beget them only for groaning. When you stumble, there is
lasting joy; at death, you become a curse. [SIRACH 41:8-9]
Man's body is a fleeting thing, but a virtuous name will
never be annihilated. Have a care for your name, for it will stand
by you better than precious treasures in the thousands; The
boon of life is for limited days, but a good name, for days
without number. [SIRACH 41:11-13]
Keep a close watch on your daughter, lest she make you the
sport of your enemies, A byword in the city, a reproach among
the people, an object of derision in public
gatherings. See that there is no lattice in her room, no
place that overlooks the approaches to the house. Let her not
parade her charms before men, or spend her time with married
women; For just as moths come from garments, so harm to women
comes from women: Better a man's harshness than a woman's indulgence, and a frightened daughter than any disgrace. [SIRACH 42:11-14]
And for Isaac he renewed the same promise because of
Abraham, his father. The covenant with all his forebears was
confirmed, and the blessing rested upon the head of Jacob.
God acknowledged him as the first-born, and gave him his
inheritance. He fixed the boundaries for his tribes, and
their division into twelve. From him was to spring the man who won
the favor of all: Dear to God and men, Moses, whose memory is held
in benediction. For his trustworthiness and meekness God
selected him from all mankind; He permitted him to hear his
voice, and led him into the cloud, Where, face to face,
he gave him the commandments, the law of life and
understanding, That he might teach his precepts to
Jacob, his judgments and decrees to Israel. [SIRACH 44:22-23,45:1,4-5]
When Samuel approached the end of his life, he testified
before the LORD and his anointed prince, "No bribe or
secret gift have I taken from any man!" and no one dared
gainsay him. Even when he lay buried, his guidance was
sought; he made known to the king his fate, And from the
grave he raised his voice as a prophet, to put an end to
wickedness. [SIRACH 46:19-20]
How awesome are you, Elijah! Whose glory is equal to
yours? You brought a dead man back to life from the nether
world, by the will of the LORD. [SIRACH 48:4-5]
O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind! Then Elisha, filled
with a twofold portion of his spirit, wrought many marvels by
his mere word. During his lifetime he feared no one, nor
was any man able to intimidate his will. Nothing was beyond his
power; beneath him flesh was brought back into life. In life
he performed wonders, and after death, marvelous deeds. [SIRACH 48:12-14]
And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on
earth; Who fosters men's growth from their mother's womb, and
fashions them according to his will! [SIRACH 50:22]
Wise instruction, appropriate proverbs, I have written in
this book, I, Jesus, son of Eleazar, son of Sirach, as
they gushed forth from my heart's understanding. Happy the man who
meditates upon these things, wise the man who takes them to
heart! If he puts them into practice, he can cope with
anything, for the fear of the LORD is his lamp. [SIRACH 50:27-29]
The strong man shall turn to tow, and his work shall become a
spark; Both shall burn together, and there shall be none to quench
the flames. [ISA 1:31]
But man is abased, each one brought low. (Do not
pardon them!) Get behind the rocks, hide in the
dust, From the terror of the LORD and the splendor of
his majesty! The haughty eyes of man will be lowered, the
arrogance of men will be abased, and the LORD alone will be
exalted, on that day. For the LORD of hosts will have his
day against all that is proud and arrogant, all that is
high, and it will be brought low [Taken from ISA 2:9-12]
Human pride will be abased, the arrogance of men brought low,
And the LORD alone will be exalted, on that day. [ISA 2:17]
Men will go into caves in the rocks and into holes in the
earth, From the terror of the LORD and the splendor of his
majesty, when he arises to overawe the earth. On that day men will throw to the moles and the bats the idols
of silver and gold which they made for worship. [ISA 2:19-20]
And the people shall oppress one another, yes, every man
his neighbor. The child shall be bold toward the
elder, and the base toward the honorable. When a man seizes
his brother in his father's house, saying, "You
have clothes! Be our ruler, and take in hand this
ruin!" - Then shall he answer in that day: "I will
not undertake to cure this, when in my own house there is no
bread or clothing! You shall not make me ruler of the
people." Jerusalem is crumbling, Judah is falling; for
their speech and their deeds are before the LORD, a
provocation in the sight of his majesty. Their very look bears
witness against them; their sin like Sodom they
vaunt, They hide it not. Woe to them! they deal out evil
to themselves. Happy the just, for it will be well with
them, the fruit of their works they will eat. Woe to the
wicked man! All goes ill, with the work of his hands he will
be repaid. [ISA 3:5-11]
Your men will fall by the sword, and your champions, in
war; Her gates will lament and mourn, as the city sits
desolate on the ground. [ISA 3:25-26]
Seven women will take hold of one man on that day, saying:
"We will eat our own food and wear our own clothing; Only let
your name be given us, put an end to our disgrace!" [ISA 4:1]
Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge
between me and my vineyard: What more was there to do for my
vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the
crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, I will
let you know what I mean to do to my vineyard: Take away
its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it
be trampled! Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be
pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers; I
will command the clouds not to send rain upon it. The
vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the
men of Judah are his cherished plant; He looked for judgment,
but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry! [ISA 5:3-7]
Men shall be abased, each one brought low, and the eyes of
the haughty lowered, But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted by his
judgment, and God the Holy shall be shown holy by his
justice. [ISA 5:15-16]
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change
darkness into light, and light into darkness, who change
bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter! Woe to those who are
wise in their own sight, and prudent in their own esteem! Woe
to the champions at drinking wine, the valiant at mixing
strong drink! To those who acquit the guilty for bribes, and
deprive the just man of his rights! Therefore, as the tongue of
fire licks up stubble, as dry grass shrivels in the
flame, Even so their root shall become rotten and their
blossom scatter like dust; For they have spurned the law of
the LORD of hosts, and scorned the word of the Holy One of
Israel. [ISA 5:20-24]
In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high
and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the
temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings:
with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet,
and with two they hovered aloft. "Holy, holy, holy is the
LORD of hosts!" they cried one to the other. "All the
earth is filled with his glory!" At the sound of that cry,
the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of
unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes
have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Then one of the
seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with
tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it.
"See," he said, "now that this has touched your
lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged." [ISA 6:1-7]
Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the LORD,
your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the
LORD!" Then he said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not
enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God? Therefore
the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with
child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. [ISA 7:10-14]
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great
light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light
has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great
rejoicing, As they rejoice before you as at the
harvest, as men make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke
that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, And the
rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of
Midian. [ISA 9:1-3]
For this reason, the Lord does not spare their young
men, and their orphans and widows he does not pity; They
are wholly profaned and sinful, and every mouth gives vent to
folly. For all this, his wrath is not turned back, his
hand is still outstretched! For wickedness burns like
fire, devouring brier and thorn; It kindles the forest
thickets, which go up in columns of smoke. At the wrath of
the LORD of hosts the land quakes, and the people are like
fuel for fire; No man spares his brother [Taken from ISA 9:16-18]
Howl, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from
the Almighty it comes. Therefore all hands fall helpless, the
bows of the young men fall from their hands. Every man's
heart melts in terror. Pangs and sorrows take hold of
them, like a woman in labor they writhe; They look
aghast at each other, their faces aflame. 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 13:6-13]
When they see you they will stare, pondering over
you: "Is this the man who made the earth
tremble, and kingdoms quake? Who made the world a
desert, razed its cities, and gave his captives no
release?" [ISA 14:16-17]
On that day man shall look to his maker, his eyes turned toward
the Holy One of Israel. [ISA 17:7]
Shame, O Sidon, fortress on the sea, for the sea has spoken:
"I have not been in labor, nor given birth, nor raised young
men, nor reared virgins." [ISA 23:4]
The earth is polluted because of its inhabitants, who have
transgressed laws, violated statutes, broken the ancient
covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its
inhabitants pay for their guilt; Therefore they who dwell on
earth turn pale, and few men are left. [ISA 24:5-6]
The wicked man, spared, does not learn justice; in an upright
land he acts perversely, and sees not the majesty of the LORD.
[ISA 26:10]
The fading blooms of his glorious beauty on the head of
the fertile valley Will be like an early fig before
summer: when a man sees it, he picks and swallows it at
once. On that day the LORD of hosts will be a glorious
crown And a brilliant diadem to the remnant of his
people, A spirit of justice to him who sits in
judgment, And strength to those who turn back the battle
at the gate. [ISA 28:4-6]
As when a hungry man dreams he is eating and awakens with an
empty stomach, Or when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking and
awakens faint and dry, So shall the horde of all the nations be,
who make war against Zion [ISA 29:8]
The Lord said: Since this people draws near with words
only and honors me with their lips alone, though their
hearts are far from me, And their reverence for me has
become routine observance of the precepts of men, Therefore I
will again deal with this people in surprising and wondrous
fashion: The wisdom of its wise men shall perish and the
understanding of its prudent men be hid. [ISA 29:13-14]
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor
rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the tyrant will be no
more and the arrogant will have gone; All who are alert
to do evil will be cut off, those whose mere word condemns a
man, Who ensnare his defender at the gate, and leave the
just man with an empty claim. [ISA 29:19-21]
Assyria shall fall by a sword not wielded by man, no mortal
sword shall devour him; He shall flee before the sword, and his
young men shall be impressed as laborers. [ISA 31:8]
No more will the fool be called noble, nor the trickster
be considered honorable. For the fool speaks
foolishly, planning evil in his heart: How to do
wickedness, to speak perversely against the LORD, To let
the hungry go empty and the thirsty be without drink. And the
trickster uses wicked trickery, planning crimes: How to ruin
the poor with lies, and the needy when they plead their case.
But the noble man plans noble things, and by noble things he
stands.
[ISA 32:5-8]
The highways are desolate, travelers have quit the paths,
Covenants are broken, their terms are spurned; yet no man gives it
a thought. [ISA 33:8]
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak
tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service
is at an end, her guilt is expiated; Indeed, she has
received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins. A
voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the
LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill
shall be made low; The rugged land shall be made a
plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of
the LORD shall be revealed, and all mankind shall see it
together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. A voice says,
"Cry out!" I answer, "What shall I cry
out?" "All mankind is grass, and all their
glory like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower
wilts, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it. (So
then, the people is the grass.) Though the grass withers and the
flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever." [ISA 40:1-8]
Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger
and fall, They that hope in the LORD will renew their
strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They
will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. [ISA 40:30-31]
One man helps another, one says to the other, "Keep
on!" The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, the one who
beats with the hammer, him who strikes on the anvil; He
says the soldering is good, and he fastens it with nails to
steady it. [ISA 41:6-7]
For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your
savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba
in return for you. Because you are precious in my eyes and
glorious, and because I love you, I give men in return for
you and peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am
with you; from the east I will bring back your
descendants, from the west I will gather you. [ISA 43:3-5]
Idol makers all amount to nothing, and their precious works are
of no avail, as they themselves give witness. To their shame, they
neither see nor know anything; and they are more deaf than men
are. [ISA 44:9]
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, who formed you from the
womb: I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone
stretched out the heavens; when I spread out the earth, who
was with me? It is I who bring to nought the omens of
liars, who make fools of diviners; I turn wise men
back and make their knowledge foolish. [ISA 44:24-25]
I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God
besides me. It is I who arm you, though you know me not, so
that toward the rising and the setting of the sun men may
know that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, there is
no other; I form the light, and create the darkness, I make
well-being and create woe; I, the LORD, do all these things. [ISA 45:5-7]
Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, his
maker: You question me about my children, or prescribe
the work of my hands for me! It was I who made the earth and
created mankind upon it; It was my hands that stretched out
the heavens; I gave the order to all their host. [ISA 45:11-12]
Angry at my people, I profaned my inheritance, And I gave them
into your hand; but you showed them no mercy, And upon old men you
laid a very heavy yoke. [ISA 47:6]
All
mankind shall know that I, the LORD, am your savior, your
redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. [Taken from ISA 49:26]
Hear me, you who know justice, you people who have my
teaching at heart: Fear not the reproach of men, be not
dismayed at their revilings. They shall be like a garment eaten by
moths, like wool consumed by grubs; But my justice shall
remain forever and my salvation, for all generations. [ISA 51:7-8]
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter
Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; They will
meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee. I,
it is I who comfort you. Can you then fear mortal
man, who is human only, to be looked upon as grass, And
forget the LORD, your maker, who stretched out the
heavens and laid the foundations of the earth? All the
day you are in constant dread of the fury of the
oppressor; But when he sets himself to destroy, what is
there of the oppressor's fury? The oppressed shall soon be
released; they shall not die and go down into the
pit, nor shall they want for bread. [ISA 52:11-14]
He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from
the parched earth; There was in him no stately bearing to
make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to
him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering,
accustomed to infirmity, One of those from whom men hide
their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. Yet it
was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he
endured, While we thought of him as stricken, as one
smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our
offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the
chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were
healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his
own way; But the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all.
[ISA 53:2-6]
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is
near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man
his thoughts; Let him turn to the LORD for mercy; to our
God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high
as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above
your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. [ISA 55:6-9]
Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right, do what is
just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice,
about to be revealed. Happy is the man who does this, the son
of man who holds to it; Who keeps the sabbath free from
profanation, and his hand from any evildoing. [ISA 56:1-2]
The just man perishes, but no one takes it to
heart; Devout men are swept away, with no one giving it
a thought. Though he is taken away from the presence of
evil, the just man enters into peace; There is rest on
his couch for the sincere, straightforward man. [ISA 57:1-2]
"Why do we fast, and you do not see it? afflict
ourselves, and you take no note of it?" Lo, on your fast
day you carry out your own pursuits, and drive all your
laborers. Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and
fighting, striking with wicked claw. Would that today
you might fast so as to make your voice heard on high! Is
this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of
penance: That a man bow his head like a reed, and lie in
sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day
acceptable to the LORD? This, rather, is the fasting that I
wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs
of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every
yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the
oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see
them, and not turning your back on your own. [ISA 58:3-7]
Honesty is lacking, and the man who turns from evil is
despoiled. The LORD saw this, and was aggrieved that right
did not exist. He saw that there was no one, and was appalled
that there was none to intervene; So his own arm brought
about the victory, and his justice lent him its support. [ISA 59:15-16]
For Zion's sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem's sake
I will not be quiet, Until her vindication shines forth like
the dawn and her victory like a burning torch. Nations shall
behold your vindication, and all kings your glory; You
shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the
LORD. You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the
LORD, a royal diadem held by your God. No more shall men call
you "Forsaken," or your land
"Desolate," But you shall be called "My
Delight," and your land "Espoused." For
the LORD delights in you, and makes your land his spouse. As
a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry
you; And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall
your God rejoice in you. [ISA 62:1-5]
Thus says the LORD: When the juice is pressed from
grapes, men say, "Do not discard them, for there is
still good in them"; Thus will I do with my
servants: I will not discard them all; From Jacob I will save
offspring, from Judah, those who are to inherit my
mountains; My chosen ones shall inherit the land, my
servants shall dwell there. [ISA 65:8-9]
No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few
days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; He
dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who
fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed. [ISA 65:20]
My hand made all these things when all of them came to be, says
the LORD. This is the one whom I approve: the lowly and afflicted
man who trembles at my word. [ISA 66:2]
For the LORD shall judge all mankind by fire and sword. and
many shall be slain by the LORD. [ISA 66:16]
From one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another,
All mankind shall come to worship before me, says the LORD. [ISA
66:23]
If a man sends away his wife and, after leaving him, she
marries another man, Does the first husband come back to her?
Would not the land be wholly defiled? But you have sinned with
many lovers, and yet you would return to me! says the LORD. [JER
3:1]
Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I be estranged from you; Lest I
turn you into a desert, a land where no man dwells. [JER 6:8]
Therefore my wrath brims up within me, I am weary of holding it
in; I will pour it out upon the child in the street, upon the
young men gathered together. Yes, all will be taken, husband and
wife, graybeard with ancient. [JER 6:11]
See now, says the Lord GOD, my anger and my wrath will pour out
upon this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field
and the fruits of the earth; it will burn without being quenched.
[JER 7:20]
Over the mountains, break out in cries of
lamentation, over the pasture lands, intone a
dirge: They are scorched, and no man crosses them, unheard is the bleat of the flock; Birds of the
air as well as beasts, all have fled, and are gone. I will
turn Jerusalem into a heap of ruins, a haunt of
jackals; The cities of Judah I will make into a
waste, where no one dwells. [JER 9:9-10]
Thus says the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his
wisdom, nor the strong man glory in his strength, nor
the rich man glory in his riches; But rather, let him who glories,
glory in this, that in his prudence he knows me, Knows
that I, the LORD, bring about kindness, justice and
uprightness on the earth; For with such am I pleased, says
the LORD. [JER 9:22-23]
Every man is stupid, ignorant; every artisan is put to shame by
his idol: He has molded a fraud, without breath of life. [JER
10:14]
You know, O LORD, that man is not master of his
way; Man's course is not within his choice, nor is it
for him to direct his step. Punish us, O LORD, but with
equity, not in anger, lest you have us dwindle away. [JER 10:23-24]
The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD: Speak to
the men of Judah and to the citizens of Jerusalem, saying to them:
Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not observe the terms of this covenant, which I enjoined upon your
fathers the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that
iron foundry, saying: Listen to my voice and do all that I command
you. Then you shall be my people, and I will be your God. [JER 11:1-4]
Therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: I am going to punish
them. The young men shall die by the sword; their sons and
daughters shall die by famine. None shall be spared among them, for I will bring misfortune
upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment. [JER
11:22-23]
If running against men has wearied you, how will you race
against horses? And if in a land of peace you fall headlong, what
will you do in the thickets of the Jordan? [JER 12:5]
Many shepherds have ravaged my vineyard, have trodden my
heritage underfoot; The portion that delighted me they have
turned into a desert waste. They have made it a mournful
waste, desolate it lies before me, Desolate, all the
land, because no one takes it to heart. Upon every desert
height brigands have come up. The LORD has a sword which
consumes the land, from end to end: no peace for all
mankind. They have sown wheat and reaped thorns, they have
tired themselves out to no purpose; They recoil before their
harvest, the flaming anger of the LORD. [JER 12:10-13]
For, as close as the loincloth clings to a man's loins, so had
I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah
cling to me, says the LORD; to be my people, my renown, my praise,
my beauty. But they did not listen. [JER 13:11]
Lift up your eyes and see men coming from the north. Where is
the flock entrusted to you, the sheep that were your glory? [JER
13:20]
O Hope of Israel, O LORD, our savior in time of
need! Why should you be a stranger in this land, like a
traveler who has stopped but for a night? Why are you like a man
dumbfounded, a champion who cannot save? You are in our
midst, O LORD, your name we bear: do not forsake us! [JER 14:8-9]
Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth! a man of strife and
contention to all the land! I neither borrow nor lend, yet all
curse me. [JER 15:10]
Can man make for himself gods? These are not gods. [JER 16:20]
Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human
beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away
from the LORD. [JER 17:5]
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the
LORD. [JER 17:7]
And now, tell this to the men of Judah and the citizens of
Jerusalem: Thus says the LORD: Take care! I am fashioning evil
against you and making a plan. Return, each of you, from his evil
way; reform your ways and your deeds. But they will say, "No
use! We will follow our own devices; each one of us will behave
according to the stubbornness of his evil heart!" [JER 18:11-12]
Thus says the LORD: Write this man down as one childless, who
will never thrive in his lifetime! No descendant of his shall
achieve a seat on the throne of David as ruler again over Judah. [JER
22:30]
Can a man hide in secret without my seeing him? says the LORD.
Do I not fill both heaven and earth? says the LORD. [JER 23:24]
To all who inhabit the earth to its very ends the uproar
spreads; For the LORD has an indictment against the nations, he is
to pass judgment upon all mankind: The godless shall be given to
the sword, says the LORD. [JER 25:31]
There was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD,
Uriah, son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath-jearim; he prophesied the
same things against this city and land as Jeremiah did. [JER
26:20]
It was I who made the earth, and man and beast on the face of
the earth, by my great power, with my outstretched arm; and I can
give them to whomever I think fit. [JER 27:5]
Inquire, and see: since when do men bear children? Why, then,
do I see all these men, with their hands on their loins like women
in childbirth? Why have all their faces turned deathly pale? [JER
30:6]
How long will you continue to stray, rebellious daughter? The
LORD has created a new thing upon the earth: the woman must
encompass the man with devotion. [JER 31:22]
The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will seed the house
of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed
of beast. [JER 31:27]
You continue your kindness through a thousand generations; and
you repay the fathers' guilt, even into the lap of their sons who
follow them. O God, great and mighty, whose name is LORD of hosts,
great in counsel, mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the
ways of men, giving to each according to his ways, according to
the fruit of his deeds [Taken from JER 32:18-19]
I am the LORD, the God of all mankind! Is anything impossible
to me? [JER 32:27]
Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, "How
desolate it is, without man, without beast!" and in the
cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are now
deserted, without man, without citizen, without beast, there shall
yet be heard the cry of joy, the cry of gladness, the voice of the
bridegroom, the voice of the bride, the sound of those who bring
thank offerings to the house of the LORD, singing, "Give
thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good; his mercy
endures forever." For I will restore this country as of old,
says the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place, now
desolate, without man or beast, and in all its cities there shall
again be sheepfolds for the shepherds to couch their flocks. [JER 33:10-12]
While Jeremiah was still imprisoned in the quarters of the
guard, the word of the LORD came to him: Go, tell this to
Ebed-melech the Cushite: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel: Behold, I am now fulfilling the words I spoke against this
city, for evil and not for good; and this before your very eyes.
But on that day I will rescue you, says the LORD; you shall not be
handed over to the men of whom you are afraid. I will make certain
that you escape and do not fall by the sword. Your life shall be
spared as booty, because you trusted in me, says the LORD. [JER 39:15-18]
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your
wives have stated your intentions, and kept them in fact: "We
will continue to fulfill the vows we have made to burn incense to
the queen of heaven and to pour out libations to her." Very
well! keep your vows, carry out your resolutions! But listen then
to the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who live in
Egypt; I swear by my own great name, says the LORD, in the whole
land of Egypt no man of Judah shall henceforth pronounce my name,
saying, "As the Lord GOD lives." I am watching over them
to do evil, not good. All the men of Judah in Egypt shall perish
by the sword or famine until they are utterly destroyed. Those who
escape the sword to return from the land of Egypt to the land of
Judah shall be few in number. The whole remnant of Judah who came
to settle in Egypt shall know whose word stands, mine or theirs. [JER 44:25-28]
And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not! I am
bringing evil on all mankind, says the LORD, but your life I will
leave you as booty, wherever you may go. [JER 45:5]
I am bringing terror upon you, says the Lord GOD of hosts, from
all round about you; You shall be scattered, each man in headlong
flight, with no one to rally the fugitives. [JER 49:5]
Small will I make you among the nations, despised among men! [JER
49:15]
As when Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighbors were overthrown,
says the LORD, not a man shall dwell there: no one shall visit
there. [JER 49:18]
As when a lion comes up from the thicket of Jordan to the
permanent feeding grounds, So I, in an instant, will drive men
off; and whom I choose I will establish there! For who is like me?
who can call me to account? What shepherd can stand against me? [JER
49:19]
I am against you, man of insolence, says the Lord GOD of hosts;
For your day has come, the time for me to punish you. [JER 50:31]
I am a man who knows affliction from the rod of his anger,
One whom he has led and forced to walk in darkness, not in
the light; Against me alone he brings back his hand again and
again all the day. [LAM 3:1-3]
It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth. [LAM
3:27]
For the Lord's rejection does not last forever; Though he
punishes, he takes pity, in the abundance of his mercies; He
has no joy in afflicting or grieving the sons of men. [LAM 3:31-33]
Why should any living man complain, any mortal, in the face of
his sins? [LAM 3:39]
Since then [wisdom] has appeared on earth, and moved among men.
[Taken from BARUCH 3:38]
The clouds, too, when commanded by God to proceed across the
whole world, fulfill the order; and fire, sent from on high to
burn up the mountains and the forests, does what has been
commanded. But these false gods are not their equal, whether in
beauty or in power; so that it is unthinkable, and cannot be
claimed, that they are gods. They can neither execute judgment,
nor benefit man. Know, therefore, that they are not gods, and do
not fear them. [BARUCH 6:61-64]
The better for the just man who has no idols: he shall be far
from disgrace! [BARUCH 6:72]
Above the firmament over their heads something like a throne
could be seen, looking like sapphire. Upon it was seated, up
above, one who had the appearance of a man. Upward from what
resembled his waist I saw what gleamed like electrum; downward
from what resembled his waist I saw what looked like fire; he was
surrounded with splendor. Like the bow which appears in the clouds
on a rainy day was the splendor that surrounded him. Such was the
vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. [EZEK 1:26-28]
Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, I have
appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a
word from my mouth, you shall warn them for me. If I say to the
wicked man, You shall surely die; and you do not warn him or speak
out to dissuade him from his wicked conduct so that he may live:
that wicked man shall die for his sin, but I will hold you
responsible for his death. If, on the other hand, you have warned
the wicked man, yet he has not turned away from his evil nor from
his wicked conduct, then he shall die for his sin, but you shall
save your life. If a virtuous man turns away from virtue and does
wrong when I place a stumbling block before him, he shall die. He
shall die for his sin, and his virtuous deeds shall not be
remembered; but I will hold you responsible for his death if you
did not warn him. When, on the other hand, you have warned a
virtuous man not to sin, and he has in fact not sinned, he shall
surely live because of the warning, and you shall save your own
life. [EZEK 3:17-21]
With that I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper
gate which faces the north, each with a destroying weapon in his
hand. In their midst was a man dressed in linen, with a writer's
case at his waist. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen with the writer's case
at his waist, saying to him: Pass through the city (through
Jerusalem) and mark an X on the foreheads of those who moan and
groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it. To
the others I heard him say: Pass through the city after him and
strike! Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy! Old men,
youths and maidens, women and children - wipe them out! But do not
touch any marked with the X; begin at my sanctuary. So they began
with the men (the elders) who were in front of the temple. [EZEK 9:2-6]
I looked and saw in the firmament above the cherubim what
appeared to be sapphire stone; something like a throne could be
seen upon it. He said to the man dressed in linen: Go within the
wheelwork under the cherubim; fill both your hands with burning
coals from among the cherubim, then scatter them over the city. As
I looked on, he entered. The glory of the God of Israel had gone
up from the cherubim, upon which it had been, to the threshold of
the temple. As the man entered, the cloud filled the inner court,
and the glory of the LORD rose from over the cherubim to the
threshold of the temple; the temple was filled with the cloud, and
all the court was bright with the glory of the LORD. The noise of
the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far as the outer
court; it was like the voice of God the Almighty when he speaks.
When he had commanded the man dressed in linen to take fire from
within the wheelwork, among the cherubim, the man entered and
stood by one of the wheels. Thereupon its cherub stretched out his
hand toward the fire that was among the cherubim. He took up some
of it and put it in the hands of the one dressed in linen, who
took it and came out.
[EZEK 10:1-7]
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: See! I am coming at those
bands of yours in which you entrap men's lives: I will tear them
from their arms and set free those you have caught. [EZEK 13:20]
For if anyone of the house of Israel or any alien resident in
Israel is estranged from me, and holds the memory of his idols in
his heart and keeps the occasion of his sin before him, yet asks a
prophet to consult me for him, I, the LORD, will be his answer in
person. I will turn against that man, and make of him an example
and a byword. I will cut him off from the midst of my people. Thus
you shall know that I am the LORD. [EZEK 14:7-8]
Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, when a land
sins against me by breaking faith, I stretch out my hand against
it and break its staff of bread, I let famine loose upon it and
cut off from it both man and beast; and even if these three men
were in it, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they could save only themselves
by their virtue, says the Lord GOD. [EZEK 14:12-14]
If [a man] lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my
ordinances, that man is
virtuous - he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD. [Taken from
EZEK 18:9]
Only the one who sins shall die. The son shall not be charged
with the guilt of his father, nor shall the father be charged with
the guilt of his son. The virtuous man's virtue shall be his own,
as the wicked man's wickedness shall be his own. But if the wicked
man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my
statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he
shall not die. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered
against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced.
Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says
the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil
way that he may live? And if the virtuous man turns from the path
of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the
wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his
virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith
and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. [EZEK 18:20-24]
As for you, son of man, tell your countrymen: The virtue
which a man has practiced will not save him on the day that he
sins; neither will the wickedness that a man has done bring about
his downfall on the day that he turns from his wickedness (nor can
the virtuous man, when he sins, remain alive). Though I say to the
virtuous man that he shall surely live, if he then presumes on his
virtue and does wrong, none of his virtuous deeds shall be
remembered; because of the wrong he has done, he shall die. And
though I say to the wicked man that he shall surely die, if he
turns away from his sin and does what is right and just, giving
back pledges, restoring stolen goods, living by the statutes that
bring life, and doing no wrong, he shall surely live, he shall not
die. None of the sins he committed shall be held against him; he
has done what is right and just, he shall surely live. Yet your
countrymen say, "The way of the LORD is not fair!"; but
it is their way that is not fair. When a virtuous man turns away
from what is right and does wrong, he shall die for it. But when a
wicked man turns away from wickedness and does what is right and
just, because of this he shall live. And still you say, "The
way of the LORD is not fair!"? I will judge every one of you
according to his ways, O house of Israel. [EZEK 33:12-20]
Before me shall tremble the fish of the sea and the birds of
the air, the beasts of the field and all the reptiles that crawl
upon the ground, and all men who are on the land. Mountains shall
be overturned, and cliffs shall tumble, and every wall shall fall
to the ground. [EZEK 38:20]
When he had brought me there, all at once I saw a man whose
appearance was that of bronze; he was standing in the gate,
holding a linen cord and a measuring rod. The man said to me, "Son of man, look carefully and listen
intently, and pay strict attention to all that I will show you,
for you have been brought here so that I might show it to you.
Tell the house of Israel all that you see." [EZEK 40:3-4]
The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain, to bring in some
of the Israelites of royal blood and of the nobility, young men
without any defect, handsome, intelligent and wise, quick to
learn, and prudent in judgment, such as could take their place in
the king's palace; they were to be taught the language and
literature of the Chaldeans; after three years' training they were
to enter the king's service. The king allotted them a daily
portion of food and wine from the royal table. Among these were
men of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The chief
chamberlain changed their names: Daniel to Belteshazzar, Hananiah
to Shadrach, Mishael to Meshach, and Azariah to Abednego. But
Daniel was resolved not to defile himself with the king's food or
wine; so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this
defilement. Though God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy of
the chief chamberlain, he nevertheless said to Daniel, "I am
afraid of my lord the king; it is he who allotted your food and
drink. If he sees that you look wretched by comparison with the
other young men of your age, you will endanger my life with the
king." Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief
chamberlain had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days. Give us
vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then see how we look in
comparison with the other young men who eat from the royal table,
and treat your servants according to what you see." He
acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days; after ten
days they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young
men who ate from the royal table. So the steward continued to take
away the food and wine they were to receive, and gave them
vegetables. To these four young men God gave knowledge and
proficiency in all literature and science, and to Daniel the
understanding of all visions and dreams. At the end of the time
the king had specified for their preparation, the chief
chamberlain brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. When the king had
spoken with all of them, none was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah; and so they entered the king's service. In
any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them, he
found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters
in his kingdom. [DAN 1:3-20]
Daniel went home and informed his companions Hananiah, Mishael,
and Azariah, that they might implore the mercy of the God of
heaven in regard to this mystery, so that Daniel and his
companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of
Babylon. [DAN 2:17-18]
King Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
"Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?"
"Assuredly, O king," they answered. "But," he
replied, "I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in
the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God." Then
Nebuchadnezzar came to the opening of the white-hot furnace and
called to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: "Servants of the
most high God, come out." Thereupon Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego came out of the fire. When the satraps, prefects,
governors, and nobles of the king came together, they saw that the
fire had had no power over the bodies of these men; not a hair of
their heads had been singed, nor were their garments altered;
there was not even a smell of fire about them. Nebuchadnezzar
exclaimed, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, who sent his angel to deliver the servants that trusted
in him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god except their own God." [DAN 3:91-95]
This is its meaning, O king; this is the sentence which the
Most High has passed upon my lord king: You shall be cast out from
among men and dwell with wild beasts; you shall be given grass to
eat like an ox and be bathed with the dew of heaven; seven years
shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules over
the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. [Taken from DAN 4:21-22]
"As for you, Daniel, keep secret the message and seal the
book until the end time; many shall fall away and evil shall
increase." I, Daniel, looked and saw two others, one standing
on either bank of the river. One of them said to the man clothed
in linen, who was upstream, "How long shall it be to the end
of these appalling things?" The man clothed in linen, who was
upstream, lifted his right and left hands to heaven; and I heard
him swear by him who lives forever that it should be for a year,
two years, a half-year; and that, when the power of the destroyer
of the holy people was brought to an end, all these things should
end. I heard, but I did not understand; so I asked, "My lord,
what follows this?" "Go, Daniel," he said,
"because the words are to be kept secret and sealed until the
end time. Many shall be refined, purified, and tested, but the
wicked shall prove wicked; none of them shall have understanding,
but the wise shall have it. From the time that the daily sacrifice
is abolished and the horrible abomination is set up, there shall
be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is the man
who has patience and perseveres until the one thousand three
hundred and thirty-five days. Go, take your rest, you shall rise
for your reward at the end of days." [DAN 12:4-13]
When the king asked him, "Why do you not adore Bel?"
Daniel replied, "Because I worship not idols made with hands,
but only the living God who made heaven and earth and has dominion
over all mankind." [DAN 14:5]
I will not give vent to my blazing anger, I will not destroy
Ephraim again; For I am God and not man, the Holy One present
among you; I will not let the flames consume you. [HOSEA 11:9]
In the womb he supplanted his brother, and as a man he
contended with God; He contended with the angel and
triumphed, entreating him with tears. At Bethel he met
God and there he spoke with him: The LORD, the God of
hosts, the LORD is his name! [HOSEA 12:4-6]
The vine has dried up, the fig tree is withered; The
pomegranate, the date palm also, and the apple, all the trees of
the field are dried up; Yes, joy has withered away from among
mankind. [JOEL 1:12]
Then afterward I will pour out my spirit upon all
mankind. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your
old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; Even
upon the servants and the handmaids, in those days, I will
pour out my spirit.
[JOEL 3:1-2]
The LORD roars from Zion, and from Jerusalem raises his voice;
The heavens and the earth quake, but the LORD is a refuge to his
people, a stronghold to the men of Israel. [JOEL 4:16]
So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel! and
since I will deal thus with you, prepare to meet your God, O
Israel: Him who formed the mountains, and created the
wind, and declares to man his thoughts; Who made the
dawn and the darkness, and strides upon the heights of the
earth: The LORD, the God of hosts by name.
[AMOS 4:12-13]
Yes, I know how many are your crimes, how grievous your
sins: Oppressing the just, accepting bribes, repelling the
needy at the gate! Therefore the prudent man is silent at this
time, for it is an evil time. Seek good and not
evil, that you may live; Then truly will the LORD, the
God of hosts, be with you as you claim! [AMOS 5:12-14]
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his
throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and
sat in the ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh,
by decree of the king and his nobles: "Neither man nor beast,
neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not
eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered
with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from
his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God
may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we
shall not perish." When God saw by their actions how they
turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had
threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out. [JONAH 3:6-10]
I will gather you, O Jacob, each and every one, I will
assemble all the remnant of Israel; I will group them like a
flock in the fold, like a herd in the midst of its
corral; they shall not be thrown into panic by men. With a
leader to break the path they shall burst open the gate and
go out through it; Their king shall go through before
them, and the LORD at their head. [MICAH 2:12-13]
The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples,
Like dew coming from the LORD, like raindrops on the grass, Which
wait for no man, nor tarry for the sons of men. [MICAH 5:6]
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]
Alas! I am as when the fruit is gathered, as when the
vines have been gleaned; There is no cluster to eat, no
early fig that I crave. The faithful are gone from the
earth, among men the upright are no more! They all lie
in wait to shed blood, each one ensnares the other. Their
hands succeed at evil; the prince makes demands, The
judge is had for a price, The great man speaks as he pleases,
The best of them is like a brier, the most upright like a
thorn hedge. The day announced by your watchmen! your
punishment has come; now is the time of your confusion. Put
no trust in a friend, have no confidence in a
companion; Against her who lies in your bosom guard the
portals of your mouth. For the son dishonors his father, the
daughter rises up against her mother, The daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies are those of
his household. But as for me, I will look to the LORD, I will
put my trust in God my savior; my God will hear me! [MICAH 7:1-7]
Are you not from eternity, O LORD, my holy God,
immortal? O LORD you have marked him for judgment, O
Rock, you have readied him for punishment! Too pure are your eyes
to look upon evil, and the sight of misery you cannot
endure. Why, then, do you gaze on the faithless in
silence while the wicked man devours one more just than
himself? You have made man like the fish of the sea, like
creeping things without a ruler. [HAB 1:12-14]
The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his
faith, shall live. [Taken from HAB 2:4]
I will completely
sweep away all things from the face of the earth, says the
LORD. I will sweep away man and beast, I will sweep away the
birds of the sky, and the fishes of the sea. I will
overthrow the wicked; I will destroy mankind from the
face of the earth, says the LORD. I will stretch out my hand
against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of
Jerusalem; I will destroy from this place the last vestige of
Baal, the very names of his priests. And those who adore the
host of heaven on the roofs, with those who adore the LORD
but swear by Milcom; And those who have fallen away from the
LORD, and those who do not seek the LORD. Silence in the
presence of the Lord GOD! For near is the day of the LORD [Taken from ZEPH 1:2-7]
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD! for he stirs
forth from his holy dwelling. [ZECH 2:17]
And say to him: Thus says the LORD of hosts: Here is a man
whose name is Shoot, and where he is he shall sprout, and he shall
build the temple of the LORD. [ZECH 6:12]
Bethelsarezer sent Regemmelech and his men to implore favor of the LORD and to ask the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, "Must I mourn and abstain in the fifth month as I have been doing these many years?"
[ZECH 7:2-3]
This word of the LORD of hosts came: Thus says the LORD of
hosts: I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred to jealous
wrath for her. Thus says the LORD: I will return to
Zion, and I will dwell within Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall
be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of
hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old
men and old women, each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. The city shall be
filled with boys and girls playing in her streets. Thus says the
LORD of hosts: Even if this should seem impossible in the eyes of
the remnant of this people, shall it in those days be impossible
in my eyes also, says the LORD of hosts? [ZECH 8:1-6]
Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of
hosts in Jerusalem and to implore the favor of the LORD. Thus says
the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men of every nationality,
speaking different tongues, shall take hold, yes, take hold of
every Jew by the edge of his garment and say, "Let us go with
you, for we have heard that God is with you." [ZECH 8:22-23]
Ask of the LORD rain in the spring season! It is the LORD who
makes storm clouds. And sends men the pouring rain; for everyone,
grassy fields. [ZECH 10:1]
Then Ephraim shall be valiant men, and their hearts shall be
cheered as by wine. Their children shall see it and be glad, their
hearts shall rejoice in the LORD. [ZECH 10:7]
I will draw near to you for judgment, and I will be swift to
bear witness Against the sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers,
those who defraud the hired man of his wages, Against those who
defraud widows and orphans; those who turn aside the stranger, and
those who do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. [MAL 3:5]
Dare a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! And you say,
"How do we rob you?" In tithes and in offerings! [MAL
3:8]
Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another, and
the LORD listened attentively; And a record book was written
before him of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name.
And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my own
special possession, on the day I take action. And I will have
compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who
serves him. Then you will again see the distinction between
the just and the wicked; Between him who serves God, and
him who does not serve him. For lo, the day is coming, blazing
like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be
stubble, And the day that is coming will set them on
fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the
LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will
arise the sun of justice with its healing rays; And you
will gambol like calves out of the stall [Taken from MAL 3:16-20]
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his
mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived
together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph
her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose
her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his
intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to
take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a
son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people
from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the
Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall
be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him
Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." When
Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home. [MT 1:18-24]
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on
them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain
fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And
everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on
them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain
fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined." [MT 7:24-27]
He got into a boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a
violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being
swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him,
saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" He said to
them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great
calm. The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is
this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?" [MT 8:23-27]
[Jesus said,] "Do not think that I have come to bring
peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the
sword. For I have come to set a man 'against his
father, a daughter against her mother, and a
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will
be those of his household.'" [Taken from MT 10:34-36]
"Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive
a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because
he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward." [MT 10:41]
At that time Jesus was going through a field of grain on the
sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of
grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
"See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the
sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David
did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the
house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor
his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have
you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in
the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? I say to you,
something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this
meant, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have
condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the
sabbath." [MT 12:1-8]
Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute. He
cured the mute person so that he could speak and see. All the
crowd was astounded, and said, "Could this perhaps be the Son
of David?" But when the Pharisees heard this, they said,
"This man drives out demons only by the power of Beelzebul,
the prince of demons." But he knew what they were thinking
and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will
be laid waste, and no town or house divided against itself will
stand. And if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against
himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand? And if I drive out
demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of
God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon
you. How can anyone enter a strong man's house and steal his
property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can
plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and
whoever does not gather with me scatters." [MT 12:22-30]
"At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this
generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching
of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here." [MT
12:41]
He proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of
heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all
through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore
fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder
came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your
field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has
done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull
them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might
uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until
harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn."'" [MT 13:24-30]
He came to his native place and taught the people in their
synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man
get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter's son?
Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph,
Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this
man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus
said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his
native place and in his own house." And he did not work many
mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. [MT
13:54-58] [Note: Some ancient languages have no word for cousin (and other
relatives) so the term "brothers" may be used to refer
to relatives other than blood brothers. The use of this
terminology does not mean that Jesus had blood brothers, which of
course he didn't since Mary is an ever virgin. For more
information on this topic, visit the Non-Catholics
section.]
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of
Jesus and said to his servants, "This man is John the
Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty
powers are at work in him." [MT 14:1-2]
What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of
them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to
you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did
not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your
heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost. [MT 18:12-14]
Some Pharisees approached him, and tested him, saying, "Is
it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause
whatever?" He said in reply, "Have you not read that
from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female' and
said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and
be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So
they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has
joined together, no human being must separate." They said to
him, "Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman
a bill of divorce and dismiss (her)?" He said to them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to
divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to
you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
and marries another commits adultery." (His) disciples said
to him, "If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is
better not to marry." He answered, "Not all can accept
(this) word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are
incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because
they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced
marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept
this ought to accept it." [MT 19:3-12]
Now someone approached him and said, "Teacher, what good
must I do to gain eternal life?" He answered him, "Why
do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If
you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." He asked
him, "Which ones?" And Jesus replied, "'You shall
not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you
shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother';
and 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The young
man said to him, "All of these I have observed. What do I
still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be
perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the
young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many
possessions. [MT
19:16-22]
As they left Jericho, a great crowd followed him. Two blind men
were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was
passing by, they cried out, "(Lord,) Son of David, have pity
on us!" The crowd warned them to be silent, but they called
out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have pity on us!"
Jesus stopped and called them and said, "What do you want me
to do for you?" They answered him, "Lord, let our eyes
be opened." Moved with pity, Jesus touched their eyes.
Immediately they received their sight, and followed him. [MT 20:29-34]
Then the Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap
him in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the
Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful
man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the
truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do
not regard a person's status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing
their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you
hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then
they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image
is this and whose inscription?" They replied,
"Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to
Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to
God." When they heard this they were amazed, and leaving him
they went away. [MT 22:15-22]
On that day Sadducees approached him, saying that there is no
resurrection. They put this question to him, saying,
"Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his
brother shall marry his wife and raise up descendants for his
brother.' Now there were seven brothers among us. The first
married and died and, having no descendants, left his wife to his
brother. The same happened with the second and the third, through
all seven. Finally the woman died. Now at the resurrection, of the
seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had been married to
her." Jesus said to them in reply, "You are misled
because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God. At the
resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are
like the angels in heaven. And concerning the resurrection of the
dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, 'I am the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the
God of the dead but of the living." When the crowds heard
this, they were astonished at his teaching. [MT 22:23-33]
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the
sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its
light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the
powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son
of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will
mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels
with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four
winds, from one end of the heavens to the other... But of
that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor
the Son, but the Father alone. For as it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In (those) days
before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They
did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So
will it be (also) at the coming of the Son of Man [that is, some
will be taken to the kingdom, the others will be left to perish].
Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will
be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be
taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not
know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the
master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was
coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken
into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not
expect, the Son of Man will come." [Taken from MT 24:29-31,36-44]
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the
disciples approached Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to
prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into
the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The teacher says,
"My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall
celebrate the Passover with my disciples."'" The
disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the
Passover. [MT 26:17-19]
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived,
accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs, who had come
from the chief priests and the elders of the people. His betrayer
had arranged a sign with them, saying, "The man I shall kiss
is the one; arrest him." Immediately he went over to Jesus
and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and he kissed him. Jesus
answered him, "Friend, do what you have come for." Then
stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. [MT 26:47-50]
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to
obtain false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death,
but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward who stated, "This man said, 'I can
destroy the temple of God and within three days rebuild it.'"
[MT 26:59-61]
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. One of the
maids came over to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the
Galilean." But he denied it in front of everyone, saying,
"I do not know what you are talking about!" As he went
out to the gate, another girl saw him and said to those who were
there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazorean." Again he
denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man!" A
little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter,
"Surely you too are one of them; even your speech gives you
away." At that he began to curse and to swear, "I do not
know the man." And immediately a cock crowed. Then Peter
remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: "Before the cock
crows you will deny me three times." He went out and began to
weep bitterly. [MT 26:69-75]
After consultation, they used it to buy the potter's field as a
burial place for foreigners. That is why that field even today is
called the Field of Blood. Then was fulfilled what had been said
through Jeremiah the prophet, "And they took the thirty
pieces of silver, the value of a man with a price on his head, a
price set by some of the Israelites, and they paid it out for the
potter's field just as the Lord had commanded me."
[MT 27:7-10]
Now on the occasion of the feast the governor was accustomed to
release to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And at that
time they had a notorious prisoner called (Jesus) Barabbas. So
when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Which one do
you want me to release to you, (Jesus) Barabbas, or Jesus called
Messiah?" For he knew that it was out of envy that they had
handed him over. While he was still seated on the bench, his wife
sent him a message, "Have nothing to do with that righteous
man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him." [MT 27:15-19]
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a
riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands
in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this
man's blood. Look to it yourselves." [MT 27:24]
As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon; this
man they pressed into service to carry his cross. [MT 27:32]
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over
Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was
happening, and they said, "Truly, this was the Son of
God!" [MT 27:54]
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named
Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and
asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed
over. Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it (in) clean linen and laid
it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a
huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed. [MT 27:57-60]
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And
behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord
descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat
upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was
white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear of him and became
like dead men. Then the angel said to the women in reply, "Do
not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He
is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see
the place where he lay." [MT 28:1-6]
Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you
fishers of men." Then they abandoned their nets and followed
him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of
Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending
their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee
in the boat along with the hired men and followed him. [MK 1:17-20]
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried
out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have
you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of
God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of
him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry
came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What
is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the
unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread
everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. [MK 1:23-28]
A leper came to him (and kneeling down) begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity,
he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I
do will it. Be made clean." The leprosy left him immediately,
and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him
at once. Then he said to him, "See that you tell no one
anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your
cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for
them." The man went away and began to publicize the whole
matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for
Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted
places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. [MK 1:40-45]
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