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But not even the fangs of poisonous reptiles overcame your
sons, for your mercy brought the antidote to heal them. For as a
reminder of your injunctions, they were stung, and swiftly
they were saved, Lest they should fall into deep
forgetfulness and become unresponsive to your beneficence.
For indeed, neither herb nor application cured them, but your
all-healing word, O LORD! [WISDOM 16:10-12]
But the wicked, merciless wrath assailed until the end. For he
knew beforehand what they were yet to do [Taken from WISDOM 19:1]
My son, when you come to serve the LORD, prepare yourself
for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, undisturbed in
time of adversity. Cling to him, forsake him not; thus will
your future be great. Accept whatever befalls you, in
crushing misfortune be patient; For in fire gold is
tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation. Trust
God and he will help you; make straight your ways and hope in
him. You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy, turn not away
lest you fall. You who fear the LORD, trust him, and your
reward will not be lost. You who fear the LORD, hope for good
things, for lasting joy and mercy. Study the generations long
past and understand; has anyone hoped in the LORD and been
disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his fear and been
forsaken? has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD; he forgives sins, he
saves in time of trouble. Woe to craven hearts and drooping
hands, to the sinner who treads a double path! Woe to the
faint of heart who trust not, who therefore will have no
shelter! Woe to you who have lost hope! what will you do at
the visitation of the LORD? Those who fear the LORD disobey not
his words; those who love him keep his ways. Those who fear
the LORD seek to please him, those who love him are filled
with his law. Those who fear the LORD prepare their
hearts and humble themselves before him. Let us fall into the
hands of the LORD and not into the hands of men, For
equal to his majesty is the mercy that he shows. [SIRACH 2:1-18]
Rely not on your strength in following the desires of your
heart. Say not: "Who can prevail against me?" for
the LORD will exact the punishment. Say not: "I have sinned,
yet what has befallen me?" for the LORD bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident, adding sin upon sin. Say not:
"Great is his mercy; my many sins he will forgive."
For mercy and anger alike are with him; upon the wicked
alights his wrath. Delay not your conversion to the LORD, put it
not off from day to day; For suddenly his wrath flames
forth; at the time of vengeance, you will be destroyed. [SIRACH
5:2-9]
If you do good, know for whom you are doing it, and your
kindness will have its effect. Do good to the just man and reward
will be yours, if not from him, from the LORD. No good comes
to him who gives comfort to the wicked, nor is it an act of
mercy that he does. Give to the good man, refuse the
sinner; refresh the downtrodden, give nothing to the proud
man. No arms for combat should you give him, lest he use them
against yourself; With twofold evil you will meet for every
good deed you do for him. The Most High himself hates
sinners, and upon the wicked he takes vengeance. [SIRACH 12:1-7]
When invited by a man of influence, keep your
distance; then he will urge you all the more. Be not bold
with him lest you be rebuffed, but keep not too far away lest
you be forgotten. Engage not freely in discussion with
him, trust not his many words; For by prolonged talk he
will test you, and though smiling he will probe you.
Mercilessly he will make of you a laughingstock, and will not
refrain from injury or chains. [SIRACH 13:9-12]
And had there been but one stiff-necked man, it were a
wonder had he gone unpunished. For mercy and anger alike are
with him who remits and forgives, though on the wicked
alights his wrath. Great as his mercy is his
punishment; he judges men, each according to his deeds. A
criminal does not escape with his plunder; a just man's hope
God does not leave unfulfilled. Whoever does good has his
reward, which each receives according to his deeds. [SIRACH
16:11-14]
How great the mercy of the LORD, his forgiveness of those who
return to him! [SIRACH 17:24]
The Eternal is the judge of all things without
exception; the LORD alone is just. Whom has he made equal to
describing his works, and who can probe his mighty deeds? Who
can measure his majestic power, or exhaust the tale of his
mercies? One cannot lessen, nor increase, nor penetrate the
wonders of the LORD. [SIRACH 18:1-4]
The sum of a man's days is great if it reaches a hundred
years: Like a drop of sea water, like a grain of sand, so are
these few years among the days of eternity. That is why the LORD
is patient with men and showers upon them his mercy. He sees
and understands that their death is grievous, and so he
forgives them all the more. [SIRACH 18:7-10]
Man may be merciful to his fellow man, but the LORD'S mercy reaches all flesh,
Reproving, admonishing, teaching, as a shepherd guides his flock;
Merciful to those who accept his guidance, who are diligent in his precepts. [SIRACH
18:11-13]
Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray,
your own sins will be forgiven. Should a man nourish anger against
his fellows and expect healing from the LORD? Should a man
refuse mercy to his fellows, yet seek pardon for his own
sins? If he who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will
forgive his sins? [SIRACH 28:2-5]
He who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches
the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it
does not rest till it reaches its goal, Nor will it withdraw till
the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right. God
indeed will not delay, and like a warrior, will not be still
Till he breaks the backs of the merciless and wreaks
vengeance upon the proud; Till he destroys the haughty root and
branch, and smashes the scepter of the wicked; Till he
requites mankind according to its deeds, and repays men
according to their thoughts; Till he defends the cause of his
people, and gladdens them by his mercy. Welcome is his mercy
in time of distress as rain clouds in time of drought. [SIRACH
35:16-24]
Gather all the tribes of Jacob, that they may inherit the
land as of old, Show mercy to the people called by your
name; Israel, whom you named your first-born. Take pity on
your holy city, Jerusalem, your dwelling place. Fill Zion
with your majesty, your temple with your glory. Give evidence
of your deeds of old; fulfill the prophecies spoken in your
name, Reward those who have hoped in you, and let your
prophets be proved true.
[SIRACH 36:10-15]
But God does not withdraw his mercy, nor permit even one of his
promises to fail. He does not uproot the posterity of his chosen
one, nor destroy the offspring of his friend. So he gave to Jacob
a remnant, to David a root from his own family. [SIRACH 47:22]
The sons of Aaron would sound a blast, the priests, on
their trumpets of beaten metal; A blast to resound
mightily as a reminder before the Most High. Then all the
people with one accord would quickly fall prostrate to the
ground In adoration before the Most High, before the
Holy One of Israel. Then hymns would re-echo, and over the
throng sweet strains of praise resound. All the people of the land
would shout for joy, praying to the Merciful One, As the
high priest completed the services at the altar by presenting
to God the sacrifice due; Then coming down he would raise his
hands over all the congregation of Israel. The blessing
of the LORD would be upon his lips, the name of the LORD
would be his glory. Then again the people would lie
prostrate to receive from him the blessing of the Most High. [SIRACH
50:16-21]
I give you thanks, O God of my father; I praise you, O God
my savior! I will make known your name, refuge of my life;
you have been my helper against my adversaries. You have
saved me from death, and kept back my body from the
pit, From the clutches of the nether world you have snatched
my feet; you have delivered me, in your great mercy From
the scourge of a slanderous tongue, and from lips that went
over to falsehood; From the snare of those who watched for my
downfall, and from the power of those who sought my
life; From many a danger you have saved me, from flames that
hemmed me in on every side; From the midst of unremitting
fire, From the deep belly of the nether world; From deceiving
lips and painters of lies, from the arrows of dishonest
tongues. I was at the point of death, my soul was
nearing the depths of the nether world; I turned every way, but
there was no one to help me, I looked for one to sustain me,
but could find no one. But then I remembered the mercies of the
LORD, his kindness through ages past; For he saves those
who take refuge in him, and rescues them from every evil. So
I raised my voice from the very earth, from the gates of the
nether world, my cry. [SIRACH 51:1-9]
Let your spirits rejoice in the mercy of God, and be not
ashamed to give him praise. [SIRACH 51:29]
A throne shall be set up in mercy, and on it shall sit in
fidelity (in David's tent) A judge upholding right and prompt to
do justice. [ISA 16:5]
For the fortified city shall be desolate, an abandoned
pasture, a forsaken wilderness, where calves shall browse and
lie. Its boughs shall be destroyed, its branches shall wither
and be broken off, and women shall come to build a fire with
them. This is not an understanding people; therefore
their maker shall not spare them, nor shall he who formed them
have mercy on them. [ISA 27:10-11]
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. You
said, "I shall remain always, a sovereign mistress
forever!" But you did not lay these things to
heart, you disregarded their outcome. Now hear this,
voluptuous one, enthroned securely, Saying to
yourself, "I, and no one else! I shall never be a
widow, or suffer the loss of my children" [Taken from ISA
47:6-8]
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, break forth into
song, you mountains. For the LORD comforts his people and shows
mercy to his afflicted. [ISA 49:13]
Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken,
My love shall never leave you nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you. [ISA 54:10]
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. [ISA 55:7]
Foreigners shall rebuild your walls, and their kings shall be
your attendants; Though I struck you in my wrath, yet in my good
will I have shown you mercy. [ISA 60:10]
The favors of the LORD I will recall, the glorious deeds of the
LORD, Because of all he has done for us; for he is good to the
house of Israel, He has favored us according to his mercy and his
great kindness. [ISA 63:7]
Look down from heaven and regard us from your holy and
glorious palace! Where is your zealous care and your
might, your surge of pity and your mercy? O Lord, hold
not back, for you are our father. Were Abraham not to know
us, nor Israel to acknowledge us, You, LORD, are our
father, our redeemer you are named forever. Why do you let us
wander, O LORD, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that
we fear you not? Return for the sake of your
servants, the tribes of your heritage. Why have the wicked
invaded your holy place, why have our enemies trampled your
sanctuary? Too long have we been like those you do not
rule, who do not bear your name. Oh, that you would rend
the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before
you [Taken from ISA 63:15-19]
Go, proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Return,
rebel Israel, says the LORD, I will not remain angry with you; For
I am merciful, says the LORD, I will not continue my wrath
forever. [JER 3:12]
And you have done worse than your fathers. Here you are, every one of you, walking in the hardness of his evil heart instead of listening to me.
I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known; there you can serve strange gods day and night, because I will not grant you my mercy.
[JER 16:12-13]
After that, says the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah, king of
Judah, and his ministers and the people in this city who survive
pestilence, sword, and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, into the hands of their enemies and those who
seek their lives. He shall strike them with the edge of the sword,
without quarter, without pity or mercy. And to this people you
shall say: Thus says the LORD: See, I am giving you a choice
between life and death. Whoever remains in this city shall die by
the sword or famine or pestilence. But whoever leaves and
surrenders to the besieging Chaldeans shall live and have his life
as booty. For I have turned against this city, for its woe and not
for its good, says the LORD. It shall be given into the power of
the king of Babylon who shall burn it with fire.
[JER 21:7-10]
At that time, says the LORD, I will be the God of all the
tribes of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus says the
LORD: The people that escaped the sword have found favor
in the desert. As Israel comes forward to be given his rest,
the LORD appears to him from afar: With age-old love I have
loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you. Again I will
restore you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin
Israel; Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go
forth dancing with the merrymakers. [JER 31:1-4]
Is Ephraim not my favored son, the child in whom I delight?
Often as I threaten him, I still remember him with favor; My heart
stirs for him, I must show him mercy, says the LORD. [JER 31:20]
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]
Thus says the LORD: When I have no covenant with day and night, and have given no laws to heaven and earth,
then too will I reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David, so as not to take from his descendants rulers for the race of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will change their lot and show them mercy.
[JER 33:25-26]
Do not fear the king of Babylon, before whom you are now afraid; do not fear him, says the LORD, for I am with you to save you, to rescue you from his power.
I will grant you mercy, so that he will be sorry for you and let you return to your land.
[JER 42:11-12]
But I will call this to mind, as my reason to have hope:
The favors of the LORD are not exhausted, his mercies are not
spent; They are renewed each morning, so great is his
faithfulness. My portion is the LORD, says my soul; therefore
will I hope in him. Good is the LORD to one who waits for
him, to the soul that seeks him; It is good to hope in
silence for the saving help of the LORD. [LAM 3:21-26]
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]
"Not on the just deeds of our fathers and our kings do we
base our plea for mercy in your sight, O LORD, our God. You have
brought your wrath and anger down upon us, as you had warned us
through your servants the prophets: 'Thus says the LORD: Bend your
shoulders to the service of the king of Babylon, that you may
continue in the land I gave your fathers: for if you do not hear
the LORD'S voice so as to serve the king of Babylon, I will make
to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of
Jerusalem The sounds of joy and the sounds of
gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of
the bride; And all the land shall be deserted, without
inhabitants.' But we did not heed your voice, or serve the king of
Babylon, and you fulfilled the threats you had made through your
servants the prophets, to have the bones of our kings and the
bones of our fathers brought out from their burial places. And
indeed, they lie exposed to the heat of day and the frost of
night. They died in dire anguish, by hunger and the sword and
plague. And you reduced the house which bears your name to what it
is today, for the wickedness of the kingdom of Israel and the
kingdom of Judah. But with us, O Lord, our God, you have dealt in
all your clemency and in all your great mercy." [BARUCH 2:19-27]
"LORD Almighty, God of Israel, afflicted souls and
dismayed spirits call to you. Hear, O LORD, for you are a God of
mercy; and have mercy on us, who have sinned against you: for you
are enthroned forever, while we are perishing forever." [BARUCH
3:1-3]
"Fear not, my children; call upon God, who will
deliver you from oppression at enemy hands. I have trusted in the
Eternal God for your welfare, and joy has come to me from the
Holy One Because of the mercy that will swiftly reach
you from your eternal savior. With mourning and lament I sent
you forth, but God will give you back to me with
enduring gladness and joy." [BARUCH 4:21-23]
For God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory,
with his mercy and justice for company. [BARUCH 5:9]
Therefore, as I live, says the Lord GOD, because you have
defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable abominations, I
swear to cut you down. I will not look upon you with pity nor have
mercy. [EZEK 5:11]
Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, now say: Thus
says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come
upon the four corners of the land! Now the end is upon you; I will
unleash my anger against you and judge you according to your
conduct and lay upon you the consequences of all your
abominations. I will not look upon you with pity nor have mercy; I
will bring your conduct down upon you, and the consequences of
your abominations shall be in your midst; then shall you know that
I am the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster upon disaster! See
it coming! An end is coming, the end is coming upon you! See it
coming! The climax has come for you who dwell in the land! The
time has come, near is the day: a time of consternation, not of
rejoicing. Soon now I will pour out my fury upon you and spend my
anger upon you; I will judge you according to your conduct and lay
upon you the consequences of all your abominations. I will not
look upon you with pity nor have mercy; I will deal with you
according to your conduct, and the consequences of your
abominations shall be in your midst; then shall you know that it
is I, the LORD, who strike. See, the day of the LORD! See, the end
is coming! Lawlessness is in full bloom, insolence flourishes,
violence has risen to support wickedness. It shall not be long in
coming, nor shall it delay. [EZEK 7:1-11]
Then he said to me: Do you see this, son of man? You shall see
other abominations, greater than these! Then he brought me into
the inner court of the LORD'S house, and there at the door of the
LORD'S temple, between the vestibule and the altar, were about
twenty-five men with their backs to the LORD'S temple and their
faces toward the east; they were bowing down to the sun. Do you
see, son of man? he asked me. Is it such a trivial matter for the
house of Judah to do the abominable things they have done here -
for they have filled the land with violence, and again and again
they have provoked me - that now they must also put the branch to
my nose? Therefore I in turn will act furiously: I will not look
upon them with pity nor will I show mercy. [EZEK 8:15-18]
Then he cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the
city! 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.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the
slain; then go out and strike in the city. As they began to
strike, I was left alone. I fell prone, crying out, "Alas,
Lord GOD! Will you destroy all that is left of Israel when you
pour out your fury on Jerusalem?" He answered me: The sins of
the house of Israel are great beyond measure; the land is filled
with bloodshed, the city with lawlessness. They think that the
LORD has forsaken the land, that he does not see them. I, however,
will not look upon them with pity, nor show any mercy. I will
bring down their conduct upon their heads. Then I saw the man
dressed in linen with the writing case at his waist make his
report: "I have done as you ordered." [EZEK 9:1-11]
Daniel went and asked for time from the king, that he might
give him the interpretation. 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. During the night the mystery was revealed to
Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven [Taken from DAN
2:16-19]
For you name's sake, do not deliver us up forever, or make
void your covenant. Do not take away your mercy from us, for
the sake of Abraham, your beloved, Isaac your servant, and
Israel your holy one, To whom you promised to multiply their
offspring like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the
shores of the sea. For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other
nation, brought low everywhere in the world this
day because of our sins. [DAN 3:34-37]
And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you
and we pray to you. Do not let us be put to shame, but deal
with us in your kindness and great mercy. Deliver us by your
wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord [Taken from DAN
3:41-43]
Now the king's men who had thrown them in continued to stoke
the furnace with brimstone, pitch, tow, and faggots. The flames
rose forty-nine cubits above the furnace, and spread out, burning
the Chaldeans nearby. But the angel of the Lord went down into the
furnace with Azariah and his companions, drove the fiery flames
out of the furnace, and made the inside of the furnace as though a
dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. The fire in no way
touched them or caused them pain or harm. Then these three in the
furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God:
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our
fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; And
blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted
above all for all ages. Blessed are you in the temple of you holy
glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever. Blessed
are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted
above all forever. Blessed are you who look into the
depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and
exalted above all forever. Blessed are you in the firmament of
heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever. Bless the Lord,
all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all
forever... Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and
exalt him above all forever. Servants of the Lord, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Spirits and
souls of the just, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above
all forever. Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord; praise
and exalt him above all forever. Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless
the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. For he
has delivered us from the nether world, and saved us from the
power of death; He has freed us from the raging
flame and delivered us from the fire. Give thanks to the
Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Bless
the God of gods, all you who fear the Lord; praise him and
give him thanks, because his mercy endures
forever." Hearing them sing, and astonished at seeing
them alive, 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. [DAN 3:46-57,84-94]
I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with
fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. I prayed to the LORD, my God, and
confessed, "Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep
your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your
commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have
rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We
have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name
to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the
land. Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to
this day: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all
Israel, near and far, in all the countries to which you have
scattered them because of their treachery toward you. O LORD, we
are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for
having sinned against you. But yours, O Lord, our God, are
compassion and forgiveness!" [Taken from DAN 9:3-9]
"Hear, therefore, O God, the prayer and petition of your
servant; and for your own sake, O Lord, let your face shine upon
your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O my God, and listen; open your
eyes and see our ruins and the city which bears your name. When we
present our petition before you, we rely not on our just deeds,
but on your great mercy. O Lord, hear! O Lord, pardon! O Lord, be
attentive and act without delay, for your own sake, O my God,
because this city and your people bear your name!" [DAN 9:17-19]
On that day, says the LORD, She shall call me "My
husband," and never again "My baal." Then will
I remove from her mouth the names of the Baals, so that they
shall no longer be invoked. I will make a covenant for them on
that day, with the beasts of the field, With the birds
of the air, and with the things that crawl on the
ground. Bow and sword and war I will destroy from the
land, and I will let them take their rest in security. I will
espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in
justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in
fidelity, and you shall know the LORD. On that day I will
respond, says the LORD; I will respond to the
heavens, and they shall respond to the earth; The earth shall
respond to the grain, and wine, and oil, and these shall
respond to Jezreel. I will sow him for myself in the
land, and I will have pity on Lo-ruhama. I will say to
Lo-ammi, "You are my people," and he shall say,
"My God!" [HOSEA 2:18-25]
Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel, for the LORD has
a grievance against the inhabitants of the land: There is no
fidelity, no mercy, no knowledge of God in the land. [HOSEA 4:1]
Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD,
your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in
kindness, and relenting in punishment. [JOEL 2:13]
Those who worship vain idols forsake their source of mercy.
[JONAH 2:9]
But this was greatly displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.
"I beseech you, LORD," he prayed, "is not this what
I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at
first to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful
God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish. And now,
LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die
than to live." But the LORD asked, "Have you reason to
be angry?" [JONAH 4:1-4]
Shall he, then, keep on brandishing his sword to slay peoples
without mercy? [HAB 1:17]
Then the angel of the Lord spoke out and said, "O LORD of
hosts, how long will you be without mercy for Jerusalem and the
cities of Judah that have felt your anger these seventy
years?" To the angel who spoke with me, the LORD replied with
comforting words. And the angel who spoke with me said to me,
Proclaim: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am deeply moved for the
sake of Jerusalem and Zion, and I am exceedingly angry with the
complacent nations; whereas I was but a little angry, they added
to the harm. Therefore, says the LORD: I will turn to Jerusalem in
mercy; my house shall be built in it, says the LORD of hosts, and
a measuring line shall be stretched over Jerusalem. Proclaim
further: Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again
overflow with prosperity; the LORD will again comfort Zion, and
again choose Jerusalem. [ZECH 1:12-17]
I will strengthen the house of Judah, the house of Joseph I
will save; I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them,
they shall be as though I had never cast them off, for I am the
LORD, their God, and I will hear them. [ZECH 10:6]
So now if you implore God for mercy on us, when you have done
the like Will he welcome any of you? says the LORD of hosts. [MAL
1:9]
[Jesus said,] "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."
[Taken from MT
5:7]
While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and
sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees
saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher
eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not
sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but
sinners." [MT 9:10-13]
At that time Jesus was going through a field of grain on the
sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of
grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
"See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the
sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David
did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the
house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor
his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have
you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in
the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? I say to you,
something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this
meant, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have
condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the
sabbath." [MT 12:1-8]
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You
pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the
weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity.
(But) these you should have done, without neglecting the others."
[MT 23:23]
And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the
Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon
his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages
call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for
me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to
age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his
arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown
down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has
sent away empty. He has helped Israel his
servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to
our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants
forever." [LK 1:46-55]
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his
great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. [LK 1:57-58]
Then Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit,
prophesied, saying: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of
Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his
people. He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the
house of David his servant, even as he promised through the mouth
of his holy prophets from of old: salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy to our
fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant and of the
oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that,
rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear we might
worship him in holiness and righteousness before him all our
days. And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most
High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to
give his people knowledge of salvation through the
forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our
God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine
on those who sit in darkness and death's shadow, to guide our
feet into the path of peace."
[LK 1:67-79]
"But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who
mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer
the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do
to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those
who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those
who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend
money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is)
that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same
amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and
lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and
you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to
the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as (also) your
Father is merciful." [LK 6:27-36]
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man
fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A
priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him,
he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the
place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But
a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion
at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over
his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own
animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took
out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the
instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have
given you, I shall repay you on my way back.' Which of these
three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus
said to him, "Go and do likewise." [LK 10:29-37]
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]
This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the
children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as
descendants. For this is the wording of the promise, "About
this time I shall return and Sarah will have a son." And not
only that, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one
husband, our father Isaac - before they had yet been born or had
done anything, good or bad, in order that God's elective plan
might continue, not by works but by his call - she was told,
"The older shall serve the younger." As it is
written: "I loved Jacob but hated Esau." What
then are we to say? Is there injustice on the part of God? Of
course not! For he says to Moses: "I will show mercy to
whom I will, I will take pity on whom I will." So it
depends not upon a person's will or exertion, but upon God, who
shows mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "This is why
I have raised you up, to show my power through you that my name
may be proclaimed throughout the earth." Consequently, he has
mercy upon whom he wills, and he hardens whom he wills. You will
say to me then, "Why (then) does he still find fault? For who
can oppose his will?" But who indeed are you, a human being,
to talk back to God? Will what is made say to its maker, "Why
have you created me so?" Or does not the potter have a right
over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for a noble
purpose and another for an ignoble one? What if God, wishing to
show his wrath and make known his power, has endured with much
patience the vessels of wrath made for destruction? This was to
make known the riches of his glory to the vessels of mercy, which
he has prepared previously for glory, namely, us whom he has
called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles. [ROM 9:8-24]
I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers, so
that you will not become wise (in) your own estimation: a
hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of
the Gentiles comes in, and thus all Israel will be saved, as it
is written: "The deliverer will come out of
Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob; and this is
my covenant with them when I take away their sins." In
respect to the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in
respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarchs.
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you
once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their
disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue
of the mercy shown to you, they too may (now) receive mercy. For
God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon
all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
"For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his
counselor?" "Or who has given him
anything that he may be repaid?" For from him and
through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever.
Amen. [ROM 11:25-36]
I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your
spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what
is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. [ROM
12:1-2]
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to
us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith;
if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if
one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if
one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy,
with cheerfulness. [ROM 12:6-8]
Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the
glory of God. For I say that Christ became a minister of the
circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to
the patriarchs, but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for
his mercy. As it is written: "Therefore, I will
praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name." [ROM
15:7-9]
Now in regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord,
but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is
trustworthy. So this is what I think best because of the present
distress: that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
[1COR 7:25-26]
Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown
us, we are not discouraged. Rather, we have renounced shameful,
hidden things; not acting deceitfully or falsifying the word of
God, but by the open declaration of the truth we commend ourselves
to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. [2COR 4:1-2]
For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does
uncircumcision, but only a new creation. Peace and mercy be to all
who follow this rule and to the Israel of God. [GAL 6:15-16]
All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh,
following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses, and we were by
nature children of wrath, like the rest. But God, who is rich in
mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were
dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by
grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us
with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come
he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness
to us in Christ Jesus. [EPH 2:3-7]
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.
[PHIL 2:1-4]
With regard to Epaphroditus, my brother and co-worker and
fellow soldier, your messenger and minister in my need, I consider
it necessary to send him to you. For he has been longing for all
of you and was distressed because you heard that he was ill. He
was indeed ill, close to death; but God had mercy on him, not just
on him but also on me, so that I might not have sorrow upon
sorrow. I send him therefore with the greater eagerness, so that,
on seeing him, you may rejoice again, and I may have less anxiety.
Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy and hold such people in
esteem, because for the sake of the work of Christ he came close
to death, risking his life to make up for those services to me
that you could not perform. [PHIL 2:25-30]
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior
and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, my true child in faith:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our
Lord.
[1TM 1:1-2]
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our
Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the
ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant
man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of
ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been
abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the
foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in
me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience
as an example for those who would come to believe in him for
everlasting life. To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible,
the only God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
[1TM 1:12-17]
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the
promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear child: grace,
mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. [2TM
1:1-2]
You know that everyone in Asia deserted me, including Phygelus
and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the family of
Onesiphorus because he often gave me new heart and was not ashamed
of my chains. But when he came to Rome, he promptly searched for
me and found me. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the
Lord on that day. And you know very well the services he rendered
in Ephesus. [2TM 1:15-18]
Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and
authorities, to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise.
They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate,
exercising all graciousness toward everyone. For we ourselves were
once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and
pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating
one another. But when the kindness and generous love of God
our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had
done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the
bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he
richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so
that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in
hope of eternal life. [TI 3:1-7]
Now since the children share in blood and flesh, he likewise
shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who
has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who
through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life.
Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of
Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers in every
way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before
God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was
tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are
being tested.
[HEB 2:14-18]
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to
our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been
tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently
approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace
for timely help. [HEB 4:14-16]
So speak and so act as people who will be judged by the law of
freedom. For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown
mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. [JMS 2:12-13]
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]
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it until it receives the early and the late
rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the
coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers, about
one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is
standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and
patience, brothers, the prophets who spoke in the name of the
Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered. You have
heard of the perseverance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of
the Lord, because "the Lord is compassionate and
merciful." [JMS 5:7-11]
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in
his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that
is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a
salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
[1PT 1:3-5]
Once you were "no people" but now you are God's
people; you "had not received mercy" but now you have
received mercy. [1PT 2:10]
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and
from Jesus Christ the Father's Son in truth and love. [2JN 1:3]
Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those
who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus
Christ: may mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance. [JUDE 1:1-2]
But you, beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand by the
apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, for they told you, "In
(the) last time there will be scoffers who will live according to
their own godless desires." These are the ones who cause
divisions; they live on the natural plane, devoid of the Spirit.
But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith;
pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and
wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal
life. On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching
them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring
even the outer garment stained by the flesh. [JUDE 1:17-23]
Also try:
repent
/ repentance [R4]
forgive
/ forgiveness [F10]
Confession
(Reconciliation / Penance) [S2]
compassion
/ compassionate [P7]
heal
/ healing [H4]
sin
/ sins / sinned / sinful / sinner [S18a]
admonish
[D9]
punish
/ punishment / unpunished [P22]
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