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The two angels reached
Sodom in the evening, as Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom.
When Lot saw them, he got up to greet them; and bowing down with
his face to the ground, he said, "Please, gentlemen, come
aside into your servant's house for the night, and bathe your
feet; you can get up early to continue your journey." But
they replied, "No, we shall pass the night in the town
square." He urged them so strongly, however, that they turned
aside to his place and entered his house. He prepared a meal for
them, baking cakes without leaven, and they dined. [GEN 19:1-3] When that period of mourning was over, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh's courtiers. "Please do me this favor," he said, "and convey to Pharaoh this request of mine. Since my father, at the point of death, made me promise on oath to bury him in the tomb that he had prepared for himself in the land of Canaan, may I go up there to bury my father and then come back?" Pharaoh replied, "Go and bury your father, as he made you promise on oath." [GEN 50:4-6]
On the first day you shall hold a sacred
assembly, and likewise on the seventh. On these days you shall not
do any sort of work, except to prepare the food that everyone
needs. [EX 12:16]
Since the dough they had brought out of Egypt
was not leavened, they baked it into unleavened loaves. They had
been rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare
food for the journey. [EX 12:39]
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
[EX 16:4-5]
"See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him."
[EX 23:20-21]
This altar you are to place in front of the veil that hangs before the ark of the commandments where I will meet you. "On it Aaron shall burn fragrant incense. Morning after morning, when he prepares the lamps, and again in the evening twilight, when he lights the lamps, he shall burn incense. Throughout your generations this shall be the established incense offering before the LORD." [EX
30:6-8]
The LORD said to Moses, "Take the finest spices: five hundred shekels of free-flowing myrrh; half that amount, that is, two hundred and fifty shekels, of fragrant cinnamon; two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant cane; five hundred shekels of cassia-all according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel; together with a hin of olive oil;
and blend them into sacred anointing oil, perfumed ointment expertly prepared."
[EX 30:22-25]
"To the Israelites you shall say: As sacred anointing oil this shall belong to me throughout your generations. It may not be used in any ordinary anointing of the body, nor may you make any other oil of a like mixture. It is sacred, and shall be treated as sacred by you.
Whoever prepares a perfume like this, or whoever puts any of this on a layman, shall be cut off from his kinsmen."
[EX 30:31-33]
This fragrant
powder, expertly prepared, is to be salted and so kept pure and
sacred. [Taken from EX 30:35]
The sacred anointing oil and the fragrant
incense were prepared in their pure form by a perfumer. [EX 37:29]
The onyx stones were prepared and mounted in
gold filigree work; they were engraved like seal engravings with
the names of the sons of Israel. [EX 39:6]
After Moses, the servant of the LORD, had died, the LORD said to Moses' aide Joshua, son of Nun: "My servant Moses is dead. So prepare to cross the Jordan here, with all the people into the land I will give the Israelites. As I promised Moses, I will deliver to you every place where you set foot." [JOSH
1:1-3]
So Joshua commanded the officers of the people: "Go through the camp and instruct the people, 'Prepare your provisions, for three days from now you shall cross the Jordan here, to march in and take possession of the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you.'"
[JOSH 1:10-11]
The LORD then said to Joshua, "Do not be
afraid or dismayed. Take all the army with you and prepare to
attack Ai. I have delivered the king of Ai into your power, with
his people, city, and land." [Taken from JOSH 8:1]
When those who were to map out the land were
ready for the journey, Joshua instructed them to survey the land,
prepare a description of it, and return to him; then he would cast
lots for them there before the LORD in Shiloh. [JOSH 18:8]
On the fourth day they rose early in the morning and he prepared to go. But the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Fortify yourself with a little food; you can go later on." So they stayed and the two men ate and drank together. Then the girl's father said to the husband, "Why not decide to spend the night here and enjoy yourself?" The man still made a move to go, but when his father-in-law pressed him he went back and spent the night there.
[Taken from JUDG 19:5-7]
Then Jonadab replied, "Lie down on your bed
and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to visit you, say
to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and encourage me to take
food. If she prepares something appetizing in my presence, for me
to see, I will eat it from her hand.'" [2SAM 13:5]
Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty
thousand stonecutters in the mountain, in addition to three
thousand three hundred overseers, answerable to Solomon's prefects
for the work, directing the people engaged in the work. By order
of the king, fine, large blocks were quarried to give the temple a
foundation of hewn stone. Solomon's and Hiram's builders, along
with the Gebalites, hewed them out, and prepared the wood and
stones for building the temple. [1KGS 5:29-32]
So the LORD said to him: "Move on to
Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have designated a widow there
to provide for you." He left and went to Zarephath. As he
arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks
there; he called out to her, "Please bring me a small cupful
of water to drink." She left to get it, and he called out
after her, "Please bring along a bit of bread." "As
the LORD, your God, lives," she answered, "I have
nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a
little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of
sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when
we have eaten it, we shall die." "Do not be
afraid," Elijah said to her. "Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can
prepare something for yourself and your son. For the LORD, the God
of Israel, says, 'The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug
of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the
earth.'" She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to
eat for a year, and he and her son as well; The jar of flour did
not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold
through Elijah. [1KGS 17:8-16]
Ben-hadad was drinking in the pavilions with the
kings when he heard this reply. "Prepare the assault,"
he commanded his servants; and they made ready to storm the city.
[1KGS 20:12]
Ahab had seventy descendants in Samaria. Jehu
prepared letters and sent them to the city rulers, to the elders,
and to the guardians of Ahab's descendants in Samaria. [2KGS 10:1]
'Have you not heard? Long ago I prepared it, From days of old I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass: That you should reduce fortified cities into heaps of ruins, While their inhabitants, shorn of power, are dismayed and ashamed, Becoming like the plants of the field, like the green growth, like the scorched grass on the housetops.'
[2KGS 19:25-26]
All these soldiers, drawn up in battle order, came to Hebron with the resolute intention of making David king over all Israel. The rest of Israel was likewise of one mind to make David king. They remained with David for three days, feasting and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
[1CHRON 12:39-40]
David built houses for himself in the City of David and prepared a place for the ark of God, pitching a tent for it there. At that time he said, "No one may carry the ark of God except the Levites, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him forever." Then David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the LORD to the place which he had prepared for it.
[1CHRON 15:1-3]
David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar,
and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and
Amminadab, and said to them: "You, the heads of the levitical
families, must sanctify yourselves along with your brethren and
bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place which I
have prepared for it. Because you were not with us the first time,
the wrath of the LORD our God burst upon us, for we did not seek
him aright." Accordingly, the priests and the Levites
sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of
Israel. [1CHRON 15:11-14]
David then ordered that all the aliens who lived
in the land of Israel be brought together, and he appointed them
stonecutters to hew out stone blocks for building the house of
God. He also laid up large stores of iron to make nails for the
doors of the gates, and clamps, together with so much bronze that
it could not be weighed, and cedar trees without number. The
Sidonians and Tyrians brought great stores of cedar logs to David,
who said: "My son Solomon is young and immature; but the
house that is to be built for the LORD must be made so magnificent
that it will be renowned and glorious in all countries. Therefore
I will make preparations for it." Thus before his death David
laid up materials in abundance. [1CHRON 22:2-5]
David rose to his feet and said: "Hear
me, my brethren and my people. It was my purpose to build a house
of repose myself for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the
footstool for the feet of our God; and I was preparing to build
it. But God said to me, 'You may not build a house in my honor,
for you are a man who fought wars and shed blood.' However, the
LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all my father's family to
be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, then
one family of Judah, that of my father; and finally, among all the
sons of my father, it pleased him to make me king over all Israel.
And of all my sons - for the LORD has given me many sons - he has
chosen my son Solomon to sit on the LORD'S royal throne over
Israel. For he said to me: 'It is your son Solomon who shall build
my house and my courts, for I have chosen him for my son, and I
will be a father to him. I will establish his kingdom forever, if
he perseveres in keeping my commandments and decrees as he keeps
them now.' Therefore, in the presence of all Israel, the assembly
of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, I exhort you to keep
and to carry out all the commandments of the LORD, your God, that
you may continue to possess this good land and afterward leave it
as an inheritance to your children forever." [1CHRON 28:2-8]
"O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep such thoughts in the hearts and minds of your people forever, and direct their hearts toward you.
Give to my son Solomon a wholehearted desire to keep your commandments, precepts, and statutes, that he may carry out all these plans and build the castle for which I have made preparation." [1CHRON
29:18-19]
Also send me boards of cedar, cypress and cabinet wood from Lebanon, for I realize that your servants know how to cut the wood of the Lebanon. My servants will labor with yours in order to
prepare for me a great quantity of wood, since the house I intend to build must be lofty and wonderful.
[2CHRON 2:7-8]
Amaziah mustered Judah and placed them, out of
all Judah and Benjamin according to their ancestral houses, under
leaders of thousands and of hundreds. When he had counted those of
twenty years and over, he found them to be three hundred thousand
picked men fit for war, capable of handling lance and shield. He
also hired a hundred thousand valiant warriors from Israel for a
hundred talents of silver. But a man of God came to him and said:
"O king, let not the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD
is not with Israel, with any Ephraimite. Instead, go on your own,
strongly prepared for the conflict; otherwise the LORD will defeat
you in the face of the enemy. It is God who has the power to
reinforce or to defeat." Amaziah answered the man of God,
"But what is to be done about the hundred talents that I paid
for the troops of Israel?" The man of God replied, "The
LORD can give you much more than that." Amaziah then
disbanded the troops that had come to him from Ephraim, and sent
them home. They, however, became furiously angry with Judah, and
returned home blazing with resentment. [2CHRON 25:5-10]
Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother, named Jecoliah, was from Jerusalem. He pleased the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. He was prepared to seek God as long as Zechariah lived, who taught him to fear God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.
[2CHRON 26:3-5]
He then looked to his defenses: he rebuilt the
wall where it was broken down, raised towers upon it, and built
another wall outside. He strengthened the Millo of the City of
David and had a great number of spears and shields prepared.
[2CHRON 32:5]
'The LORD says: I am prepared to bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses written in the book that has been read before the king of Judah. Because they have abandoned me and have offered incense to other gods, provoking me by every deed that they have performed, my anger is ablaze against this place and cannot be extinguished.' [2CHRON
34:24-25]
Prepare yourselves in your ancestral houses and
your classes according to the prescriptions of King David of
Israel and his son Solomon. [2CHRON 35:4]
The singers, the sons of Asaph, were at their
posts as prescribed by David: Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, the
king's seer. The gatekeepers were at every gate; there was no need
for them to leave their stations, for their brethren, the Levites,
prepared for them. [2CHRON 35:15]
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin and
the priests and Levites - everyone, that is, whom God had inspired
to do so - prepared to go up to build the house of the LORD in
Jerusalem. [EZRA 1:5]
He said further: "Go, eat rich foods and
drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing
prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this
day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!" [NEH
8:10]
Thus under King Esarhaddon I returned to my
home, and my wife Anna and my son Tobiah were restored to me. Then
on our festival of Pentecost, the feast of Weeks, a fine dinner
was prepared for me, and I reclined to eat. The table was set for
me, and when many different dishes were placed before me, I said
to my son Tobiah: "My son, go out and try to find a poor man
from among our kinsmen exiled here in Nineveh. If he is a sincere
worshiper of God, bring him back with you, so that he can share
this meal with me. Indeed, son, I shall wait for you to come
back." [TOBIT 2:1-2]
Tobit said, "God bless you, brother."
Then he called his son and said to him: "My son, prepare
whatever you need for the journey, and set out with your kinsman.
May God in heaven protect you on the way and bring you back to me
safe and sound; and may his angel accompany you for safety, my
son." Before setting out on his journey, Tobiah kissed his
father and mother. Tobit said to him, "Have a safe
journey." [TOBIT 5:17]
Afterward they began to eat and drink. Later
Raguel called his wife Edna and said, "My love, prepare the
other bedroom and bring the girl there." She went and made
the bed in the room, as she was told, and brought the girl there.
After she had cried over her, she wiped away the tears and said:
"Be brave, my daughter. May the Lord of heaven grant you joy
in place of your grief. Courage, my daughter." Then she left.
[TOBIT 7:14-17]
Then they left and began their return journey. When they were near Kaserin, just before Nineveh, Raphael said: "You know how we left your father.
Let us hurry on ahead of your wife to prepare the house while the rest of the party are still on the way."
[TOBIT 11:1-3]
The people there posted guards on all the
summits of the high mountains, fortified their villages, and since
their fields had recently been harvested, stored up provisions in
preparation for war. [JDTH 4:5]
Holofernes said to her, "Drink and be merry
with us!" Judith replied, "I will gladly drink, my lord,
for at no time since I was born have I ever enjoyed life as much
as I do today." She then took the things her maid had
prepared, and ate and drank in his presence. Holofernes, charmed
by her, drank a great quantity of wine, more than he had ever
drunk on one single day in his life. [JDTH 12:17-20]
This was his dream. There was noise and tumult, thunder and earthquake-confusion upon the earth. Two great dragons came on, both poised for combat. They uttered a mighty cry, and at their cry every nation prepared for war, to fight against the race of the just.
It was a dark and gloomy day. Tribulation and distress, evil and great confusion, lay upon the earth.
[Taken from ESTH A:4-7]
Mordecai lodged at the court with Bagathan and Thares, two eunuchs of the king who were court guards. He overheard them plotting, investigated their plans, and discovered that they were preparing to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. So he informed the king about them, and the king had the two eunuchs questioned and, upon their confession, put to death.
[ESTH A:12-14]
Each girl went in turn to visit King Ahasuerus after the twelve
months' preparation decreed for the women. Of this period of beautifying treatment, six months were spent with oil of myrrh, and the other six months with perfumes and cosmetics. Then, when the girl was to visit the king, she was allowed to take with her from the harem to the royal palace whatever she chose.
[ESTH 2:12-13]
A copy of the decree to be promulgated as law
in every province was published to all the peoples, that they
might be prepared for that day. [ESTH 3:3]
Esther sent back to Mordecai the response:
"Go and assemble all the Jews who are in Susa; fast on my
behalf, all of you, not eating or drinking, night or day, for
three days. I and my maids will also fast in the same way.
Thus prepared, I will go to the king, contrary to the law. If
I perish, I perish!" Mordecai went away and did exactly
as Esther had commanded. [ESTH 4:15-16]
Esther replied: "This is my petition and request: if I have found favor with the king and if it pleases your majesty to grant my petition and honor my request, come with Haman tomorrow to a banquet which I shall prepare for you; and then I will do as you ask."
[ESTH 5:7-8]
When Antiochus heard about these events, he was
angry; so he ordered a muster of all the forces of his kingdom, a
very strong army. He opened his treasure chests, gave his soldiers
a year's pay, and commanded them to be prepared for anything. He
then found that this exhausted the money in his treasury; moreover
the income from the province was small, because of the dissension
and distress he had brought upon the land by abolishing the laws
which had been in effect from of old. He feared that, as had
happened more than once, he would not have enough for his expenses
and for the gifts that he had previously given with a more liberal
hand than the preceding kings.
[1MACC 3:27-30]
Judas and his brothers saw that the situation had become critical now that armies were encamped within their territory; they knew of the orders which the king had given to destroy and utterly wipe out the people. So they said to one another, "Let us restore our people from their ruined estate, and fight for our people and our sanctuary!"
The assembly gathered together to prepare for battle and to pray and implore mercy and compassion.
[1MACC 3:42-44]
The Gentiles in Gilead assembled to attack and destroy the Israelites who were in their territory; these then fled to the stronghold of
Dathema. They sent a letter to Judas and his brothers saying: "The Gentiles around us have combined against us to destroy us, and they are preparing to come and seize this stronghold to which we have fled. Timothy is the leader of their army. Come at once and rescue us from them, for many of us have fallen."
[Taken from 1MACC 5:9-12]
Then Judas marched away from the citadel and moved his camp to Beth-zechariah, on the way to the king's camp.
The king, rising before dawn, moved his force hastily along the road to Beth-zechariah; and the armies prepared for battle, while the trumpets sounded.
[1MACC 6:32-33]
As he was preparing to enter the royal palace of
his ancestors, the soldiers seized Antiochus and Lysias to bring
them to him. [1MACC 7:2]
So he came to Judas, and they greeted one
another peaceably. But Judas' enemies were prepared to seize him.
[1MACC 7:29]
For us who have taken upon ourselves the labor of making this digest,
the task, far from being easy, is one of sweat and of sleepless nights, just as the preparation of a festive banquet is no light matter for one who thus seeks to give enjoyment to others. Similarly, to win the gratitude of many we will gladly endure these inconveniences,
while we leave the responsibility for exact details to the original author, and confine our efforts to giving only a summary outline.
[2MACC 2:26-28]
Behold, I have prepared my case, I know that I
am in the right. [JOB 13:18]
God is a just judge, who rebukes in anger every day. If sinners do not repent, God sharpens his sword, strings and readies the bow,
Prepares his deadly shafts, makes arrows blazing thunderbolts.
[PS 7:12-14]
You visit the earth and water it, make it
abundantly fertile. God's stream is filled with
water; with it you supply the world with grain. Thus do you
prepare the earth: you drench plowed furrows, and level their
ridges. With showers you keep the ground soft, blessing its
young sprouts. You adorn the year with your bounty; your paths
drip with fruitful rain. The untilled meadows also drip; the hills
are robed with joy. The pastures are clothed with flocks, the
valleys blanketed with grain; they cheer and sing for joy. [PS
65:10-14]
Rods are prepared for the arrogant, and blows
for the backs of fools. [PROV 19:29]
Again, one preparing for a voyage and about to
traverse the wild waves cries out to wood more unsound
than the boat that bears him. For the urge for profits devised
this latter, and Wisdom the artificer produced it. But your
providence, O Father! guides it, for you have furnished even
in the sea a road, and through the waves a steady path,
Showing that you can save from any danger, so that even one
without skill may embark. But you will that the products of your
Wisdom be not idle; therefore men trust their lives even to
frailest wood, and have been safe crossing the surge on a
raft. [WISDOM 14:1-5]
My son, when you come to serve the LORD, prepare
yourself for trials. [SIRACH 2:1]
Those who fear the LORD prepare their hearts and
humble themselves before him. [SIRACH 2:17]
Be informed before speaking; before sickness
prepare the cure. [SIRACH 18:18]
Prepare your words and you will be listened to;
draw upon your training, and then give your answer. [SIRACH 33:4]
God makes the earth yield healing
herbs which the prudent man should not neglect; Was not the
water sweetened by a twig that men might learn his power? He
endows men with the knowledge to glory in his mighty works,
Through which the doctor eases pain and the druggist prepares
his medicines; Thus God's creative work continues without
cease in its efficacy on the surface of the earth. [SIRACH
38:4-8]
My son, shed tears for one who is dead with
wailing and bitter lament; As is only proper, prepare the
body, absent not yourself from his burial: Weeping bitterly,
mourning fully, pay your tribute of sorrow, as he deserves,
One or two days, to prevent gossip; then compose yourself
after your grief, For grief can bring on an extremity and
heartache destroy one's health. [SIRACH 38:16-19]
The LORD has broken the rod of the
wicked, the staff of the tyrants That struck the peoples in
wrath relentless blows; That beat down the nations in
anger, with oppression unchecked. The whole earth rests
peacefully, song breaks forth; The very cypresses rejoice
over you, and the cedars of Lebanon: "Now that you
are laid to rest, there will be none to cut us down."
The nether world below is all astir preparing for your
coming; It awakens the shades to greet you, all the
leaders of the earth; It has the kings of all
nations rise from their thrones. All of them speak
out and say to you, "You too have become weak like
us, you are the same as we."
[ISA 14:5-10]
The princes of Zoan have become fools, the
princes of Memphis have been deceived. The chiefs of her tribes have led Egypt astray.
The LORD has prepared among them a spirit of dizziness, And they have made Egypt stagger in whatever she does, as a drunkard staggers in his vomit. [ISA
19:13-14]
The wicked man, spared, does not learn justice; in an upright land he acts perversely, and sees not the majesty of the LORD. O LORD, your hand is uplifted, but they behold it not;
Let them be shamed when they see your zeal for your people: let the fire prepared for your enemies consume them.
[ISA 26:10-11]
For the pyre has long been ready, prepared for
the king; Broad and deep it is piled with dry grass and wood in
abundance, And the breath of the LORD, like a stream of sulphur,
will set it afire. [ISA 30:33]
Have you not heard? Long ago I prepared it, From
days of old I planned it, now I have brought it to pass: That you
should reduce fortified cities into heaps of ruins, While their
inhabitants, shorn of power, are dismayed and ashamed, Becoming
like the plants of the field, like the green growth, like the
scorched grass on the housetops. [ISA 37:26-27]
A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way
of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
[ISA 40:3]
Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove the
stumbling blocks from my people's path. For thus says he who is
high and exalted, living eternally, whose name is the Holy One: On
high I dwell, and in holiness, and with the crushed and dejected
in spirit, To revive the spirits of the dejected, to revive the
hearts of the crushed. [ISA 57:14-15]
Pass through, pass through the gates, prepare the way for the
people; Build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, raise up a standard over the nations. See, the LORD proclaims to the ends of the earth:
Say to daughter Zion, your savior comes! Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him.
[ISA 62:10-11]
Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of
man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes
to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they
are a rebellious house. Now, son of man, during the day while they
are looking on, prepare your baggage as though for exile, and
again while they are looking on, migrate from where you live to
another place; perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious
house. You shall bring out your baggage like an exile in the
daytime while they are looking on; in the evening, again while
they are looking on, you shall go out like one of those driven
into exile; while they look on, dig a hole in the wall and pass
through it; while they look on, shoulder the burden and set out in
the darkness; cover your face that you may not see the land, for I
have made you a sign for the house of Israel.
[EZEK 12:1-6]
I will prepare for them peaceful fields for
planting; they shall no longer be carried off by famine in the
land, or bear the reproaches of the nations. [EZEK 34:29]
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. [DAN 1:18]
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 [Taken from AMOS 4:12]
Silence in the presence of the Lord
GOD! for near is the day of the LORD, Yes, the LORD has
prepared a slaughter feast, he has consecrated his guests. On
the day of the LORD'S slaughter feast I will punish the
princes, and the king's sons, and all that dress in foreign
apparel. I will punish, on that day, all who leap over the
threshold, Who fill the house of their master with
violence and deceit. [Taken from ZEPH 1:7-9]
Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way
before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD
whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. [MAL 3:1]
In those days John the Baptist appeared,
preaching in the desert of Judea (and) saying, "Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the
prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of
one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.'" [MT 3:1-3]
As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to
the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to
see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are
in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes,
I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it
is written: 'Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of
you; he will prepare your way before you.' Amen, I say to
you, among those born of women there has been none greater than
John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he." [MT 11:7-11]
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee
approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask
him for something. He said to her, "What do you wish?"
She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your
kingdom." Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you
are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can." He replied, "My cup you
will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left (, this)
is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared
by my Father." When the ten heard this, they became indignant
at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, "You
know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the
great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not
be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you
shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall
be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." [MT
20:20-28]
So too, you also must be prepared, for at an
hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. [MT 24:44]
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will
separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats
on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come,
you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and
you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for
me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer
him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and
welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or
in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on
his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you
gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a
stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no
clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then
they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not
minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do
for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the
righteous to eternal life." [MT 25:31-46]
Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of
Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of
costly perfumed oil, and poured it on his head while he was
reclining at table. When the disciples saw this, they were
indignant and said, "Why this waste? It could have been sold
for much, and the money given to the poor." Since Jesus knew
this, he said to them, "Why do you make trouble for the
woman? She has done a good thing for me. The poor you will always
have with you; but you will not always have me. In pouring this
perfumed oil upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
Amen, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the
whole world, what she has done will be spoken of, in memory of
her." [MT 26:6-13]
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]
The next day, the one following the day of
preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before
Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember that this impostor while
still alive said, 'After three days I will be raised up.' Give
orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day, lest
his disciples come and steal him and say to the people, 'He has
been raised from the dead.' This last imposture would be worse
than the first." Pilate said to them, "The guard is
yours; go secure it as best you can." So they went and
secured the tomb by fixing a seal to the stone and setting the
guard. [MT 27:62-66]
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
"Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will
prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the
desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his
paths.'" John (the) Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [MK
1:2-4]
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came
to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us
whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish
(me) to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in
your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your
left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are
asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the
baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We
can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you
will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you
will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine
to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared." When
the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus
summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are
recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall
not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you
will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be
the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but
to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." [MK 10:35-45]
When it was already evening, since it was the
day of preparation, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of
Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, who was himself
awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate
and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was amazed that he was
already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had
already died. And when he learned of it from the centurion, he
gave the body to Joseph. Having bought a linen cloth, he took him
down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that
had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the
entrance to the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses
watched where he was laid. [MK 15:42-47]
In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a
priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his
wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had
no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in
years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn
before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he
was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn
incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying
outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord
appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But
the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because
your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a
son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and
gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great
in the sight of (the) Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong
drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his
mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to
the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power
of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the
disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a
people fit for the Lord." [LK 1:5-17]
"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." [Taken from LK 1:76-79]
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was
Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the
consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had
been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see
death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the
Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child
Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took
him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you
may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my
eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all
the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for
your people Israel." [LK 2:25-32]
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius
Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was
tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God
came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. He went
throughout (the) whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism
of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the
book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one
crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make
straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every
mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be
made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall
see the salvation of God.'" [LK 3:1-6]
When the messengers of John had left, Jesus
began to speak to the crowds about John. "What did you go out
to the desert to see - a reed swayed by the wind? Then what did
you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who
dress luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces.
Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and
more than a prophet. This is the one about whom scripture says:
'Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare
your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women, no
one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is
greater than he." [LK 7:24-28]
When the days for his being taken up were
fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and
he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a
Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they
would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was
Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
"Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to
consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they
journeyed to another village. [LK 9:51-56]
Then he told them a parable. "There was a
rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked
himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my
harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down
my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain
and other goods and I shall say to myself, 'Now as for you, you
have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat,
drink, be merry!' But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your
life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to
whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for the one who stores up
treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."
[LK 12:16-21]
"Gird your loins and light your lamps and
be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are
those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at
table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the
second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed
are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have
let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an
hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Then Peter
said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or for
everyone?" And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the
faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of
his servants to distribute (the) food allowance at the proper
time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds
doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all
his property. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is
delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the
maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant's
master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and
will punish him severely and assign him a place with the
unfaithful. That servant who knew his master's will but did not
make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten
severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten
only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with
much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with
more." [LK 12:35-48]
"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not
rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your
apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink
when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did
what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done
all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'" [LK
17:7-10]
"Before all this happens, however, they
will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the
synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings
and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving
testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense
beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that
all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You
will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and
friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated
by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be
destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives." [LK
21:12-19]
[Jesus] sent out Peter and John, instructing
them, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the
Passover." They asked him, "Where do you want us to make
the preparations?" And he answered them, "When you go
into the city, a man will meet you carrying a jar of water. Follow
him into the house that he enters and say to the master of the
house, 'The teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' He will
show you a large upper room that is furnished. Make the
preparations there." Then they went off and found everything
exactly as he had told them, and there they prepared the Passover.
[Taken from LK 22:8-13]
"Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to
sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith
may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen
your brothers." He said to him, "Lord, I am prepared to
go to prison and to die with you." But he replied, "I
tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day, you will deny
three times that you know me." [LK 22:31-34]
Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named
Joseph who, though he was a member of the council, had not
consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of
Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate
and asked for the body of Jesus. After he had taken the body down,
he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in
which no one had yet been buried. It was the day of preparation,
and the sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come from
Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb
and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and
prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath
according to the commandment. [LK 23:50-56]
But at daybreak on the first day of the week
they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They
found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were
puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared
to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to them, "Why do you seek the living one among the
dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he
said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man
must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the
third day." [LK 24:1-7]
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You
have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house
there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have
told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go
and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you
to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where (I) am going
you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do
not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus
said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me." [JN 14:1-6]
When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus
out and seated him on the judge's bench in the place called Stone
Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was preparation day for
Passover, and it was about noon. And he said to the Jews,
"Behold, your king!" They cried out, "Take him
away, take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them,
"Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered,
"We have no king but Caesar." Then he handed him over to
them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross
himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in
Hebrew, Golgotha. [JN 19:13-17]
Now since it was preparation day, in order that
the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the
sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate
that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers
came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who
was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that
he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier
thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water
flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is
true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may
(come to) believe. For this happened so that the scripture passage
might be fulfilled: "Not a bone of it will be broken."
And again another passage says: "They will look upon him whom
they have pierced." [JN 19:31-37]
They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.
[JN 19:40-42]
We had been there several days when a prophet
named Agabus came down from Judea. He came up to us, took Paul's
belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, "Thus
says the Holy Spirit: This is the way the Jews will bind the owner
of this belt in Jerusalem, and they will hand him over to the
Gentiles." When we heard this, we and the local residents
begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul replied,
"What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am
prepared not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the
name of the Lord Jesus." Since he would not be dissuaded we
let the matter rest, saying, "The Lord's will be done."
After these days we made preparations for our journey, then went
up to Jerusalem. [ACTS 21:10-15]
When day came, the Jews made a plot and bound
themselves by oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
There were more than forty who formed this conspiracy. They went
to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound
ourselves by a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed
Paul. You, together with the Sanhedrin, must now make an official
request to the commander to have him bring him down to you, as
though you meant to investigate his case more thoroughly. We on
our part are prepared to kill him before he arrives." The son
of Paul's sister, however, heard about the ambush; so he went and
entered the compound and reported it to Paul. [ACTS 23:12-16]
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 9:18-24]
But as it is written: "What eye has not
seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human
heart, what God has prepared for those who love him," this
God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit
scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God. [1COR 2:9-10]
For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a
tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling
not made with hands, eternal in heaven. For in this tent we groan,
longing to be further clothed with our heavenly habitation if
indeed, when we have taken it off, we shall not be found naked.
For while we are in this tent we groan and are weighed down,
because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be further clothed,
so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one
who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us
the Spirit as a first installment. So we are always courageous,
although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away
from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are
courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the
Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home
or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what
he did in the body, whether good or evil. [2COR 5:1-10]
For we are his handiwork, created in Christ
Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we
should live in them. [EPH 2:10]
At the same time prepare a guest room for me,
for I hope to be granted to you through your prayers. [PHLM 1:22]
All these died in faith. They did not receive
what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and
acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for
those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. If
they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they
would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better
homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be
called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. [HEB 11:13-16]
The seven angels who were holding the seven
trumpets prepared to blow them. [RV 8:6]
So the four angels were released, who were
prepared for this hour, day, month, and year to kill a third of
the human race. [RV 9:15]
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman
clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her
head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud
in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared
in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten
horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a
third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to
devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a
male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her
child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled
into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there
she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days. [RV
12:1-6]
The sixth angel emptied his bowl on the great
river Euphrates. Its water was dried up to prepare the way for the
kings of the East. [RV 16:12]
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no
more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
[RV 21:1-2]
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