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Let not my soul enter their council, or my
spirit be joined with their company [Taken from GEN 49:6]
Yet there too you shall seek the LORD, your God;
and you shall indeed find him when you search after him with your
whole heart and your whole soul. [DEUT 4:29]
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength." [DEUT 6:4-5]
"And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD which I enjoin on you today for your own good?" [DEUT 10:12-13]
"Therefore, take these words of mine into
your heart and soul. Bind them at your wrist as a sign, and let
them be a pendant on your forehead. Teach them to your children,
speaking of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at
rest. And write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your
gates, so that, as long as the heavens are above the earth, you
and your children may live on in the land which the LORD swore to
your fathers he would give them." [DEUT 11:18-21]
"If there arises among you a prophet or a
dreamer who promises you a sign or wonder, urging you to follow
other gods, whom you have not known, and to serve them: even
though the sign or wonder he has foretold you comes to pass, pay
no attention to the words of that prophet or that dreamer; for the
LORD, your God, is testing you to learn whether you really love
him with all your heart and with all your soul. The LORD, your
God, shall you follow, and him shall you fear; his commandment
shall you observe, and his voice shall you heed, serving him and
holding fast to him alone." [DEUT 13:2-5]
"This day the LORD, your God, commands you
to observe these statutes and decrees. Be careful, then, to
observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you
are making this agreement with the LORD: he is to be your God and
you are to walk in his ways and observe his statutes, commandments
and decrees, and to hearken to his voice. And today the LORD is
making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly
his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his
commandments, he will then raise you high in praise and renown and
glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a
people sacred to the LORD, your God, as he promised." [DEUT
26:16-19]
Then the LORD, your God, will increase in more than goodly measure the returns from all your labors, the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your soil; for the LORD, your God, will again take delight in your prosperity, even as he took delight in your fathers', if only you heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul. [DEUT
30:9-10]
But be very careful to observe the precept and law which Moses, the servant of the LORD, enjoined upon you: love the LORD, your God; follow him faithfully; keep his commandments; remain loyal to him; and serve him with your whole heart and soul.
[JOSH 22:5]
"Today, as you see, I am going the way of
all men. So now acknowledge with your whole heart and soul that
not one of all the promises the LORD, your God, made to you has
remained unfulfilled. Every promise has been fulfilled for you,
with not one single exception. But just as every promise the LORD,
your God, made to you has been fulfilled for you, so will he
fulfill every threat, even so far as to exterminate you from this
good land which the LORD, your God, has given you. If you
transgress the covenant of the LORD, your God, which he enjoined
on you, serve other gods and worship them, the anger of the LORD
will flare up against you and you will quickly perish from the
good land which he has given you." [JOSH 23:14-16]
When the time of David's death drew near, he
gave these instructions to his son Solomon: "I am going the
way of all mankind. Take courage and be a man. Keep the mandate of
the LORD, your God, following his ways and observing his statutes,
commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written in the law
of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do, wherever you
turn, and the LORD may fulfill the promise he made on my behalf
when he said, 'If your sons so conduct themselves that they remain
faithful to me with their whole heart and with their whole soul,
you shall always have someone of your line on the throne of
Israel.'" [1KGS 2:1-4]
"Whatever the direction in which you may
send your people forth to war against their enemies, if they pray
to you, O LORD, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I
have built in your honor, listen in heaven to their prayer and
petition, and defend their cause. When they sin against you (for
there is no man who does not sin), and in your anger against them
you deliver them to the enemy, so that their captors deport them
to a hostile land, far or near, may they repent in the land of
their captivity and be converted. If then they entreat you in the
land of their captors and say, 'We have sinned and done wrong; we
have been wicked'; if with their whole heart and soul they turn
back to you in the land of the enemies who took them captive, pray
to you toward the land you gave their fathers, the city you have
chosen, and the temple I have built in your honor, listen from
your heavenly dwelling. Forgive your people their sins and all the
offenses they have committed against you, and grant them mercy
before their captors, so that these will be merciful to them. For
they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of
Egypt, from the midst of an iron furnace." [Taken from 1KGS
8:44-51]
In the second year of Asa, king of Judah, Nadab,
son of Jeroboam, became king of Israel; he reigned over Israel two
years. He did evil in the LORD'S sight, imitating his father's
conduct and the sin which he had caused Israel to commit. Baasha,
son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, plotted against him and
struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines, which Nadab and
all Israel were besieging. Baasha killed him in the third year of
Asa, king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. Once he was king, he
killed off the entire house of Jeroboam, not leaving a single soul
to Jeroboam but destroying him utterly, according to the warning
which the LORD had pronounced through his servant, Ahijah the
Shilonite, because of the sins Jeroboam committed and caused
Israel to commit, by which he provoked the LORD, the God of
Israel, to anger. [1KGS 15:25-30]
The king then had all the elders of Judah and of
Jerusalem summoned together before him. The king went up to the
temple of the LORD with all the men of Judah and all the
inhabitants of Jerusalem: priests, prophets, and all the people,
small and great. He had the entire contents of the book of the
covenant that had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out
to them. Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before
the LORD that they would follow him and observe his ordinances,
statutes and decrees with their whole hearts and souls, thus
reviving the terms of the covenant which were written in this
book. And all the people stood as participants in the covenant. [2KGS
23:1-3]
Further, Josiah did away with the consultation
of ghosts and spirits, with the household gods, idols, and all the
other horrors to be seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, so
that he might carry out the stipulations of the law written in the
book that the priest Hilkiah had found in the temple of the LORD.
Before him there had been no king who turned to the LORD as he
did, with his whole heart, his whole soul, and his whole strength,
in accord with the entire law of Moses; nor could any after him
compare with him. Yet, because of all the provocations that
Manasseh had given, the LORD did not desist from his fiercely
burning anger against Judah. [2KGS 23:24-26]
David also commanded all of Israel's leaders to
help his son Solomon: "Is not the LORD your God with you? Has
he not given you rest on every side? Indeed, he has delivered the
occupants of the land into my power, and the land is subdued
before the LORD and his people. Therefore, devote your hearts and
souls to seeking the LORD your God. Proceed to build the sanctuary
of the LORD God, that the ark of the covenant of the LORD and
God's sacred vessels may be brought into the house built in honor
of the LORD."
[1CHRON 22:17-19]
"As for you, Solomon, my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing soul, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the mind's thoughts. If you seek him, he will let himself be found by you; but if you abandon him, he will cast you off forever." [1CHRON
28:9]
They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD,
the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and
everyone who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, was to be
put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. They
swore to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting and with
trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had
sworn with their whole heart and sought him with complete desire,
so that he was present to them. And the LORD gave them rest on
every side. [2CHRON 15:12-15]
Standing at his post, the king made a covenant
before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep his commandments,
decrees, and statutes with his whole heart and soul, thus
observing the terms of the covenant written in this book. He
thereby committed all who were of Jerusalem and Benjamin, and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem conformed themselves to the covenant of
God, the God of their fathers. Josiah removed every abominable
thing from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he
obliged all who were in Israel to serve the LORD, their God.
During his lifetime they did not desert the LORD, the God of their
fathers. [2CHRON 34:31-33]
We should indeed be made slaves, but at least we should live, and not have to behold our little ones dying before our eyes and our wives and children breathing out their souls.
[Taken from JDTH 7:27]
So on the day he had set he went in to take an
inventory of the funds. There was great distress throughout the
city. Priests prostrated themselves in their priestly robes before
the altar, and loudly begged him in heaven who had given the law
about deposits to keep the deposits safe for those who had made
them. Whoever saw the appearance of the high priest was pierced to
the heart, for the changed color of his face manifested the
anguish of his soul. The terror and bodily trembling that had come
over the man clearly showed those who saw him the pain that lodged
in his heart. People rushed out of their houses in crowds to make
public supplication, because the Place was in danger of being
profaned. [2MACC 3:14-18]
When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned and said: "The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that, although I could have escaped death, I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging, but also suffering it with joy in my soul because of my devotion to him." This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation. [2MACC
6:30-31]
Judas... was ever in body and soul the chief defender of his fellow
citizens [Taken from 2MACC
15:30]
My own utterance I will not restrain; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I the sea,
or a monster of the deep, that you place a watch over me? Why have you set me up as an object of attack; or why should I be a target for you?
[JOB 7:11-12]
I loathe my life. I will give myself up to
complaint; I will speak from the bitterness of my soul. I will say
to God: Do not put me in the wrong! Let me know why you oppose me.
Is it a pleasure for you to oppress, to spurn the work of your
hands, and smile on the plan of the wicked? [JOB 10:1-3]
In his hand is the soul of every living thing,
and the life breath of all mankind. [JOB 12:10]
As waters wear away the stones and floods wash
away the soil of the land, so you destroy the hope of man. You
prevail once for all against him and he passes on; with changed
appearance you send him away. If his sons are honored, he is not
aware of it; if they are in disgrace, he does not know about them.
Only his own flesh pains him, and his soul grieves for him. [JOB
14:19-22]
How long will you vex my soul, grind me down with words? These ten times you have reviled me, have assailed me without shame!
[JOB 19:2-3]
One dies in his full vigor, wholly at ease and
content; His figure is full and nourished, and his bones are rich
in marrow. Another dies in bitterness of soul, having never tasted
happiness. Alike they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them
both. [JOB 21:23-26]
From the dust the dying groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out (yet God does not treat it as unseemly).
[JOB
24:12]
As God lives, who withholds my deserts, the Almighty, who has made bitter my soul, So long as I still have life in me and the breath of God is in my nostrils,
My lips shall not speak falsehood, nor my tongue utter deceit! [JOB
27:2-4]
Then you turn upon me without mercy and with
your strong hand you buffet me. You raise me up and drive me
before the wind; I am tossed about by the tempest. Indeed I know
you will turn me back in death to the destined place of everyone
alive. Yet should not a hand be held out to help a wretched man in
his calamity? Or have I not wept for the hardships of others; was
not my soul grieved for the destitute? Yet when I looked for good,
then evil came; when I expected light, then came darkness. My soul
ebbs away from me; days of affliction have overtaken me. My frame
takes no rest by night; my inward parts seethe and will not be
stilled. I go about in gloom, without the sun; I rise up in public
to voice my grief. I have become the brother of jackals, companion
to the ostrich. My blackened skin falls away from me; the heat
scorches my very frame. My harp is turned to mourning, and my reed
pipe to sounds of weeping. [JOB 30:21-31]
By turning man from evil and keeping pride away
from him, He withholds his soul from the pit and his life from
passing to the grave. Or a man is chastened on his bed by pain and
unceasing suffering within his frame, So that to his appetite food
becomes repulsive, and his senses reject the choicest nourishment.
His flesh is wasted so that it cannot be seen, and his bones, once
invisible, appear; His soul draws near to the pit, his life to the
place of the dead. If then there be for him an angel, one out of a
thousand, a mediator, To show him what is right for him and bring
the man back to justice, He will take pity on him and say,
"Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found him a
ransom." Then his flesh shall become soft as a boy's; he
shall be again as in the days of his youth. He shall pray and God
will favor him; he shall see God's face with rejoicing. He shall
sing before men and say, "I sinned and did wrong, yet he has
not punished me accordingly. He delivered my soul from passing to
the pit, and I behold the light of life." Lo, all these
things God does, twice, or thrice, for a man, Bringing back his
soul from the pit to the light, in the land of the living. [JOB
33:17-30]
Do not reprove me in your anger, LORD, nor
punish me in your wrath. Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak;
heal me, LORD, for my bones are trembling. In utter terror is my
soul - and you, LORD, how long...? Turn, LORD, save my life; in
your mercy rescue me. [PS 6:2-5]
How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
[PS 13:2-3]
I bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night
my heart exhorts me. I keep the LORD always before me; with the
Lord at my right, I shall never be shaken. Therefore my heart is
glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure, For you will
not abandon me to Sheol, nor let your faithful servant see the
pit. You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your
presence, the delights at your right hand forever. [PS 16:7-11]
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the
soul. The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the
simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. The fear
of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The statutes of the LORD
are true, all of them just; More desirable than gold, than a hoard
of purest gold, Sweeter also than honey or drippings from the
comb. By them your servant is instructed; obeying them brings much
reward. [PS 19:8-12]
I wait for you, O LORD; I lift up my soul to my
God. In you I trust; do not let me be disgraced; do not let my
enemies gloat over me. No one is disgraced who waits for you, but
only those who lightly break faith. [PS 25:1-3]
Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am in distress;
with grief my eyes are wasted, my soul and body spent. My life is
worn out by sorrow, my years by sighing. My strength fails in
affliction; my bones are consumed. To all my foes I am a thing of
scorn, to my neighbors, a dreaded sight, a horror to my friends.
When they see me in the street, they quickly shy away. I am
forgotten, out of mind like the dead; I am like a shattered dish.
I hear the whispers of the crowd; terrors are all around me. They
conspire against me; they plot to take my life. But I trust in
you, LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your
hands; rescue me from my enemies, from the hands of my pursuers.
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your kindness. [PS
31:10-17]
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and shield. For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust.
[PS 33:20-21]
I will bless the LORD at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth.
My soul will glory in the LORD that the poor may hear and be glad.
Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. [PS 34:2-4]
As the deer longs for streams of water, so my
soul longs for you, O God. My being thirsts for God, the living
God. When can I go and see the face of God? My tears have been my
food day and night, as they ask daily, "Where is your
God?" Those times I recall as I pour out my soul, When I went
in procession with the crowd, I went with them to the house of
God, Amid loud cries of thanksgiving, with the multitude keeping
festival. Why are you downcast, my soul; why do you groan within
me? Wait for God, whom I shall praise again, my savior and my God.
[PS 42:2-6]
My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will
remember you From the land of the Jordan and Hermon, from the land
of Mount Mizar. Here deep calls to deep in the roar of your
torrents. All your waves and breakers sweep over me. At dawn may
the LORD bestow faithful love that I may sing praise through the
night, praise to the God of my life. I say to God, "My rock,
why do you forget me? Why must I go about mourning with the enemy
oppressing me?" It shatters my bones, when my adversaries
reproach me. They say to me daily: "Where is your God?"
Why are you downcast, my soul, why do you groan within me? Wait
for God, whom I shall praise again, my savior and my God. [PS 42:7-12]
Why are you downcast, my soul? Why do you groan
within me? Wait for God, whom I shall praise again, my savior and
my God. [PS 43:5]
They have set a trap for my feet; my soul is
bowed down; They have dug a pit before me. May they fall into it
themselves! My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I
will sing and chant praise. Awake, my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn. I will praise you among the peoples, Lord; I
will chant your praise among the nations. For your love towers to
the heavens; your faithfulness, to the skies. Show yourself over
the heavens, God; may your glory appear above all the earth. [Taken
from PS 57:7-12]
My soul rests in God alone, from whom comes my salvation.
God alone is my rock and salvation, my secure height; I shall never fall.
[PS 62:2-3]
O God, you are my God - for you I long! For you
my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, Like a land parched,
lifeless, and without water. So I look to you in the sanctuary to
see your power and glory. For your love is better than life; my
lips offer you worship! [PS 63:2-4]
I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift
up my hands, calling on your name. My soul shall savor the rich
banquet of praise, with joyous lips my mouth shall honor you! When
I think of you upon my bed, through the night watches I will
recall That you indeed are my help, and in the shadow of your
wings I shout for joy. My soul clings fast to you; your right hand
upholds me. [PS 63:5-9]
You have sent me many bitter afflictions, but
once more revive me. From the watery depths of the earth once more
raise me up. Restore my honor; turn and comfort me, That I may
praise you with the lyre for your faithfulness, my God, And sing
to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel! My lips will shout for
joy as I sing your praise; my soul, too, which you have redeemed.
Yes, my tongue shall recount your justice day by day. For those
who sought my ruin will have been shamed and disgraced. [PS 71:20-24]
Since my heart was embittered and my soul deeply
wounded, I was stupid and could not understand; I was like a brute
beast in your presence. Yet I am always with you; you take hold of
my right hand. With your counsel you guide me, and at the end
receive me with honor. [PS 73:21-24]
How lovely your dwelling, O LORD of hosts! My
soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and
flesh cry out for the living God. As the sparrow finds a home and
the swallow a nest to settle her young, My home is by your altars,
LORD of hosts, my king and my God! Happy are those who dwell in
your house! They never cease to praise you. [Taken from PS 84:2-5]
Gladden the soul of your servant; to you, Lord, I lift up my soul.
[PS 86:4]
LORD, my God, I call out by day; at night I cry
aloud in your presence. Let my prayer come before you; incline
your ear to my cry. For my soul is filled with troubles; my life
draws near to Sheol. I am reckoned with those who go down to the
pit; I am weak, without strength. [PS 88:2-5]
Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his
holy name! Bless the LORD, my soul; do not forget all the gifts of
God, Who pardons all your sins, heals all your ills, Delivers your
life from the pit, surrounds you with love and compassion, Fills
your days with good things; your youth is renewed like the
eagle's. [PS 103:1-5]
Bless the LORD, all creatures, everywhere in
God's domain. Bless the LORD, my soul! [PS 103:22]
Bless the LORD, my soul! LORD, my God, you are
great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in
light as with a cloak. You spread out the heavens like a tent; you
raised your palace upon the waters. You make the clouds your
chariot; you travel on the wings of the wind. You make the winds
your messengers; flaming fire, your ministers. [PS 104:1-4]
May sinners vanish from the earth, and the wicked be no more.
Bless the LORD, my soul! Hallelujah! [PS
104:35]
My heart is steadfast, God; my heart is
steadfast. I will sing and chant praise. Awake, my soul; awake,
lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn. I will praise you among the
peoples, LORD; I will chant your praise among the nations. For
your love towers to the heavens; your faithfulness, to the skies.
Appear on high over the heavens, God; may your glory appear above
all the earth. Help with your right hand and answer us that your
loved ones may escape. [PS 108:2-7]
Return, my soul, to your rest; the LORD has been
good to you. For my soul has been freed from death, my eyes from
tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before the LORD in the
land of the living. [PS 116:7-9]
Be kind to your servant that I may live, that I
may keep your word. Open my eyes to see clearly the wonders of
your teachings. I am a sojourner in the land; do not hide your
commands from me. At all times my soul is stirred with longing for
your edicts. With a curse you rebuke the proud who stray from your
commands. Free me from disgrace and contempt, for I observe your
decrees. Though princes meet and talk against me, your servant
studies your laws. Your decrees are my delight; they are my
counselors. [PS 119:17-24]
My soul longs for your salvation; I put my hope in your word. My eyes long to see your promise. When will you comfort me?
[PS 119:81-82]
I wait with longing for the LORD, my soul waits
for his word. My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for
daybreak. More than sentinels for daybreak, let Israel look for
the LORD, For with the LORD is kindness, with him is full
redemption, And God will redeem Israel from all their sins. [PS
130:5-8]
LORD, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty.
I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me.
Rather, I have stilled my soul, hushed it like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother's lap, so is my soul within me.
[PS 131:1-2]
Praise the LORD, my soul; I shall praise the LORD all my life, sing praise to my God while I live.
[PS 146:2]
For the LORD gives wisdom, from his mouth come
knowledge and understanding; He has counsel in store for the
upright, he is the shield of those who walk honestly, Guarding the
paths of justice, protecting the way of his pious ones. Then you
will understand rectitude and justice, honesty, every good path;
For wisdom will enter your heart, knowledge will please your soul,
Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you;
Saving you from the way of evil men, from men of perverse speech,
Who leave the straight paths to walk in the way of darkness, Who
delight in doing evil, rejoice in perversity; Whose ways are
crooked, and devious their paths; Saving you from the wife of
another, from the adulteress with her smooth words, Who forsakes
the companion of her youth and forgets the pact with her God; For
her path sinks down to death, and her footsteps lead to the
shades; None who enter thereon come back again, or gain the paths
of life. Thus you may walk in the way of good men, and keep to the
paths of the just. [PROV 2:6-20]
My son, let not these slip out of your sight:
keep advice and counsel in view; So will they be life to your
soul, and an adornment for your neck. Then you may securely go
your way; your foot will never stumble; When you lie down, you
need not be afraid, when you rest, your sleep will be sweet. [PROV
3:21-24]
The soul of the sluggard craves in vain, but the
diligent soul is amply satisfied. [PROV 13:4]
Lust indulged starves the soul, but fools hate
to turn from evil. [PROV 13:19]
He who rejects admonition despises his own soul,
but he who heeds reproof gains understanding. [PROV 15:32]
The soul of the wicked man desires evil; his
neighbor finds no pity in his eyes. [PROV 21:10]
If you eat honey, my son, because it is good, if virgin honey is sweet to your taste;
Such, you must know, is wisdom to your soul. If you find it, you will have a future, and your hope will not be cut off. [PROV 24:13-14]
Like the coolness of snow in the heat of the
harvest is a faithful messenger for the one who sends him. (He
refreshes the soul of his master.) [PROV 25:13]
Perfume and incense gladden the heart, but by
grief the soul is torn asunder. [PROV 27:9]
Correct your son, and he will bring you comfort,
and give delight to your soul. [PROV 29:17]
Behold, this have I found, says Qoheleth, adding
one thing to another that I might discover the answer which my
soul still seeks and has not found: One man out of a thousand have
I come upon, but a woman among them all I have not found. Behold,
only this have I found out: God made mankind straight, but men
have had recourse to many calculations. [ECCL 7:27-29]
Because into a soul that plots evil wisdom
enters not, nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin. [WISDOM
1:4]
Therefore guard against profitless grumbling,
and from calumny withhold your tongues; For a stealthy utterance
does not go unpunished, and a lying mouth slays the soul. [WISDOM
1:11]
"Let us beset the just one, because he is
obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us
for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of
our training. He professes to have knowledge of God and styles
himself a child of the LORD. To us he is the censure of our
thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, Because his life
is not like other men's, and different are his ways. He judges us
debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He
calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his
Father. Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what
will happen to him. For if the just one be the son of God, he will
defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. With
revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have
proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him
to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take
care of him." These were their thoughts, but they erred; for
their wickedness blinded them, And they knew not the hidden
counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of
holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward. [Taken
from WISDOM 2:12-22]
But the souls of the just are in the hand of
God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of
the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an
affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But
they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality; Chastised a little, they
shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them
worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as
sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of
their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks
through stubble; They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him
shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in
love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care
is with the elect. But the wicked shall receive a punishment to
match their thoughts, since they neglected justice and forsook the
LORD. For he who despises wisdom and instruction is doomed. Vain
is their hope, fruitless are their labors, and worthless are their
works. Their wives are foolish and their children wicked; accursed
is their brood. [WISDOM 3:1-12]
Yes, blessed is she who, childless and
undefiled, knew not transgression of the marriage bed; she shall
bear fruit at the visitation of souls. [WISDOM 3:13]
He who pleased God was loved; he who lived among
sinners was transported - Snatched away, lest wickedness pervert
his mind or deceit beguile his soul; For the witchery of paltry
things obscures what is right and the whirl of desire transforms
the innocent mind. Having become perfect in a short while, he
reached the fullness of a long career; for his soul was pleasing
to the LORD, therefore he sped him out of the midst of wickedness.
But the people saw and did not understand, nor did they take this
into account. [WISDOM 4:10-14]
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion, and she
penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity. For
she is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the
glory of the Almighty; therefore nought that is sullied enters
into her. For she is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless
mirror of the power of God, the image of his goodness. And she,
who is one, can do all things, and renews everything while herself
perduring; And passing into holy souls from age to age, she
produces friends of God and prophets. For there is nought God
loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom. [WISDOM 7:24-28]
For what man knows God's counsel, or who can
conceive what our LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals
are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body
burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that
has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and
what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things
are in heaven, who can search them out? [WISDOM 9:13-16]
Where as a testimony to its wickedness, there
yet remain a smoking desert, Plants bearing fruit that never
ripens, and the tomb of a disbelieving soul, a standing pillar of
salt. For those who forsook Wisdom first were bereft of knowledge
of the right, And then they left mankind a memorial of their folly
- so that they could not even be hidden in their fall. But Wisdom
delivered from tribulations those who served her... She entered
the soul of the LORD'S servant, and withstood fearsome kings with
signs and portents; she gave the holy ones the recompense of their
labors, Conducted them by a wondrous road, and became a shelter
for them by day and a starry flame by night. [WISDOM 10:7-9,16-17]
For you love all things that are and loathe
nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have
fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or
be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare
all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for
your imperishable spirit is in all things! [WISDOM 11:24-26,12:1]
For blest is the wood through which justice
comes about; but the handmade idol is accursed, and its maker as
well: he for having produced it, and it, because though
corruptible, it was termed a god. Equally odious to God are the
evildoer and his evil deed; and the thing made shall be punished
with its contriver. Therefore upon even the idols of the nations
shall a visitation come, since they have become abominable amid
God's works, Snares for the souls of men and a trap for the feet
of the senseless. [WISDOM 14:7-11]
They no longer safeguard either lives or pure
wedlock; but each either waylays and kills his neighbor, or
aggrieves him by adultery. And all is confusion-blood and murder,
theft and guile, corruption, faithlessness, turmoil, perjury,
Disturbance of good men, neglect of gratitude, besmirching of
souls, unnatural lust, disorder in marriage, adultery and
shamelessness. For the worship of infamous idols is the reason and
source and extremity of all evil. For they either go mad with
enjoyment, or prophesy lies, or live lawlessly or lightly forswear
themselves. For as their trust is in soulless idols, they expect
no harm when they have sworn falsely. But on both counts shall
justice overtake them: because they thought ill of God and devoted
themselves to idols, and because they deliberately swore false
oaths, despising piety. For not the might of those that are sworn
by but the retribution of sinners ever follows upon the
transgression of the wicked. [WISDOM 14:24-31]
And with misspent toil he molds a meaningless
god from the selfsame clay; though he himself shortly before was
made from the earth And after a little, is to go whence he was
taken, when the life that was lent him is demanded back. But his
concern is not that he is to die nor that his span of life is
brief; Rather, he vies with goldsmiths and silversmiths and
emulates molders of bronze, and takes pride in modeling
counterfeits. Ashes his heart is! more worthless than earth is his
hope, and more ignoble than clay his life; Because he knew not the
one who fashioned him, and breathed into him a quickening soul,
and infused a vital spirit. Instead, he esteemed our life a
plaything, and our span of life a holiday for gain; "For one
must," says he, "make profit every way, be it even out
of evil." [WISDOM 15:8-12]
For you have dominion over life and death; you
lead down to the gates of the nether world, and lead back. Man,
however, slays in his malice, but when the spirit has come away,
it does not return, nor can he bring back the soul once it is
confined. But your hand none can escape. [WISDOM 16:13-15]
For great are your judgments, and hardly to be
described; therefore the unruly souls were wrong. [WISDOM 17:1]
For they who undertook to banish fears and
terrors from the sick soul themselves sickened with a ridiculous
fear. [WISDOM 17:8]
So they, during that night, powerless though it
was, that had come upon them from the recesses of a powerless
nether world, while all sleeping the same sleep, Were partly
smitten by fearsome apparitions and partly stricken by their
souls' surrender; for fear came upon them, sudden and unexpected.
Thus, then, whoever was there fell into that unbarred prison and
was kept confined. [WISDOM 17:14-16]
A beggar in distress do not reject; avert not your face from the poor.
From the needy turn not your eyes, give no man reason to curse you;
For if in the bitterness of his soul he curse you, his Creator will hear his prayer.
[SIRACH 4:4-6]
My son, from your youth embrace discipline; thus
will you find wisdom with graying hair. As though plowing and
sowing, draw close to her; then await her bountiful crops. For in
cultivating her you will labor but little, and soon you will eat
of her fruits. How irksome she is to the unruly! The fool cannot
abide her. She will be like a burdensome stone to test him, and he
will not delay in casting her aside. For discipline is like her
name, she is not accessible to many. Listen, my son, and heed my
advice; refuse not my counsel. Put your feet into her fetters, and
your neck under her yoke. Stoop your shoulders and carry her and
be not irked at her bonds. With all your soul draw close to her;
with all your strength keep her ways. Search her out, discover
her; seek her and you will find her. Then when you have her, do
not let her go; Thus will you afterward find rest in her, and she
will become your joy. Her fetters will be your throne of majesty;
her bonds, your purple cord. [SIRACH 6:18-30]
With all your soul, fear God, revere his
priests. [SIRACH 7:29]
Flee from sin as from a serpent that will bite
you if you go near it; Its teeth are lion's teeth, destroying the
souls of men. [SIRACH 21:2]
He who fears the LORD is never alarmed, never
afraid; for the LORD is his hope. Happy the soul that fears the
LORD! In whom does he trust, and who is his support? The eyes of
the LORD are upon those who love him; he is their mighty shield
and strong support, A shelter from the heat, a shade from the
noonday sun, a guard against stumbling, a help against falling. He
buoys up the spirits, brings a sparkle to the eyes, gives health
and life and blessing. [SIRACH 34:14-17]
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. Turn not your thoughts to him again; cease to recall him;
think rather of the end. Recall him not, for there is no hope of
his return; it will not help him, but will do you harm. Remember
that his fate will also be yours; for him it was yesterday, for
you today. With the departed dead, let memory fade; rally your
courage, once the soul has left. [SIRACH 38:16-23]
Wine and music delight the soul, but better than
either, conjugal love. [SIRACH 40:20]
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. I called out: O
Lord, you are my father, you are my champion and my savior; Do not
abandon me in time of trouble, in the midst of storms and dangers.
I will ever praise your name and be constant in my prayers to you.
Thereupon the LORD heard my voice, he listened to my appeal; He
saved me from evil of every kind and preserved me in time of
trouble. For this reason I thank him and I praise him; I bless the
name of the LORD. [SIRACH 51:1-12]
The Light of Israel will become a fire, Israel's
Holy One a flame, That burns and consumes his briers and his
thorns in a single day. His splendid forests and orchards will be
consumed, soul and body; And the remnant of the trees in his
forest will be so few, Like poles set up for signals, that any boy
can record them. On that day The remnant of Israel, the survivors
of the house of Jacob, will no more lean upon him who struck them;
But they lean upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. [ISA
10:17-20]
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, they are heard as
far as Jahaz. At this the loins of Moab tremble, his soul quivers
within him; The heart of Moab cries out, his fugitives reach Zoar
(Eglath-shelishiyah). The ascent of Luhith they climb weeping; On
the way to Horonaim they utter rending cries. [ISA 15:4-5]
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD, we
look to you; Your name and your title are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night, yes, my
spirit within me keeps vigil for you; When your judgment dawns
upon the earth, the world's inhabitants learn justice. [ISA 26:8-9]
What am I to say or tell him? He has done it! I
shall go on through all my years despite the bitterness of my
soul. [ISA 38:15]
I will not accuse forever, nor always be angry;
For their spirits would faint before me, the souls that I have
made. [ISA 57:16]
I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the
joy of my soul; For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, Like a bridegroom adorned
with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels. [ISA 61:10]
"Alas! Lord GOD," they will say,
"You only deceived us When you said: Peace shall be yours;
for the sword touches our very soul." [JER 4:10]
Thus says the LORD: Stand beside the earliest
roads, ask the pathways of old Which is the way to good, and walk
it; thus you will find rest for your souls. But they said,
"We will not walk it." [JER 6:16]
I abandon my house, cast off my heritage; The beloved of my soul I deliver into the hand of her foes. My heritage has turned on me like a lion in the jungle;
Because she has roared against me, I treat her as an enemy. [JER
12:7-8]
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: When I change their lot in the land of Judah and her cities, they shall again repeat this greeting: "May the LORD bless you, holy mountain, abode of justice!" Judah and all her cities, the farmers and those who lead the flock, shall dwell there together. For I will refresh the weary soul; every soul that languishes I will replenish.
[JER 31:23-25]
Now, therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of
Israel, concerning this city, which as you say is handed over to
the king of Babylon amid sword, famine, and pestilence: Behold, I
will gather them together from all the lands to which in anger,
wrath, and great rage I banish them; I will bring them back to
this place and settle them here in safety. They shall be my
people, and I will be their God. One heart and one way I will give
them, that they may fear me always, to their own good and that of
their children after them. I will make with them an eternal
covenant, never to cease doing good to them; into their hearts I
will put the fear of me, that they may never depart from me. I
will take delight in doing good to them: I will replant them
firmly in this land, with all my heart and soul. For thus says the
LORD: Just as I brought upon this people all this great evil, so I
will bring upon them all the good I promise them. [JER 32:36-42]
He has broken my teeth with gravel, pressed my
face in the dust; My soul is deprived of peace, I have forgotten
what happiness is; I tell myself my future is lost, all that I
hoped for from the LORD. The thought of my homeless poverty is
wormwood and gall; Remembering it over and over leaves my soul
downcast within me. 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 3:16-26]
My eyes run with streams of water over the
downfall of the daughter of my people. My eyes flow without
ceasing, there is no respite, Till the LORD from heaven looks down
and sees. My eyes torment my soul at the sight of all the
daughters of my city. [Taken from LAM 3:48-51]
He whose soul is deeply grieved, who walks bowed
and feeble, with failing eyes and famished soul, will declare your
glory and justice, LORD! [BARUCH 2:18]
"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." [Taken from BARUCH 3:1-3]
Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord
GOD: I will now desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold of your
pride, the delight of your eyes, the desire of your soul. The sons
and daughters you left behind shall fall by the sword. Ezekiel
shall be a sign for you: all that he did you shall do when it
happens. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD. You shall do as I
have done, not covering your beards nor eating the customary
bread. Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on
your feet. You shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away
because of your sins and groan one to another. As for you, son of
man, truly, on the day I take away from them their bulwark, their
glorious joy, the delight of their eyes, the desire of their soul,
and the pride of their hearts, their sons and daughters, that day
the fugitive will come to you, that you may hear it for yourself;
that day your mouth shall be opened and you shall be dumb no
longer. Thus you shall be a sign to them, and they shall know that
I am the LORD. [EZEK 24:21-27]
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever. [DAN 3:86]
When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the
LORD; My prayer reached you in your holy temple. [JONAH 2:8]
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can
destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. [MT 10:28]
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced
the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them (a scholar
of the law) tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment
in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall
love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first
commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor
as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two
commandments." [MT 22:34-40]
Then Jesus came with them to a place called
Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I
go over there and pray." He took along Peter and the two sons
of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to
them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and
keep watch with me." He advanced a little and fell prostrate
in prayer, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this
cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." [Taken
from MT 26:36-39]
One of the scribes, when he came forward and
heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked
him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus
replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our
God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your
strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
[MK 12:28-31]
Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and
he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He
took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be troubled and
distressed. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even
to death. Remain here and keep watch." He advanced a little
and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the
hour might pass by him; he said, "Abba, Father, all things
are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I
will but what you will." [Taken from MK 14:32-36]
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]
"You who are Israelites, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty
deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your
midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set
plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to
crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes
of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For
David says of him: 'I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my
right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been
glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will
you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to
me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'
My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch
David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to
this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn
an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his
throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh
see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all
witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the
promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as
you (both) see and hear. For David did not go up into heaven, but
he himself said: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right
hand until I make your enemies your footstool."' Therefore
let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made
him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."
[ACTS 2:22-36]
May the God of peace himself make you perfectly
holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved
blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [1THES 5:23]
Indeed, the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul
and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and
thoughts of the heart. [HEB 4:12]
Human beings swear by someone greater than
themselves; for them an oath serves as a guarantee and puts an end
to all argument. So when God wanted to give the heirs of his
promise an even clearer demonstration of the immutability of his
purpose, he intervened with an oath, so that by two immutable
things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have
taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope
that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure
and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where
Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high
priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. [HEB
6:16-20]
Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be
quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of a
man does not accomplish the righteousness of God. Therefore, put
away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that
has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers
of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if
anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man
who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes
off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who
peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a
hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be
blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks he is religious and does
not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is
vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the
Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world. [JMS 1:19-27]
My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back,
he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of
sins. [JMS 5:19-20]
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. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may
have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of
your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though
tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at
the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although you have not seen him you
love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain
the goal of (your) faith, the salvation of your souls. [1PT 1:3-9]
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to
keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.
[1PT 2:11]
For to this you have been called, because Christ
also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should
follow in his footsteps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit
was found in his mouth." When he was insulted, he returned no
insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed
himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our
sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might
live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For
you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the
shepherd and guardian of your souls. [1PT 2:21-25]
Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by
fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were
happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share in the
sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may
also rejoice exultantly. If you are insulted for the name of
Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests
upon you. But let no one among you be made to suffer as a
murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer. But whoever is
made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify
God because of the name. For it is time for the judgment to begin
with the household of God; if it begins with us, how will it end
for those who fail to obey the gospel of God? "And if the
righteous one is barely saved, where will the godless and the
sinner appear?" As a result, those who suffer in accord with
God's will hand their souls over to a faithful creator as they do
good. [1PT 4:12-19]
For if God did not spare the angels when they
sinned, but condemned them to the chains of Tartarus and handed
them over to be kept for judgment; and if he did not spare the
ancient world, even though he preserved Noah, a herald of
righteousness, together with seven others, when he brought a flood
upon the godless world; and if he condemned the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah (to destruction), reducing them to ashes, making them
an example for the godless (people) of what is coming; and if he
rescued Lot, a righteous man oppressed by the licentious conduct
of unprincipled people (for day after day that righteous man
living among them was tormented in his righteous soul at the
lawless deeds that he saw and heard), then the Lord knows how to
rescue the devout from trial and to keep the unrighteous under
punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who
follow the flesh with its depraved desire and show contempt for
lordship. [Taken from 2PT 2:4-10]
Beloved, I hope you are prospering in every respect and are in good health, just as your soul is prospering.
I rejoiced greatly when some of the brothers came and testified to how truly you walk in the truth.
Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
[3JN 1:2-4]
When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar
the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God. They cried out in a loud voice, "How long will it be, holy and true master,
before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?" Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been.
[RV 6:9-11]
Then I saw thrones; those who sat on them were
entrusted with judgment. I also saw the souls of those who had
been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
and who had not worshiped the beast or its image nor had accepted
its mark on their foreheads or hands. They came to life and they
reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did
not come to life until the thousand years were over. This is the
first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the
first resurrection. The second death has no power over these; they
will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him
for (the) thousand years. [RV 20:4-6] [Note: The reader is
reminded that there are different classes of the priesthood
and not all peoples have been allowed to share in the ministerial
priesthood. As in the Old Testament, (e.g. where God spoke to
Moses: "You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy
nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites" - see EX
19:6) different classes of the priesthood exist, including a
general priesthood of followers who can offer prayers,
thanksgiving, etc. to God. The universal priesthood should not be
confused with the ministerial priesthood. For additional
information on this topic, visit the non-Catholics
section.]
Also
try:
spiritual
/ spirits / spirit / Holy Spirit [S27a]
save
/ saved / saving / savior / salvation [S7a]
dead
/ death [D1a]
judgment
[J3a]
eternal
life / eternity [E2]
eternal
punishment / eternal destruction [H10a]
Other
resources:
Catholic
Basics
Reflections: A-Z
| Categorized
Classic
Encyclicals & Other Papal Documents
(Also
try: Help, A-Z)
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alphabetical scripture | more
categorized scripture | top |
