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Then the LORD said: "My spirit shall not
remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall
comprise one hundred and twenty years." [GEN 6:3]
He fell asleep again and had another dream. He
saw seven ears of grain, fat and healthy, growing on a single
stalk. Behind them sprouted seven ears of grain, thin and blasted
by the east wind; and the seven thin ears swallowed up the seven
fat, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh woke up, to find it was only a
dream. Next morning his spirit was agitated. So he summoned all
the magicians and sages of Egypt and recounted his dreams to them;
but no one could interpret his dreams for him. [GEN 41:5-8]
"Could we find another like him,"
Pharaoh asked his officials, "a man so endowed with the
spirit of God?" So Pharaoh said to Joseph: "Since God
has made all this known to you, no one can be as wise and
discerning as you are. You shall be in charge of my palace, and
all my people shall dart at your command. Only in respect to the
throne shall I outrank you. Herewith," Pharaoh told Joseph,
"I place you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." [GEN
41:38-41]
So they left Egypt and made their way to their
father Jacob in the land of Canaan. When they told him,
"Joseph is still alive - in fact, it is he who is ruler of all
the land of Egypt," he was dumbfounded; he could not believe
them. But when they recounted to him all that Joseph had told
them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent for his
transport, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. "It is
enough," said Israel. "My son Joseph is still alive! I
must go and see him before I die." [GEN 45:25-28]
Let not my soul enter their council, or my
spirit be joined with their company [Taken from GEN 49:6]
The LORD said to Moses, "See, I have chosen
Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have
filled him with a divine spirit of skill and understanding and
knowledge in every craft: in the production of embroidery, in
making things of gold, silver or bronze, in cutting and mounting
precious stones, in carving wood, and in every craft. As his
assistant I have appointed Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe
of Dan. I have also endowed all the experts with the necessary
skill to make all the things I have ordered you to make" [Taken
from EX 31:1-6]
When the whole Israelite community left Moses' presence,
everyone, as his heart suggested and his spirit prompted, brought a contribution to the LORD for the construction of the meeting tent, for all its services, and for the sacred vestments.
Both the men and the women, all as their heart prompted them, brought brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces and various other gold articles. Everyone who could presented an offering of gold to the LORD.
[EX 35:20-22]
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Assemble for me seventy of the elders of Israel, men you know for true elders and authorities among the people, and bring them to the meeting tent. When they are in place beside you, I will come down and speak with you there. I will also take some of the spirit that is on you and will bestow it on them, that they may share the burden of the people with you. You will then not have to bear it by yourself."
[NUM 11:16-17]
So Moses went out and told the people what the
LORD had said. Gathering seventy elders of the people, he had them
stand around the tent. The LORD then came down in the cloud and
spoke to him. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, he
bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest
on them, they prophesied. Now two men, one named Eldad and the
other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the
camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the
tent; yet the spirit came to rest on them also, and they
prophesied in the camp. So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp," Joshua,
son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses' aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of
the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his
spirit on them all!" Then Moses retired to the camp, along
with the elders of Israel. [NUM 11:24-30]
The LORD answered: "I pardon them as you
have asked. Yet, by my life and the LORD'S glory that fills the
whole earth, of all the men who have seen my glory and the signs I
worked in Egypt and in the desert, and who nevertheless have put
me to the test ten times already and have failed to heed my voice,
not one shall see the land which I promised on oath to their
fathers. None of these who have spurned me shall see it. But
because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me
unreservedly, I will bring him into the land where he has just
been, and his descendants shall possess it." [NUM 14:20-24]
Moses said to Korah, "You and all your band
shall appear before the LORD tomorrow-you and they and Aaron too.
Then each of your two hundred and fifty followers shall take his
own censer, put incense in it, and offer it to the LORD; and you
and Aaron, each with his own censer, shall do the same." So
they all took their censers, and laying incense on the fire they
had put in them, they took their stand by the entrance of the
meeting tent along with Moses and Aaron. Then, when Korah had
assembled all his band against them at the entrance of the meeting
tent, the glory of the LORD appeared to the entire community, and
the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Stand apart from this
band, that I may consume them at once." But they fell
prostrate and cried out, "O God, God of the spirits of all
mankind, will one man's sin make you angry with the whole
community?" The LORD answered Moses, "Speak to the
community and tell them: Withdraw from the space around the
Dwelling" (of Korah, Dathan and Abiram). [NUM 16:16-24]
Balaam, however, perceiving that the LORD was pleased to bless Israel, did not go aside as before to seek omens, but turned his gaze toward the desert. When he raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him, and he gave voice to his oracle
[Taken from NUM 24:1-3]
Then Moses said to the LORD, "May the LORD,
the God of the spirits of all mankind, set over the community a
man who shall act as their leader in all things, to guide them in
all their actions; that the LORD'S community may not be like sheep
without a shepherd." And the LORD replied to Moses,
"Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man of spirit, and lay your hand
upon him. Have him stand in the presence of the priest Eleazar and
of the whole community, and commission him before their eyes.
Invest him with some of your own dignity, that the whole Israelite
community may obey him. He shall present himself to the priest
Eleazar, to have him seek out for him the decisions of the Urim in
the LORD'S presence; and as he directs, Joshua, all the Israelites
with him, and the community as a whole shall perform all their
actions." Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. Taking
Joshua and having him stand in the presence of the priest Eleazar
and of the whole community, he laid his hands on him and gave him
his commission, as the LORD had directed through Moses. [NUM 27:15-23]
"When you come into the land which the
LORD, your God, is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the
abominations of the peoples there. Let there not be found among
you... a fortune-teller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner, or caster
of spells, nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks
oracles from the dead. Anyone who does such things is an
abomination to the LORD, and because of such abominations the
LORD, your God, is driving these nations out of your way." [Taken
from DEUT 18:9-12]
"If you are not careful to observe every
word of the law which is written in this book, and to revere the
glorious and awesome name of the LORD, your God, he will smite you
and your descendants with severe and constant blows, malignant and
lasting maladies. He will again afflict you with all the diseases
of Egypt which you dread, and they will persist among you. Should
there be any kind of sickness or calamity not mentioned in this
book of the law, that too the LORD will bring upon you until you
are destroyed. Of you who were numerous as the stars in the sky,
only a few will be left, because you would not hearken to the
voice of the LORD, your God. Just as the LORD once took
delight in making you grow and prosper, so will he now take
delight in ruining and destroying you, and you will be plucked out
of the land you are now entering to occupy. The LORD will scatter
you among all the nations from one end of the earth to the other,
and there you will serve strange gods of wood and stone, such as
you and your fathers have not known. Among these nations you will
find no repose, not a foot of ground to stand upon, for there the
LORD will give you an anguished heart and wasted eyes and a
dismayed spirit. You will live in constant suspense and stand in
dread both day and night, never sure of your existence. In the
morning you will say, 'Would that it were evening!' and in the
evening you will say, 'Would that it were morning!' for the dread
that your heart must feel and the sight that your eyes must see.
The LORD will send you back in galleys to Egypt, to the region I
told you that you were never to see again; and there you will
offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female
slaves, but there will be no buyer." These are the words of
the covenant which the LORD ordered Moses to make with the
Israelites in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant which
he made with them at Horeb. [DEUT 28:58-69]
Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the
spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him; and so
the Israelites gave him their obedience, thus carrying out the
LORD'S command to Moses. [DEUT 34:9]
Because the Israelites had offended the LORD by
forgetting the LORD, their God, and serving the Baals and the
Asherahs, the anger of the LORD flared up against them, and he
allowed them to fall into the power of Cushan-rishathaim, king of
Aram Naharaim, whom they served for eight years. But when the
Israelites cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a savior,
Othniel, son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz, who rescued them.
The spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. When
he went out to war, the LORD delivered Cushan-risha-thaim, king of
Aram, into his power, so that he made him subject. The land then
was at rest for forty years, until Othniel, son of Kenaz, died. [JUDG
3:7-11]
The spirit of the LORD enveloped Gideon; he blew
the horn that summoned Abiezer to follow him. [JUDG 6:34]
The spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He
passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and through Mizpah-Gilead as
well, and from there he went on to the Ammonites. [JUDG 11:29]
The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him; the spirit of the LORD first stirred him in Mahaneh-dan, which is between Zorah and Eshtaol. [JUDG 13:24-25]
The spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he
went down to Ashkelon, where he killed thirty of their men and
despoiled them; he gave their garments to those who had answered
the riddle. Then he went off to his own family in anger [Taken
from JUDG
14:19]
When he reached Lehi, and the Philistines came
shouting to meet him, the spirit of the LORD came upon him: the
ropes around his arms became as flax that is consumed by fire and
his bonds melted away from his hands. [JUDG 15:14]
Being very thirsty, he cried to the LORD and said, "You have granted this great victory by the hand of your servant. Must I now die of thirst or fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" Then God split the cavity in Lehi, and water issued from it, which Samson drank till his spirit returned and he revived. Hence that spring in Lehi is called En-hakkore to this day. [JUDG 15:18-19]
When their spirits were high, they said,
"Call Samson that he may amuse us." So they called
Samson from the prison, and he played the buffoon before them. [JUDG
16:25]
The spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and
you will join them in their prophetic state and will be changed
into another man. [1SAM 10:6]
When they were going from there to Gibeah, a band of prophets met him, and the spirit of God rushed upon him, so that he joined them in their prophetic state. When all who had known him previously saw him in a prophetic state among the prophets, they said to one another, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"
[1SAM 10:10-11]
As he listened to this report, the spirit of God
rushed upon him and he became very angry. [1SAM 11:6]
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, "There-anoint him, for this is he!" Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David. When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah. [1SAM 16:12-13]
The spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul,
and he was tormented by an evil spirit sent by the LORD. So the
servants of Saul said to him: "Please! An evil spirit from
God is tormenting you. If your lordship will order it, we, your
servants here in attendance on you, will look for a man skilled in
playing the harp. When the evil spirit from God comes over you, he
will play and you will feel better." Saul then told his
servants, "Find me a skillful harpist and bring him to
me." A servant spoke up to say: "I have observed that
one of the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem is a skillful harpist. He is
also a stalwart soldier, besides being an able speaker, and
handsome. Moreover, the LORD is with him." Thus David came to
Saul and entered his service. Saul became very fond of him, made
him his armor-bearer, and sent Jesse the message, "Allow
David to remain in my service, for he meets with my
approval." Whenever the spirit from God seized Saul, David
would take the harp and play, and Saul would be relieved and feel
better, for the evil spirit would leave him.
[1SAM 16:14-18,21-23]
The next day an evil spirit from God came over Saul, and he raged in his house. David was in attendance, playing the harp as at other times, while Saul was holding his spear.
Saul poised the spear, thinking to nail David to the wall, but twice David escaped
him. [1SAM 18:10-11]
Then an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with spear in hand and David was playing the harp nearby.
Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but David eluded Saul, so that the spear struck only the wall, and David got away safe. [1SAM 19:9-10]
Thus David got safely away; he went to Samuel in
Ramah, informing him of all that Saul had done to him. Then he and
Samuel went to stay in the sheds. When Saul was told that David
was in the sheds near Ramah, he sent messengers to arrest David.
But when they saw the band of prophets, presided over by Samuel,
in a prophetic frenzy, they too fell into the prophetic state.
Informed of this, Saul sent other messengers, who also fell into
the prophetic state. For the third time Saul sent messengers, but
they too fell into the prophetic state. Saul then went to Ramah
himself. Arriving at the cistern of the threshing floor on the
bare hilltop, he inquired, "Where are Samuel and
David?", and was told, "At the sheds near Ramah."
As he set out from the hilltop toward the sheds, the spirit of God
came upon him also, and he continued on in a prophetic condition
until he reached the spot. At the sheds near Ramah he, too,
stripped himself of his garments and he, too, remained in the
prophetic state in the presence of Samuel; all that day and night
he lay naked. That is why they say, "Is Saul also among the
prophets?" [1SAM 19:18-24]
These are the last words of David: "The
utterance of David, son of Jesse; the utterance of the man God
raised up, Anointed of the God of Jacob, favorite of the Mighty
One of Israel. The spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word
was on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke; of me the Rock of
Israel said, 'He that rules over men in justice, that rules in the
fear of God, Is like the morning light at sunrise on a cloudless
morning, making the greensward sparkle after rain.' Is not my
house firm before God? He has made an eternal covenant with me,
set forth in detail and secured. Will he not bring to fruition all
my salvation and my every desire? But the wicked are all like
thorns to be cast away; they cannot be taken up by hand." [Taken from
2SAM 23:1-6]
After I leave you, the spirit of the LORD will
carry you to some place I do not know, and when I go to inform
Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. Your servant has
revered the LORD from his youth. [Taken from 1KGS 18:12]
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,
"Did I not tell you he prophesies not good but evil about
me?" Micaiah continued: "Therefore hear the word of the
LORD: I saw the LORD seated on his throne, with the whole host of
heaven standing by to his right and to his left. The LORD asked,
'Who will deceive Ahab, so that he will go up and fall at
Ramoth-gilead?' And one said this, another that, until one of the
spirits came forth and presented himself to the LORD, saying, 'I
will deceive him.' The LORD asked, 'How?' He answered, 'I will go
forth and become a lying spirit in the mouths of all his
prophets.' The LORD replied, 'You shall succeed in deceiving him.
Go forth and do this.' So now, the LORD has put a lying spirit in
the mouths of all these prophets of yours, but the LORD himself
has decreed evil against you." Thereupon Zedekiah, son of
Chenaanah, came up and slapped Micaiah on the cheek, saying,
"Has the spirit of the LORD, then, left me to speak with
you?" "You shall find out," Micaiah replied,
"on that day when you retreat into an inside room to
hide." The king of Israel then said, "Seize Micaiah and
take him back to Amon, prefect of the city, and to Joash, the
king's son, and say, 'This is the king's order: Put this man in
prison and feed him scanty rations of bread and water until I
return in safety.'" But Micaiah said, "If ever you
return in safety, the LORD has not spoken through me." [1KGS
22:18-28]
Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up and struck
the water, which divided, and both crossed over on dry ground.
When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask for
whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you."
Elisha answered, "May I receive a double portion of your
spirit." "You have asked something that is not
easy," he replied. "Still, if you see me taken up from
you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not." As they
walked on conversing, a flaming chariot and flaming horses came
between them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. When
Elisha saw it happen he cried out, "My father! my father!
Israel's chariots and drivers!" But when he could no longer
see him, Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two. Then
he picked up Elijah's mantle which had fallen from him, and went
back and stood at the bank of the Jordan. Wielding the mantle
which had fallen from Elijah, he struck the water in his turn and
said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" When
Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over. The guild
prophets in Jericho, who were on the other side, saw him and said,
"The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They went to
meet him, bowing to the ground before him. "Among your
servants are fifty brave men," they said. "Let them go
in search of your master. Perhaps the spirit of the LORD has
carried him away to some mountain or some valley." "Do
not send them," he answered. However, they kept urging him,
until he was embarrassed and said, "Send them." So they
sent the fifty men, who searched for three days without finding
him. When they returned to Elisha in Jericho, where he was
staying, he said to them, "Did I not tell you not to
go?" [2KGS 2:8-18]
When they reached the hill, Gehazi took what
they had, carried it into the house, and sent the men on their
way. He went in and stood before Elisha his master, who asked him,
"Where have you been, Gehazi?" He answered, "Your
servant has not gone anywhere." But Elisha said to him:
"Was I not present in spirit when the man alighted from his
chariot to wait for you?" [Taken from 2KGS 5:24-26]
When the servants of King Hezekiah had come to Isaiah, he said to them, "Tell this to your master: 'Thus says the LORD: Do not be frightened by the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. I am about to put in him such a spirit that, when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own land, and there I will cause him to fall by the sword.'" [2KGS 19:5-7]
[Manasseh] practiced
soothsaying and divination, and reintroduced the consulting of
ghosts and spirits. He did much evil in the LORD'S sight and
provoked him to anger. [Taken from 2KGS 21:6]
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.
[2KGS 23:24-25]
Some Benjaminites and Judahites also came to
David at the stronghold. David went out to meet them and addressed
them in these words: "If you come peacefully, to help me, I
am of a mind to have you join me. But if you have come to betray
me to my enemies though my hands have done no wrong, may the God
of our fathers see and punish you." Then spirit enveloped
Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, who spoke: "We are yours, O
David, we are with you, O son of Jesse. Peace, peace to you, and
peace to him who helps you; your God it is who helps you." So
David received them and placed them among the leaders of his
troops. [1CHRON 12:17-19]
Upon Azariah, son of Oded, came the spirit of
God. He went forth to meet Asa and said to him: "Hear me, Asa
and all Judah and Benjamin! The LORD is with you when you are with
him, and if you seek him he will be present to you; but if you
abandon him, he will abandon you. For a long time Israel had no
true God, no priest-teacher and no law, but when in their distress
they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was
present to them. In that former time there was no peace for anyone
to go or come, but there were many terrors upon the inhabitants of
the lands. Nation crushed nation and city crushed city, for God
destroyed them by every kind of adversity. But as for you, be
strong and do not relax, for your work shall be rewarded." [2CHRON
15:1-7]
All Judah was standing before the LORD, with
their little ones, their wives, and their young sons. And the
spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of
Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the clan of
Asaph, in the midst of the assembly, and he said: "Listen,
all of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! The
LORD says to you: 'Do not fear or lose heart at the sight of this
vast multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's. Go down
against them tomorrow. You will see them coming up by the ascent
of Ziz, and you will come upon them at the end of the wadi which
opens on the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not have to fight in
this encounter. Take your places, stand firm, and see how the LORD
will be with you to deliver you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear
or lose heart. Tomorrow go out to meet them, and the LORD will be
with you.'" Then Jehoshaphat knelt down with his face to the
ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down
before the LORD in worship. [2CHRON 20:13-18]
They forsook the temple of the LORD, the God of
their fathers, and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols;
and because of this crime of theirs, wrath came upon Judah and
Jerusalem. Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to
the LORD, the people would not listen to their warnings. Then the
spirit of God possessed Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He
took his stand above the people and said to them: "God says,
'Why are you transgressing the LORD'S commands, so that you cannot
prosper? Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned
you.'" But they conspired against him, and at the king's
order they stoned him to death in the court of the LORD'S temple. [2CHRON
24:18-21]
"Your good spirit you bestowed on them, to
give them understanding; your manna you did not withhold from
their mouths, and you gave them water in their thirst." [NEH 9:20]
You were patient with them for many years,
bearing witness against them through your spirit, by means of your
prophets; still they would not listen. Thus you delivered them
over into the power of the peoples of the lands. [NEH 9:30]
Grief-stricken in spirit, I groaned and wept
aloud. Then with sobs I began to pray [Taken from TOBIT 3:1]
That day she was deeply grieved in spirit. She
went in tears to an upstairs room in her father's house with the
intention of hanging herself. But she reconsidered, saying to
herself: "No! People would level this insult against my
father: 'You had only one beloved daughter, but she hanged herself
because of ill fortune!' And thus would I cause my father in his
old age to go down to the nether world laden with sorrow. It is
far better for me not to hang myself, but to beg the Lord to have
me die, so that I need no longer live to hear such insults."
[TOBIT 3:10]
So he called his son Tobiah; and when he came, he said to him: "My son, when I die, give me a decent burial. Honor your mother, and do not abandon her as long as she lives. Do whatever pleases her, and do not grieve her spirit in any way.
Remember, my son, that she went through many trials for your sake while you were in her womb. And when she dies, bury her in the same grave with me."
[Taken from TOBIT 4:3-4]
He summoned Tobiah and made an oath in his
presence, saying: "For fourteen days you shall not stir from
here, but shall remain here eating and drinking with me; and you
shall bring joy to my daughter's sorrowing spirit." [Taken
from TOBIT 8:20]
"As for me, I exalt my God, and my spirit rejoices in the King of heaven.
Let all men speak of his majesty, and sing his praises in Jerusalem." [TOBIT 13:7-8]
My spirit blesses the Lord, the great King [Taken
from TOBIT
13:15]
"So, my children, note well what almsgiving does,
and also what wickedness does - it kills! But now my spirit is
about to leave me." [TOBIT 14:11]
Then Judith came in and reclined on it. The
heart of Holofernes was in rapture over her, and his spirit was
shaken. He was burning with the desire to possess her, for he had
been biding his time to seduce her from the day he saw her. [JDTH
12:16]
Let your every creature serve you; for you
spoke, and they were made, You sent forth your spirit, and they
were created; no one can resist your word. [JDTH 16:14]
That day Haman left happy and in good spirits.
But when he saw that Mordecai at the royal gate did not rise, and
showed no fear of him, he was filled with anger toward him. [ESTH
5:9]
As the people heard these words, their spirit was rekindled. They shouted in reply: "You are our leader in place of your brothers Judas and Jonathan.
Fight our battles, and we will do everything that you tell us." [1MACC
13:7-9]
While they were imploring the almighty Lord to
keep the deposits safe and secure for those who had placed them in
trust, Heliodorus went on with his plan. But just as he was
approaching the treasury with his bodyguards, the Lord of spirits
who holds all power manifested himself in so striking a way that
those who had been bold enough to follow Heliodorus were
panic-stricken at God's power and fainted away in terror. There
appeared to them a richly caparisoned horse, mounted by a dreadful
rider. Charging furiously, the horse attacked Heliodorus with its
front hoofs. The rider was seen to be wearing golden armor. Then
two other young men, remarkably strong, strikingly beautiful, and
splendidly attired, appeared before him. Standing on each side of
him, they flogged him unceasingly until they had given him
innumerable blows. Suddenly he fell to the ground, enveloped in
great darkness. Men picked him up and laid him on a stretcher. The
man who a moment before had entered that treasury with a great
retinue and his whole bodyguard was carried away helpless, having
clearly experienced the sovereign power of God. [2MACC 3:22-28]
Not satisfied with this, the king dared to enter
the holiest temple in the world; Menelaus, that traitor both to
the laws and to his country, served as guide. He laid his impure
hands on the sacred vessels and gathered up with profane hands the
votive offerings made by other kings for the advancement, the
glory, and the honor of the Place. Puffed up in spirit, Antiochus
did not realize that it was because of the sins of the city's
inhabitants that the Lord was angry for a little while and hence
disregarded the holy Place. If they had not become entangled in so
many sins, this man, like Heliodorus, who was sent by King
Seleucus to inspect the treasury, would have been flogged and
turned back from his presumptuous action as soon as he approached.
[2MACC 5:15-18]
Most admirable and worthy of everlasting
remembrance was the mother, who saw her seven sons perish in a
single day, yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the
Lord. Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart
with manly courage, she exhorted each of them in the language of
their forefathers with these words: "I do not know how you
came into existence in my womb; it was not I who gave you the
breath of life, nor was it I who set in order the elements of
which each of you is composed. Therefore, since it is the Creator
of the universe who shapes each man's beginning, as he brings
about the origin of everything, he, in his mercy, will give you
back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves
for the sake of his law." [2MACC 7:20-23]
Shortly before, he had thought that he could reach the stars of heaven, and now, no one could endure to transport the man because of this intolerable stench. At last, broken in spirit, he began to give up his excessive arrogance, and to gain some understanding, under the scourge of God, for he was racked with pain unceasingly.
[2MACC 9:10-11]
Why is light given to the toilers, and life to
the bitter in spirit? [JOB 3:20]
In my thoughts during visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
Fear came upon me, and shuddering, that terrified me to the bones.
Then a spirit passed before me, and the hair of my flesh stood up.
[JOB 4:13-15]
For the arrows of the Almighty pierce me, and my
spirit drinks in their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed
against me. [JOB 6:4]
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. [JOB 7:11]
Grace and favor you granted me, and your
providence has preserved my spirit. [JOB 10:12]
My spirit is broken, my lamp of life
extinguished; my burial is at hand. [JOB 17:1]
A rebuke which puts me to shame I hear, and because of this I am disturbed. So now my thoughts provide me with an answer, and from my understanding a spirit gives me a reply.
[JOB 20:2-3]
But it is a spirit in man, the breath of the
Almighty, that gives him understanding. [JOB 32:8]
For I am full of matters to utter; the spirit
within me compels me. [JOB 32:18]
For the spirit of God has made me, the breath of
the Almighty keeps me alive. [JOB 33:4]
If he were to take back his spirit to himself, withdraw to himself his breath,
All flesh would perish together, and man would return to the dust. [JOB 34:14-15]
Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will
redeem me, LORD, faithful God. [PS 31:6]
Happy those to whom the LORD imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no deceit. [PS 32:2]
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, saves
those whose spirit is crushed. [PS 34:19]
Turn away your face from my
sins; blot out all my guilt. A clean heart create for me,
God; renew in me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me from
your presence, nor take from me your holy spirit. Restore my
joy in your salvation; sustain in me a willing spirit. I will
teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you.
Rescue me from death, God, my saving God, that my tongue may
praise your healing power. [PS 51:11-16]
My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do
not spurn a broken, humbled heart. [PS 51:19]
I cry aloud to God, cry to God to
hear me. On the day of my distress I seek the Lord; by night
my hands are raised unceasingly; I refuse to be consoled.
When I think of God, I groan; as I ponder, my spirit grows
faint. My eyes cannot close in sleep; I am troubled and
cannot speak. I consider the days of old; the years long past
I remember. In the night I meditate in my heart; I
ponder and my spirit broods: "Will the Lord reject us
forever, never again show favor? Has God's love ceased
forever? Has the promise failed for all ages? Has God
forgotten mercy, in anger withheld compassion?" [Taken from PS 77:2-10]
They were not to be like their ancestors, a
rebellious and defiant generation, A generation whose heart was
not constant, whose spirit was not faithful to God [Taken from PS 78:8]
At the waters of Meribah they angered God, and Moses suffered because of them.
They so embittered his spirit that rash words crossed his lips.
[PS 106:32-33]
When I cried out, you answered; you strengthened
my spirit. [PS 138:3]
Where can I hide from your spirit? From your
presence, where can I flee? [PS 139:7]
With full voice I cry to the LORD; with
full voice I beseech the LORD. Before God I pour out my
complaint, lay bare my distress. My spirit is faint within
me, but you know my path. Along the way I walk they
have hidden a trap for me. I look to my right hand, but no
friend is there. There is no escape for me; no one cares
for me. I cry out to you, LORD, I say, You are my
refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Listen to my
cry for help, for I am brought very low. Rescue me from
my pursuers, for they are too strong for me. Lead me out of
my prison, that I may give thanks to your name. Then the
just shall gather around me because you have been good to me.
[PS 142:2-8]
LORD, hear my prayer; in your
faithfulness listen to my pleading; answer me in your
justice. Do not enter into judgment with your servant; before
you no living being can be just. The enemy has pursued
me; they have crushed my life to the ground. They have
left me in darkness like those long dead. My spirit is faint
within me; my heart is dismayed. I remember the days of
old; I ponder all your deeds; the works of your hands I
recall. I stretch out my hands to you; I thirst for you like
a parched land. Hasten to answer me, LORD; for my spirit
fails me. Do not hide your face from me, lest I become
like those descending to the pit. At dawn let me hear of your
kindness, for in you I trust. Show me the path I should
walk, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me, LORD, from my
foes, for in you I hope. Teach me to do your will, for
you are my God. May your kind spirit guide me on ground
that is level. For your name's sake, LORD, give me life; in
your justice lead me out of distress. In your kindness put an end
to my foes; destroy all who attack me, for I am your
servant. [Taken from PS 143:1-12]
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the
open squares she raises her voice; Down the crowded ways she calls
out, at the city gates she utters her words: "How long,
you simple ones, will you love inanity, how long will you turn
away at my reproof? Lo! I will pour out to you my
spirit, I will acquaint you with my words." [Taken
from PROV 1:20-23]
A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a
perverse one crushes the spirit. [PROV 15:4]
A glad heart lights up the face, but by mental
anguish the spirit is broken. [PROV 15:13]
All the ways of a man may be pure in his own
eyes, but it is the LORD who proves the spirit. [PROV 16:2]
Pride goes before disaster, and a haughty spirit
before a fall. [PROV 16:18]
A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a
depressed spirit dries up the bones. [PROV 17:22]
A man's spirit sustains him in infirmity - but a
broken spirit who can bear? [PROV 18:14]
Man's pride causes his humiliation, but he who
is humble of spirit obtains honor. [PROV 29:23]
Better is the end of speech than its beginning;
better is the patient spirit than the lofty spirit. [ECCL 7:8]
Do not in spirit become quickly discontented,
for discontent lodges in the bosom of a fool. [ECCL 7:9]
Love justice, you who judge the
earth; think of the LORD in goodness, and seek him in
integrity of heart; Because he is found by those who test him
not, and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve
him. For perverse counsels separate a man from God, and his
power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy; Because into a
soul that plots evil wisdom enters not, nor dwells she in a
body under debt of sin. For the holy spirit of discipline flees
deceit and withdraws from senseless counsels; and when
injustice occurs it is rebuked. For wisdom is a kindly
spirit, yet she acquits not the blasphemer of his guilty
lips; Because God is the witness of his inmost self and
the sure observer of his heart and the listener to his
tongue. For the spirit of the LORD fills the world, is
all-embracing, and knows what man says. Therefore no one who
utters wicked things can go unnoticed, nor will chastising
condemnation pass him by. For the devices of the wicked man shall
be scrutinized, and the sound of his words shall reach the
LORD, for the chastisement of his transgressions; Because a
jealous ear hearkens to everything, and discordant grumblings
are no secret. [WISDOM 1:1-10]
For haphazard were we born, and hereafter
we shall be as though we had not been; Because the breath in
our nostrils is a smoke and reason is a spark at the beating
of our hearts, And when this is quenched, our body will be
ashes and our spirit will be poured abroad like unresisting
air. Even our name will be forgotten in time, and no one will
recall our deeds. So our life will pass away like the traces
of a cloud, and will be dispersed like a mist pursued by
the sun's rays and overpowered by its heat. For our lifetime
is the passing of a shadow; and our dying cannot be
deferred because it is fixed with a seal; and no one returns.
[WISDOM 2:2-5]
Then shall the just one with great assurance
confront his oppressors who set at nought his labors. Seeing
this, they shall be shaken with dreadful fear, and amazed at
the unlooked-for salvation. They shall say among themselves,
rueful and groaning through anguish of
spirit: "This is he whom once we held as a
laughingstock and as a type for mockery, fools that we
were! His life we accounted madness, and his death
dishonored. See how he is accounted among the sons of
God; how his lot is with the saints!" [WISDOM 5:1-5]
Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given
me; I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me. I
preferred her to scepter and throne, And deemed riches
nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem
to her; Because all gold, in view of her, is a little
sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire. Beyond
health and comeliness I loved her, And I chose to have her
rather than the light, because the splendor of her never
yields to sleep. Yet all good things together came to me in her
company, and countless riches at her hands; And I rejoiced in
them all, because Wisdom is their leader, though I had not
known that she is the mother of these. [WISDOM 7:7-12]
Such things as are hidden I learned and such as
are plain; for Wisdom, the artificer of all, taught me. For
in her is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, Manifold,
subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, Not baneful,
loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent,
kindly, Firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful,
all-seeing, And pervading all spirits, though they be
intelligent, pure and very subtle. 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. [WISDOM 7:21-26]
Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had
given Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? [WISDOM 9:17]
For not without means was your almighty
hand, that had fashioned the universe from formless
matter, to send upon them a drove of bears or fierce lions,
Or new-created, wrathful, unknown beasts to breathe forth
fiery breath, Or pour out roaring smoke, or flash
terrible sparks from their eyes. Not only could these attack and
completely destroy them; even their frightful appearance
itself could slay. Even without these, they could have been killed
at a single blast, pursued by retribution and
winnowed out by your mighty spirit; But you have disposed all
things by measure and number and weight. For with you great
strength abides always; who can resist the might of your arm?
[WISDOM 11:17-21]
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]
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." For this man more than any knows that he is
sinning, when out of earthen stuff he creates fragile vessels and
idols alike. But all quite senseless, and worse than childish in
mind, are the enemies of your people who enslaved them. For they
esteemed all the idols of the nations gods, which have no use of
the eyes for vision, nor nostrils to snuff the air, Nor ears to
hear, nor fingers on their hands for feeling; even their feet are
useless to walk with. For a man made them; one whose spirit has
been lent him fashioned them. For no man succeeds in fashioning a
god like himself; being mortal, he makes a dead thing with his
lawless hands. For he is better than the things he worships; he at
least lives, but never they. [WISDOM 15:10-17]
For indeed, neither herb nor application cured
them, but your all-healing word, O LORD! 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
16:12-15]
Say not: "I am hidden from God; in heaven
who remembers me? Among so many people I cannot be known; what am
I in the world of spirits? Behold, the heavens, the heaven of
heavens, the earth and the abyss tremble at his visitation; The
roots of the mountains, the earth's foundations, at his mere
glance, quiver and quake. Of me, therefore, he will take no
thought; with my ways who will concern himself? If I sin, no eye
will see me; if all in secret I am disloyal, who is to know? Who
tells him of just deeds and what could I expect for doing my
duty?" Such are the thoughts of senseless men, which only the
foolish knave will think. [SIRACH 16:15-21]
More precious than gold is health and
well-being, contentment of spirit than coral. [SIRACH 30:15]
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 34:15-17]
In generous spirit pay homage to the LORD, be
not sparing of freewill gifts. With each contribution show a
cheerful countenance, and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy. Give
to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to
your means. For the LORD is one who always repays, and he will
give back to you sevenfold. [SIRACH 35:7-10]
How different the man who devotes himself to the
study of the law of the Most High! He explores the wisdom of the
men of old and occupies himself with the prophecies; He treasures
the discourses of famous men, and goes to the heart of involved
sayings; He studies obscure parables, and is busied with the
hidden meanings of the sages. He is in attendance on the great,
and has entrance to the ruler. He travels among the peoples of
foreign lands to learn what is good and evil among men. His care
is to seek the LORD, his Maker, to petition the Most High, To open
his lips in prayer, to ask pardon for his sins. Then, if it
pleases the LORD Almighty, he will be filled with the spirit of
understanding; He will pour forth his words of wisdom and in
prayer give thanks to the LORD, Who will direct his knowledge and
his counsel, as he meditates upon his mysteries. He will show the
wisdom of what he has learned and glory in the law of the LORD'S
covenant. Many will praise his understanding; his fame can never
be effaced; Unfading will be his memory, through all generations
his name will live; Peoples will speak of his wisdom, and in
assembly sing his praises. While he lives he is one out of a
thousand, and when he dies his renown will not cease. [SIRACH 39:1-11]
When one has to look to another's table, his
life is not really a life. His neighbor's delicacies bring
revulsion of spirit to one who understands inward feelings: In the
mouth of the shameless man begging is sweet, but within him it
burns like fire. [SIRACH 40:29-30]
O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind! Then
Elisha, filled with a twofold portion of his spirit, wrought many
marvels by his mere word. During his lifetime he feared no one,
nor was any man able to intimidate his will. Nothing was beyond
his power; beneath him flesh was brought back into life. In life
he performed wonders, and after death, marvelous deeds. [SIRACH
48:12-14]
For Hezekiah did what was right and held fast to
the paths of David, As ordered by the illustrious prophet Isaiah,
who saw the truth in visions. In his lifetime he turned back the
sun and prolonged the life of the king. By his powerful spirit he
looked into the future and consoled the mourners of Zion; He
foretold what should be till the end of time, hidden things yet to
be fulfilled. [SIRACH 48:22-25]
Let your spirits rejoice in the mercy of God,
and be not ashamed to give him praise. [SIRACH 51:29]
But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of
Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the
LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of
fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for
the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of
his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the
wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and
faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest
of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf
and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to
guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together
their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The
baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on
the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy
mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the
LORD, as water covers the sea. [ISA 11:1-9]
The courage of the Egyptians ebbs away within
them, and I will bring to nought their counsel; They shall consult
idols and charmers, ghosts and spirits. [ISA 19:3]
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]
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD, we
look to you; Your name and your title are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night, yes, my spirit within me
keeps vigil for you; When your judgment dawns upon the earth, the
world's inhabitants learn justice. The wicked man, spared, does
not learn justice; in an upright land he acts perversely, and sees
not the majesty of the LORD. [ISA -10] On that day the LORD of
hosts will be a glorious crown And a brilliant diadem to the
remnant of his people, A spirit of justice to him who sits in
judgment, And strength to those who turn back the battle at the
gate. [ISA 28:5-6]
For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of
deep sleep. He has shut your eyes (the prophets) and covered your
heads (the seers). [ISA 29:10]
When his children see the work of my hands in
his midst, They shall keep my name holy; they shall reverence the
Holy One of Jacob, and be in awe of the God of Israel. Those who
err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find
fault shall receive instruction. [ISA 29:23-24]
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who
depend upon horses; Who put their trust in chariots because of
their number, and in horsemen because of their combined power, But
look not to the Holy One of Israel nor seek the LORD! Yet he too
is wise and will bring disaster; he will not turn from what he has
threatened to do. He will rise up against the house of the wicked
and against those who help evildoers. The Egyptians are men, not
God, their horses are flesh, not spirit; When the LORD stretches
forth his hand, the helper shall stumble, the one helped shall
fall, and both of them shall perish together. [ISA 31:1-3]
Yes, the castle will be forsaken, the noisy city
deserted; Down it comes, as trees come down in the forest! The
city will be utterly laid low. Hill and tower will become
wasteland forever for wild asses to frolic in, and flocks to
pasture, Until the spirit from on high is poured out on us. Then
will the desert become an orchard and the orchard be regarded as a
forest. Right will dwell in the desert and justice abide in the
orchard. Justice will bring about peace; right will produce calm
and security. My people will live in peaceful country, in secure
dwellings and quiet resting places. Happy are you who sow beside
every stream, and let the ox and the ass go freely! [ISA 32:14-20]
You conceive dry grass, bring forth stubble; my
spirit shall consume you like fire. [ISA 33:11]
Look in the book of the LORD and read: No one of
these shall be lacking, For the mouth of the LORD has ordered it,
and his spirit shall gather them there. [ISA 34:16]
When the servants of King Hezekiah had come to
Isaiah, he said to them: "Tell this to your master: 'Thus
says the LORD: Do not be frightened by the words you have heard,
with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
I am about to put in him such a spirit that, when he hears a
certain report, he will return to his own land, and there I will
cause him to fall by the sword.'" [ISA 37:5-7]
Those live whom the LORD protects; yours...the
life of my spirit. You have given me health and life; thus is my
bitterness transformed into peace. You have preserved my life from
the pit of destruction, When you cast behind your back all my
sins. [ISA 38:16-17]
Who has directed the spirit of the LORD, or has instructed him as his counselor?
Whom did he consult to gain knowledge? Who taught him the path of judgment, or showed him the way of understanding?
[ISA 40:13-14]
Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one
with whom I am pleased, Upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall
bring forth justice to the nations, Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall
not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, Until he
establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his
teaching. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and
stretched them out, who spreads out the earth with its crops, Who
gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk on it: I,
the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have
grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant
of the people, a light for the nations, To open the eyes of the
blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the
dungeon, those who live in darkness. I am the LORD, this is my
name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See,
the earlier things have come to pass, new ones I now foretell;
Before they spring into being, I announce them to you. [ISA 42:1-9]
Thus says the LORD who made you, your help, who formed you from the womb:
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, the darling whom I have chosen. I will pour out water upon the thirsty ground, and streams upon the dry land;
I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants.
[ISA 44:2-3]
Come near to me and hear this! Not from the
beginning did I speak it in secret; At the time it comes to pass,
I am present: "Now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his
spirit." [ISA 48:16]
For he who has become your husband is your
Maker; his name is the LORD of hosts; Your redeemer is the Holy
One of Israel, called God of all the earth. The LORD calls you
back, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, A wife married
in youth and then cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I
abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will take you back. [ISA
54:5-7]
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.
I will not accuse forever, nor always be angry; For their spirits
would faint before me, the souls that I have made. [ISA 57:15-16]
This is the covenant with them which I myself
have made, says the LORD: My spirit which is upon you and my words
that I have put into your mouth Shall never leave your mouth, nor
the mouths of your children Nor the mouths of your children's
children from now on and forever, says the LORD. [ISA 59:21]
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because
the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to
the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the
captives and release to the prisoners, To announce a year of favor
from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God, to comfort all
who mourn; To place on those who mourn in Zion a diadem instead of
ashes, To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning, a
glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit. They will be called
oaks of justice, planted by the LORD to show his glory. [ISA 61:1-3]
He said: They are indeed my people, children who
are not disloyal; So he became their savior in their every
affliction. It was not a messenger or an angel, but he himself who
saved them. Because of his love and pity he redeemed them himself,
Lifting them and carrying them all the days of old. But they
rebelled, and grieved his holy spirit; So he turned on them like
an enemy, and fought against them. Then they remembered the days
of old and Moses, his servant; Where is he who brought up out of
the sea the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who put his holy
spirit in their midst; Whose glorious arm was the guide at Moses'
right; Who divided the waters before them, winning for himself
eternal renown; Who led them without stumbling through the depths
like horses in the open country, Like cattle going down into the
plain, the spirit of the LORD guiding them? Thus you led your
people, bringing glory to your name. Look down from heaven and
regard us from your holy and glorious palace! Where is your
zealous care and your might, your surge of pity and your mercy? O
Lord, hold not back, for you are our father. Were Abraham not to
know us, nor Israel to acknowledge us, You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever. [ISA 63:8-16]
My servants shall shout for joy of heart, But
you shall cry out for grief of heart and howl for anguish of
spirit. [ISA 65:14]
Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers; The LORD
has stirred up the spirit of Media's kings; Babylon he is resolved
to destroy. Yes, it is the vengeance of the LORD, vengeance for
his temple. [JER 51:11]
"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]
Wherever the spirit wished to go, there the
wheels went, and they were raised together with the living
creatures; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the
wheels. [EZEK 1:20]
Son of man, stand up! I wish to speak with you.
As he spoke to me, spirit entered into me and set me on my feet,
and I heard the one who was speaking say to me: Son of man, I am
sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against
me; they and their fathers have revolted against me to this very
day. Hard of face and obstinate of heart are they to whom I am
sending you. But you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD!
And whether they heed or resist - for they are a rebellious house
- they shall know that a prophet has been among them. But as
for you, son of man, fear neither them nor their words when they
contradict you and reject you, and when you sit on scorpions.
Neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their looks, for they
are a rebellious house. [Taken from EZEK 2:1-6]
Son of man, he said to me, take into your heart
all my words that I speak to you; hear them well. Now go to the
exiles, to your countrymen, and say to them: Thus says the Lord
GOD! - whether they heed or resist! Then spirit lifted me up, and I
heard behind me the noise of a loud rumbling as the glory of the
LORD rose from its place: the noise made by the wings of the
living creatures striking one another, and by the wheels alongside
them, a loud rumbling. The spirit which had lifted me up seized
me, and I went off spiritually stirred, while the hand of the LORD
rested heavily upon me. Thus I came to the exiles who lived at
Tel-abib by the river Chebar, and for seven days I sat among them
distraught. [EZEK 3:10-15]
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he said
to me: Get up and go out into the plain, where I will speak with
you. So I got up and went out into the plain, and I saw that the
glory of the LORD was in that place, like the glory I had seen by
the river Chebar. I fell prone, but then spirit entered into me
and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me. He said to me: Go
shut yourself up in your house. (As for you, son of man, they will
put cords upon you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go
out among them.) I will make your tongue stick to your palate so
that you will be dumb and unable to rebuke them for being a
rebellious house. Only when I speak with you and open your mouth,
shall you say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD! Let him heed who
will, and let him resist who will, for they are a rebellious
house. [EZEK 3:22-27]
Spirit lifted me up in the air and brought me in
divine visions to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate,
where stood the statue of jealousy which stirs up jealousy. He
said to me: Son of man, look toward the north! I looked toward the
north and saw northward of the gate the altar of the statue of
jealousy. Son of man, he asked me, do you see what they are doing?
Do you see the great abominations that the house of Israel is
practicing here, so that I must depart from my sanctuary? But you
shall see still greater abominations! [EZEK 8:3-6]
When the cherubim moved, the wheels went beside them; when the cherubim lifted their wings to rise from the earth, even then the wheels did not leave their sides. When they stood still, the wheels stood still; when they rose, the wheels rose with them; for the living creatures' spirit was in them. [EZEK 10:16-17]
I will give them a new heart and put a new
spirit within them; I will remove the stony heart from their
bodies, and replace it with a natural heart, so that they will
live according to my statutes, and observe and carry out my
ordinances; thus they shall be my people and I will be their God.
But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their detestable
abominations, I will bring down their conduct upon their heads,
says the Lord GOD. [EZEK 11:19-21]
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to those prophets
who are fools, who follow their own spirit and have seen no
vision. [EZEK 13:3]
Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel,
each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Turn and be
converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt
for you. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and
make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you
die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of
anyone who dies, says the Lord GOD. Return and live! [EZEK 18:30-32]
As for you, son of man, groan! with shattered strength groan bitterly while they look on. And when they ask you, "Why are you groaning?", you shall say: Because of a report; when it comes every heart shall fail, every hand shall fall helpless, every spirit shall be daunted, and every knee shall run with water. See, it is coming, it is here! says the Lord GOD.
[EZEK 21:11-12]
I will prove the holiness of my great name,
profaned among the nations, in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you. For I will
take you away from among the nations, gather you from all the
foreign lands, and bring you back to your own land. I will
sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your
impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will
give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking
from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave
your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will be your God. I
will save you from all your impurities; I will order the grain to
be abundant, and I will not send famine against you. I will
increase the fruit on your trees and the crops in your fields;
thus you shall no longer bear among the nations the reproach of
famine. Then you shall remember your evil conduct, and that your
deeds were not good; you shall loathe yourselves for your sins and
your abominations. Not for your sakes do I act, says the Lord GOD
- let this be known to you! Be ashamed and abashed because of
your conduct, O house of Israel. [EZEK 36:23-32]
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he led me
out in the spirit of the LORD and set me in the center of the
plain, which was now filled with bones. He made me walk among them
in every direction so that I saw how many they were on the surface
of the plain. How dry they were! He asked me: Son of man, can
these bones come to life? "Lord GOD," I answered,
"you alone know that." Then he said to me: Prophesy over
these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the
LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: See! I will bring
spirit into you, that you may come to life. I will put sinews upon
you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put spirit
in you so that you may come to life and know that I am the LORD. I
prophesied as I had been told, and even as I was prophesying I
heard a noise; it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone
joining bone. I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them, and
the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them. Then he said
to me: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to
the spirit: Thus says the Lord GOD: From the four winds come, O
spirit, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life. I
prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them; they came
alive and stood upright, a vast army. Then he said to me: Son of
man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They have been
saying, "Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are
cut off." Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the
Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise
from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you
shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have
you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that
you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall
know that I am the LORD. I have promised, and I will do it, says
the LORD. [EZEK 37:1-14]
According to their uncleanness and their
transgressions I dealt with them, hiding my face from them.
Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes
of Jacob and have pity on the whole house of Israel, and I will be
jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their disgrace and all
the times they broke faith with me, when they live in security on
their land with no one to frighten them. When I bring them back
from among the peoples, I will gather them from the lands of their
enemies, and will prove my holiness through them in the sight of
many nations. Thus they shall know that I, the LORD, am their God,
since I who exiled them among the nations, will gather them back
on their land, not leaving any of them behind. No longer will I
hide my face from them, for I have poured out my spirit upon the
house of Israel, says the Lord GOD. [EZEK 39:24-29]
Then he led me to the gate which faces the east,
and there I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the
east. I heard a sound like the roaring of many waters, and the
earth shone with his glory. The vision was like that which I had
seen when he came to destroy the city, and like that which I had
seen by the river Chebar. I fell prone as the glory of the LORD
entered the temple by way of the gate which faces the east, but
spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court. And I saw
that the temple was filled with the glory of the LORD. Then I
heard someone speaking to me from the temple, while the man stood
beside me. The voice said to me: Son of man, this is where my
throne shall be, this is where I will set the soles of my feet;
here I will dwell among the Israelites forever. Never again shall
they and their kings profane my holy name with their harlotries
and with the corpses of their kings (their high places). When they
placed their threshold against my threshold and their doorpost
next to mine, so that only a wall was between us, they profaned my
holy name by their abominable deeds; therefore I consumed them in
my wrath. From now on they shall put far from me their harlotry
and the corpses of their kings, and I will dwell in their midst
forever. [EZEK 43:1-9]
In the second year of his reign, King
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which left his spirit no rest and
robbed him of his sleep. So he ordered that the magicians,
enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans be summoned to interpret the
dream for him. When they came and presented themselves to the
king, he said to them, "I had a dream which will allow my
spirit no rest until I know what it means." [DAN 2:1-3]
But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us
be received. [DAN 3:39]
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever. [DAN 3:86]
Finally there came before me Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy God. I repeated the dream to him:
"Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy God is in you and no mystery is too difficult for you; tell me the meaning of the visions that I saw in my dream."
[DAN 4:5-6]
"This is the dream that I, King
Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning.
Although none of the wise men in my kingdom can tell me the
meaning, you can, because the spirit of the holy God is in
you." [DAN 4:15]
The Most High God gave your father
Nebuchadnezzar a great kingdom and glorious majesty. Because he
made him so great, the nations and peoples of every language
dreaded and feared him. Whomever he wished, he killed or let live;
whomever he wished, he exalted or humbled. But when his heart
became proud and his spirit hardened by insolence, he was put down
from his royal throne and deprived of his glory; he was cast out
from among men and was made insensate as a beast; he lived with
wild asses, and ate grass like an ox; his body was bathed with the
dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over
the kingdom of men and appoints over it whom he will. You, his
son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all
this; you have rebelled against the Lord of heaven. You had the
vessels of his temple brought before you, so that you and your
nobles, your wives and your entertainers, might drink wine from
them; and you praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and
iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor hear nor have
intelligence. But the God in whose hand is your life breath and
the whole course of your life, you did not glorify. By him were
the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down. [DAN 5:18-24]
Daniel outshone all the supervisors and satraps
because an extraordinary spirit was in him, and the king thought
of giving him authority over the entire kingdom. [DAN 6:4]
I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its
sheath of flesh, and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.
[DAN 7:15]
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