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With the weaker animals he would not put the rods there. So the
feeble animals would go to Laban, but the sturdy ones to Jacob.
Thus the man grew increasingly prosperous, and he came to own not
only large flocks but also male and female servants and camels and
asses. [Taken from GEN 30:42-43]
"You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show
neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but
judge your fellow men justly." [LEV 19:15]
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to Aaron and tell him: None
of your descendants, of whatever generation, who has any defect
shall come forward to offer up the food of his God. Therefore, he
who has any of the following defects may not come forward: he who
is blind, or lame, or who has any disfigurement or malformation,
or a crippled foot or hand, or who is hump-backed or weakly or
walleyed, or who is afflicted with eczema, ringworm or hernia. No
descendant of Aaron the priest who has any such defect may draw
near to offer up the oblations of the LORD; on account of his
defect he may not draw near to offer up the food of his God. He
may, however, partake of the food of his God: of what is most
sacred as well as of what is sacred. Only, he may not approach the
veil nor go up to the altar on account of his defect; he shall not
profane these things that are sacred to me, for it is I, the LORD,
who make them sacred." [LEV 21:16-23]
'Hear, O Israel! Today you are going into battle against your
enemies. Be not weakhearted or afraid; be neither alarmed nor
frightened by them. For it is the LORD, your God, who goes with
you to fight for you against your enemies and give you victory.' [DEUT
20:3-4]
In fine, the officials shall say to the soldiers, 'Is there
anyone who is afraid and weakhearted? Let him return home, lest he
make his fellows as fainthearted as himself.' [DEUT 20:8]
"Bear in mind what Amalek did to you on the journey after
you left Egypt, how without fear of any god he harassed you along
the way, weak and weary as you were, and cut off at the rear all
those who lagged behind. Therefore, when the LORD, your God, gives
you rest from all your enemies round about in the land which he is
giving you to occupy as your heritage, you shall blot out the
memory of Amalek from under the heavens. Do not forget!" [DEUT
25:17-19]
So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of your
great strength and how you may be bound so as to be kept
helpless." "If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings
which have not dried," Samson answered her, "I shall be
as weak as any other man." So the lords of the Philistines
brought her seven fresh bowstrings which had not dried, and she
bound him with them. She had men lying in wait in the chamber and
so she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you,
Samson!" But he snapped the strings as a thread of tow is
severed by a whiff of flame; and the secret of his strength
remained unknown. Delilah said to Samson, "You have mocked me
and told me lies. Now tell me how you may be bound." "If
they bind me tight with new ropes, with which no work has been
done," he answered her, "I shall be as weak as any other
man." So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them. Then
she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!"
For there were men lying in wait in the chamber. But he snapped
them off his arms like thread. Delilah said to Samson again,
"Up to now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how
you may be bound." He said to her, "If you weave my
seven locks of hair into the web and fasten them with the pin, I
shall be as weak as any other man." So while he slept,
Delilah wove his seven locks of hair into the web, and fastened
them in with the pin. Then she said, "The Philistines are
upon you, Samson!" Awakening from his sleep, he pulled out
both the weaver's pin and the web. Then she said to him, "How
can you say that you love me when you do not confide in me? Three
times already you have mocked me, and not told me the secret of
your great strength!" She importuned him continually and
vexed him with her complaints till he was deathly weary of them.
So he took her completely into his confidence and told her,
"No razor has touched my head, for I have been consecrated to
God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave
me, and I shall be as weak as any other man." When Delilah
saw that he had taken her completely into his confidence, she
summoned the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up this
time, for he has opened his heart to me." So the lords of the
Philistines came and brought up the money with them. She had him
sleep on her lap, and called for a man who shaved off his seven
locks of hair. Then she began to mistreat him, for his strength
had left him. [JUDG 16:6-19]
During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under
Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately
grown so weak that he could not see. The lamp of God was not yet
extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was. The LORD called to Samuel, who answered,
"Here I am." [1SAM 3:1-4]
Jonathan, who had not heard that his father had put the people
under oath, thrust out the end of the staff he was holding and
dipped in into the honey. Then he raised it to his mouth and his
eyes lit up. At this one of the soldiers spoke up: "Your
father put the people under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be the
man who takes food this day!' As a result the people are
weak." [1SAM 14:27-28]
There followed a long war between the house of Saul and that of
David, in which David grew stronger, but the house of Saul weaker.
[2SAM 3:1]
So on that day all the people and all Israel came to know that
the king had no part in the killing of Abner, son of Ner. The king
then said to his servants: "You must recognize that a great
general has fallen today in Israel. Although I am the anointed
king, I am weak this day, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are
too ruthless for me. May the LORD requite the evildoer in
accordance with his evil deed." [2SAM 3:37-39]
At this, some of the Ephraimite leaders, Azariah, son of
Johanan, Berechiah, son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah, son of
Shallum, and Amasa, son of Hadlai, themselves stood up in
opposition to those who had returned from the war. They said to
them: "Do not bring the captives here, for what you propose
will make us guilty before the LORD and increase our sins and our
guilt. Our guilt is already great, and there is a burning anger
upon Israel." Therefore the soldiers left their captives and
the plunder before the princes and the whole assembly. Then the
men just named proceeded to help the captives. All of them who
were naked they clothed from the booty; they clothed them, put
sandals on their feet, gave them food and drink, anointed them,
and all who were weak they set on asses. They brought them to
Jericho, the city of palms, to their brethren. Then they returned
to Samaria. [2CHRON 28:12-15]
"The people, however, were so tortured with thirst that
they forced us to speak to them as we did, and to bind ourselves
by an oath that we cannot break. But now, God-fearing woman that
you are, pray for us that the Lord may send rain to fill up our
cisterns, lest we be weakened still further." Then Judith
said to them: "Listen to me! I will do something that will go
down from generation to generation among the descendants of our
race." [JDTH 8:30-32]
"Your strength is not in numbers, nor does your power
depend upon stalwart men; but you are the God of the lowly, the
helper of the oppressed, the supporter of the weak, the protector
of the forsaken, the savior of those without hope." [JDTH 9:11]
"The Persians were dismayed at her daring, the Medes
appalled at her boldness. When my lowly ones shouted, they were
terrified; when my weaklings cried out, they trembled; at the
sound of their war cry, they took to flight." [JDTH 16:10-11]
She passed through all the portals till she stood face to face with the king, who was seated on his royal throne, clothed in full robes of state, and covered with gold and precious stones, so that he inspired great awe.
As he looked up, his features ablaze with the height of majestic anger, the queen staggered, changed color, and leaned weakly against the head of the maid in front of her.
But God changed the king's anger to gentleness. In great anxiety he sprang from his throne, held her in his arms until she recovered, and comforted her with reassuring words.
[ESTH D:6-8]
But when they saw the army coming against them, they said to
Judas: "How can we, few as we are, fight such a mighty host
as this? Besides, we are weak today from fasting." But Judas
said: "It is easy for many to be overcome by a few; in the
sight of Heaven there is no difference between deliverance by many
or by few; for victory in war does not depend upon the size of the
army, but on strength that comes from Heaven." [1MACC 3:17-19]
Seeing that the army was strong, he prayed thus: "Blessed
are you, O Savior of Israel, who broke the rush of the mighty one
by the hand of your servant David and delivered the camp of the
Philistines into the hand of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and his
armor-bearer. Give this army into the hands of your people Israel;
make them ashamed of their troops and their cavalry. Strike them
with fear, weaken the boldness of their strength, and let them
tremble at their own destruction. Strike them down by the sword of
those who love you, that all who know your name may hymn your
praise." [1MACC 4:30-33]
Lysias heard that Philip, whom King Antiochus, before his
death, had appointed to train his son Antiochus to be king, had
returned from Persia and Media with the army that accompanied the
king, and that he was seeking to take over the government. So he
hastily resolved to withdraw. He said to the king, the leaders of
the army, and the soldiers: "We are growing weaker every day,
our provisions are scanty, the place we are besieging is strong,
and it is our duty to take care of the affairs of the kingdom.
Therefore let us now come to terms with these men, and make peace
with them and all their nation." [1MACC 6:55-58]
Because no stranger lodged in the street, but I opened my door
to wayfarers - Had I, out of human weakness, hidden my sins and
buried my guilt in my bosom Because I feared the noisy multitude
and the scorn of the tribes terrified me- then I should have
remained silent, and not come out of doors! Oh, that I had one to
hear my case, and that my accuser would write out his indictment!
[JOB 31:32-35]
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]
"Because they rob the weak, and the needy groan, I
will now arise," says the LORD; "I will grant safety to
whoever longs for it." [PS 12:6]
You know my reproach, my shame, my disgrace; before you stand
all my foes. Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak; I looked
for compassion, but there was none, for comforters, but found
none. Instead they put gall in my food; for my thirst they gave me
vinegar. [PS 69:20-22]
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]
They who said among themselves, thinking not aright:
"Brief and troublous is our lifetime; neither is there any
remedy for man's dying, nor is anyone known to have come back from
the nether world. 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. Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that
are real, and use the freshness of creation avidly. Let us have
our fill of costly wine and perfumes, and let no springtime
blossom pass us by; let us crown ourselves with rosebuds ere they
wither. Let no meadow be free from our wantonness; everywhere let
us leave tokens of our rejoicing, for this our portion is, and
this our lot. Let us oppress the needy just man; let us neither
spare the widow nor revere the old man for his hair grown white
with time. But let our strength be our norm of justice; for
weakness proves itself useless. 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 2:1-22]
Give me Wisdom, the attendant at your throne, and reject me not
from among your children; For I am your servant, the son of your
handmaid, a man weak and short-lived and lacking in comprehension
of judgment and of laws. Indeed, though one be perfect among the
sons of men, if Wisdom, who comes from you, be not with him, he
shall be held in no esteem. [WISDOM 9:4-6]
My son, why increase your cares, since he who is avid for
wealth will not be blameless? Even if you run after it, you will
never overtake it; however you seek it, you will not find it. One
may toil and struggle and drive, and fall short all the more.
Another goes his way a weakling and a failure, with little
strength and great misery - Yet the eyes of the LORD look
favorably upon him; he raises him free of the vile dust, Lifts up
his head and exalts him to the amazement of the many. Good and
evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from the LORD.
[SIRACH 11:10-14] [The term "evil" used above should
be considered in the context of punishments sent by God or misfortunes
sent as a inducement to repent.]
Bring not every man into your house, for many are the snares of
the crafty one; Though he seem like a bird confined in a cage, yet
like a spy he will pick out the weak spots. [SIRACH 11:29-30]
For he is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not
unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the
oppressed. He is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the
widow when she pours out her complaint; Do not the tears that
stream down her cheek cry out against him that causes them to
fall? He who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches
the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does
not rest till it reaches its goal, Nor will it withdraw till the
Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right. [SIRACH
35:12-18]
O death! how welcome your sentence to the weak man of failing
strength, Tottering and always rebuffed, with no more sight, with
vanished hope. [SIRACH 41:2]
The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the staff of the
tyrants That struck the peoples in wrath relentless blows; That
beat down the nations in anger, with oppression unchecked. The
whole earth rests peacefully, song breaks forth; The very
cypresses rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon: "Now
that you are laid to rest, there will be none to cut us
down." The nether world below is all astir preparing for your
coming; It awakens the shades to greet you, all the leaders of the
earth; It has the kings of all nations rise from their thrones.
All of them speak out and say to you, "You too have become
weak like us, you are the same as we. Down to the nether world
your pomp is brought, the music of your harps." [Taken from
ISA 14:5-11]
But now the LORD has spoken: In three years, like those of a
hireling, the glory of Moab shall be degraded despite all its
great multitude; there shall be a remnant, very small and weak.
[ISA 16:14]
Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that
are weak, Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong,
fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine
recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind
be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; Then will the lame
leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing. Streams
will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. [ISA 35:3-6]
Like a swallow I utter shrill cries; I moan like a dove. My
eyes grow weak, gazing heavenward: O Lord, I am in straits; be my
surety! [ISA 38:14]
Do you not know or have you not heard? The LORD is the eternal
God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow
weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to
the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound. Though young men
faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, They that hope
in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with
eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow
faint. [ISA 40:28-31]
Idol makers all amount to nothing, and their precious works are
of no avail, as they themselves give witness. To their shame, they
neither see nor know anything; and they are more deaf than men
are. Indeed, all the associates of anyone who forms a god, or
casts an idol to no purpose, will be put to shame; they will all
assemble and stand forth, to be reduced to fear and shame. The
smith fashions an iron image, works it over the coals, shapes it
with hammers, and forges it with his strong arm. He is hungry and
weak, drinks no water and becomes exhausted. [ISA 44:9-12]
Though worn out by your many misdeeds, you never said, "It
is hopeless"; New strength you found, and so you did not
weaken. Of whom were you afraid? Whom did you fear, that you
became false And did not remember me or give me any thought? Was I
to remain silent and unseeing, so that you would not have me to
fear? I will expose your justice and your works; They shall not
help you when you cry out, nor save you in your distress. All
these the wind shall carry off, the breeze shall bear away; But he
who takes refuge in me shall inherit the land, and possess my holy
mountain. [ISA 57:10-13]
Must you prove your rank among kings by competing with them in
cedar? Did not your father eat and drink? He did what was right
and just, and it went well with him. Because he dispensed justice
to the weak and the poor, it went well with him. Is this not true
knowledge of me? says the LORD. [JER 22:15-16]
Damascus is weakened, she turns to flee, panic has seized her.
Distress and pangs take hold of her, like those of a woman in
travail. How can the city of glory be forsaken, the town of
delight! [JER 49:24-25]
How can they be called gods? For women bring the offerings to
these gods of silver and gold and wood; and in their temples the
priests squat with torn tunic and with shaven hair and beard, and
with their heads uncovered. They shout and wail before their gods
as others do at a funeral banquet. The priests take some of their
clothing and put it on their wives and children. Whether they are
treated well or ill by anyone, they cannot requite it; they can
neither set up a king nor remove him. Similarly, they cannot give
anyone riches or coppers; if one fails to fulfill a vow to them,
they cannot exact it of him. They neither save a man from death,
nor deliver the weak from the strong. To no blind man do they
restore his sight, nor do they save any man in an emergency. They
neither pity the widow nor benefit the orphan. These gilded and
silvered wooden statues are like stones from the mountains; and
their worshipers will be put to shame. How then can it be thought
or claimed that they are gods? [BARUCH 6:29-39]
Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, prophesy
against the shepherds of Israel, in these words prophesy to them
(to the shepherds): Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds
of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not
shepherds, rather, pasture sheep? You did not strengthen the weak
nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back
the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly
and brutally... my sheep were scattered over the whole earth, with
no one to look after them or to search for them. Thus says the
Lord GOD: I swear I am coming against these shepherds. I will
claim my sheep from them and put a stop to their shepherding my
sheep so that they may no longer pasture themselves. I will save
my sheep... For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will look after
and tend my sheep. [Taken from EZEK 34:1-2,4,6,10-11]
As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD, I will judge between
one sheep and another, between rams and goats. Was it not enough
for you to graze on the best pasture, that you had to trample the
rest of your pastures with your feet? Was it not enough for you to
drink the clearest water, that you had to foul the remainder with
your feet? Thus my sheep had to graze on what your feet had
trampled and drink what your feet had fouled. Therefore thus says
the Lord GOD: Now will I judge between the fat and the lean sheep.
Because you push with side and shoulder, and butt all the weak
sheep with your horns until you have driven them out, I will save
my sheep so that they may no longer be despoiled, and I will judge
between one sheep and another. [EZEK 34:17-22]
I, Daniel, was weak and ill for some days; then I arose and
took care of the king's affairs. But I was appalled at the vision,
which I could not understand. [DAN 8:27]
You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,
removing them far from their own country! See, I will rouse them
from the place into which you have sold them, and I will return
your deed upon your own head. I will sell your sons and your
daughters to the people of Judah, who shall sell them to the
Sabeans, a nation far off. Indeed, the LORD has spoken. Declare
this among the nations: proclaim a war, rouse the warriors to
arms! Let all the soldiers report and march! Beat your plowshares
into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak man
say, "I am a warrior!" [JOEL 4:6-10]
Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Israel, and for four, I
will not revoke my word; Because they sell the just man for
silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals. They trample the
heads of the weak into the dust of the earth, and force the lowly
out of the way. Son and father go to the same prostitute,
profaning my holy name. [AMOS 2:6-7]
Hear this word, women of the mountain of Samaria, you cows of
Bashan, You who oppress the weak and abuse the needy; Who say to
your lords, "Bring drink for us!" The Lord GOD has sworn
by his holiness: Truly the days are coming upon you When they
shall drag you away with hooks... you shall be cast into the mire,
says the LORD. [Taken from AMOS 4:1-2]
Therefore, because you have trampled upon the weak and exacted
of them levies of grain, Though you have built houses of hewn
stone, you shall not live in them! Though you have planted choice
vineyards, you shall not drink their wine! Yes, I know how many
are your crimes, how grievous your sins: Oppressing the just,
accepting bribes, repelling the needy at the gate! Therefore the
prudent man is silent at this time, for it is an evil time. Seek
good and not evil, that you may live; Then truly will the LORD,
the God of hosts, be with you as you claim! [AMOS 5:11-14]
The LORD shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of
the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem
may not be exalted over Judah. On that day, the LORD will shield
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the weakling among them shall be
like David on that day, and the house of David godlike, like an
angel of the LORD before them. On that day I will seek the
destruction of all nations that come against Jerusalem. [ZECH 12:7-9]
[Jesus] 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." When he returned to his
disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "So you
could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you
may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak." [Taken from MT 26:39-41]
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." When he returned he found them asleep. He said to
Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for
one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The
spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." [MK 14:32-38]
"I have never wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my
companions. In every way I have shown you that by hard work of
that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the
Lord Jesus who himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to
receive.'" [ACTS 20:33-35]
He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become
"the father of many nations," according to what was
said, "Thus shall your descendants be." He did not
weaken in faith when he considered his own body as (already) dead
(for he was almost a hundred years old) and the dead womb of
Sarah. He did not doubt God's promise in unbelief; rather, he was
empowered by faith and gave glory to God and was fully convinced
that what he had promised he was also able to do. [ROM 4:18-21]
But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of
sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of
teaching to which you were entrusted. Freed from sin, you have
become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms
because of the weakness of your nature. For just as you presented
the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness
for lawlessness, so now present them as slaves to righteousness
for sanctification. [ROM 6:17-19]
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you
from the law of sin and death. For what the law, weakened by the
flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he
condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous decree of the
law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh
but according to the spirit. [ROM 8:2-4]
In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our
weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the
Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. [ROM 8:26]
Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over
opinions. One person believes that one may eat anything, while the
weak person eats only vegetables. The one who eats must not
despise the one who abstains, and the one who abstains must not
pass judgment on the one who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who
are you to pass judgment on someone else's servant? Before his own
master he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is
able to make him stand. [ROM 14:1-4]
We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak
and not to please ourselves; let each of us please our neighbor
for the good, for building up. For Christ did not please himself;
but, as it is written, "The insults of those who insult you
fall upon me." [ROM 15:1-3]
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside." Where is
the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this
age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? For since
in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through
wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the
proclamation to save those who have faith. For Jews demand signs
and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a
stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those
who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and
the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human
wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by
human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble
birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the
wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and
God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for
nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no
human being might boast before God. It is due to him that you are
in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is
written, "Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord." [1COR
1:18-31]
When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I
did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved
to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him
crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words
of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that
your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
[1COR 2:1-5]
For as I see it, God has exhibited us apostles as the last of
all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a
spectacle to the world, to angels and human beings alike. We are
fools on Christ's account, but you are wise in Christ; we are
weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in
disrepute. [1COR 4:9-10]
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become
all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the
sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it. [1COR
9:22-23]
But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the
body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the
body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye
cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," nor again
the head to the feet, "I do not need you." Indeed, the
parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more
necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less
honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable
parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more
presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the
body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so
that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may
have the same concern for one another. If (one) part suffers, all
the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts
share its joy. [1COR 12:18-26]
You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel
of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind; but God gives it a body
as he chooses, and to each of the seeds its own body. Not all
flesh is the same, but there is one kind for human beings, another
kind of flesh for animals, another kind of flesh for birds, and
another for fish. There are both heavenly bodies and earthly
bodies, but the brightness of the heavenly is one kind and that of
the earthly another. The brightness of the sun is one kind, the
brightness of the moon another, and the brightness of the stars
another. For star differs from star in brightness. So also is the
resurrection of the dead. It is sown corruptible; it is raised
incorruptible. It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It
is sown weak; it is raised powerful. It is sown a natural body; it
is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is
also a spiritual one. So, too, it is written, "The first man,
Adam, became a living being," the last Adam a life-giving
spirit. But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and
then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, earthly; the
second man, from heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the
earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly one. [1COR 15:36-49]
May I not seem as one frightening you through letters. For
someone will say, "His letters are severe and forceful, but
his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible."
Such a person must understand that what we are in word through
letters when absent, that we also are in action when present. Not
that we dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who
recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one
another and compare themselves with one another, they are without
understanding. But we will not boast beyond measure but will keep
to the limits God has apportioned us, namely, to reach even to
you. [2COR 10:9-13]
To my shame I say that we were too weak! But what anyone dares
to boast of (I am speaking in foolishness) I also dare. [2COR
11:21]
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not
indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show
my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows, he who is
blessed forever, that I do not lie. [2COR 11:29-31]
About this person I will boast, but about myself I will not
boast, except about my weaknesses. Although if I should wish to
boast, I would not be foolish, for I would be telling the truth.
But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me than what he
sees in me or hears from me because of the abundance of the
revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a
thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me,
to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord
about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, "My
grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in
weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,
in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I
am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and
constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am
strong. [2COR 12:5-10]
I warned those who sinned earlier and all the others, and I
warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second
visit, that if I come again I will not be lenient, since you are
looking for proof of Christ speaking in me. He is not weak toward
you but powerful in you. For indeed he was crucified out of
weakness, but he lives by the power of God. So also we are weak in
him, but toward you we shall live with him by the power of God.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in faith. Test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? -
unless, of course, you fail the test. I hope you will discover
that we have not failed. But we pray to God that you may not do
evil, not that we may appear to have passed the test but that you
may do what is right, even though we may seem to have failed. For
we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.
For we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong. What we pray
for is your improvement. [2COR 13:2-9]
At a time when you did not know God, you became slaves to
things that by nature are not gods; but now that you have come to
know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back
again to the weak and destitute elemental powers? Do you want to
be slaves to them all over again? You are observing days, months,
seasons, and years. I am afraid on your account that perhaps I
have labored for you in vain. [GAL 4:8-11]
We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the
fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. [1THES 5:14]
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to
our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been
tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently
approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace
for timely help. [HEB 4:14-16]
Every high priest is taken from among men and made their
representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he
himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make
sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes
this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron
was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in
becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him:
"You are my son; this day I have begotten you"; just as
he says in another place: "You are a priest forever according
to the order of Melchizedek." [HEB 5:1-6]
On the one hand, a former commandment is annulled because of
its weakness and uselessness, for the law brought nothing to
perfection; on the other hand, a better hope is introduced,
through which we draw near to God. [HEB 7:18-19]
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high
priests, but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever. [HEB 7:28]
What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon,
Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who
by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the
promises; they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires,
escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made
powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign
invaders. [HEB 11:32-34]
Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as
sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not
discipline? If you are without discipline, in which all have
shared, you are not sons but bastards. Besides this, we have had
our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them.
Should we not (then) submit all the more to the Father of spirits
and live? They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to
them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share
his holiness. At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for
joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of
righteousness to those who are trained by it. So strengthen your
drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your
feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed. [HEB 12:7-13]
Likewise, you husbands should live with your wives in
understanding, showing honor to the weaker female sex, since we
are joint heirs of the gift of life, so that your prayers may not
be hindered. [1PT 3:7]
Also try:
meek
[M]
fear
[F6]
strength
/ strengthen / strong [S28a]
courage
[F12]
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