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The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she
conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with
the help of the LORD." [GEN 4:1]
Having left everything he owned in Joseph's
charge, he gave no thought, with Joseph there, to anything but the
food he ate. Now Joseph was strikingly handsome in countenance and
body. After a time, his master's wife began to look fondly at him
and said, "Lie with me." But he refused. "As long
as I am here," he told her, "my master does not concern
himself with anything in the house, but has entrusted to me all he
owns. He wields no more authority in this house than I do, and he
has withheld from me nothing but yourself, since you are his wife.
How, then, could I commit so great a wrong and thus stand
condemned before God?" Although she tried to entice him day
after day, he would not agree to lie beside her, or even stay near
her. One such day, when Joseph came into the house to do his work,
and none of the household servants were then in the house, she
laid hold of him by his cloak, saying, "Lie with me!"
But leaving the cloak in her hand, he got away from her and ran
outside. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand as he
fled outside, she screamed for her household servants and told
them, "Look! my husband has brought in a Hebrew slave to make
sport of us! He came in here to lie with me, but I cried out as
loud as I could. When he heard me scream for help, he left his
cloak beside me and ran away outside." She kept the cloak
with her until his master came home. Then she told him the same
story: "The Hebrew slave whom you brought here broke in on
me, to make sport of me. But when I screamed for help, he left his
cloak beside me and fled outside." As soon as the master
heard his wife's story about how his slave had treated her, he
became enraged. He seized Joseph and threw him into the jail where
the royal prisoners were confined. But even while he was in
prison, the LORD remained with Joseph; he showed him kindness by
making the chief jailer well-disposed toward him. [GEN 39:6-21]
The God of your father, who helps you, God
Almighty, who blesses you, With the blessings of the heavens
above, the blessings of the abyss that crouches below [Taken from
GEN 49:25]
Moses, however, said to the LORD, "If you
please, LORD, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past, nor
recently, nor now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am
slow of speech and tongue." The LORD said to him, "Who
gives one man speech and makes another deaf and dumb? Or who gives
sight to one and makes another blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Go,
then! It is I who will assist you in speaking and will teach you
what you are to say." Yet he insisted, "If you please,
Lord, send someone else!" Then the LORD became angry with
Moses and said, "Have you not your brother, Aaron the Levite?
I know that he is an eloquent speaker. Besides, he is now on his
way to meet you. When he sees you, his heart will be glad. You are
to speak to him, then, and put the words in his mouth. I will
assist both you and him in speaking and will teach the two of you
what you are to do. He shall speak to the people for you: he shall
be your spokesman, and you shall be as God to him. Take this staff
in your hand; with it you are to perform the signs." [EX 4:10-17]
Now Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel: how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. So his father-in-law Jethro took along Zipporah, Moses' wife, whom Moses had sent back to him, and her two sons. One of these was called Gershom; for he said, "I am a stranger in a foreign land." The other was called Eliezer; for he said, "My father's God is my helper; he has rescued me from Pharaoh's sword."
[Taken from EX 18:1-4]
"When you come upon your enemy's ox or ass going astray, see to it that it is returned to him. When you notice the ass of one who hates you lying prostrate under its burden, by no means desert him; help him, rather, to raise it up."
[EX 23:4-5]
In the year following that of the Israelites'
departure from the land of Egypt, on the first day of the second
month, the LORD said to Moses in the meeting tent in the desert of
Sinai: "Take a census of the whole community of the
Israelites, by clans and ancestral houses, registering each male
individually. You and Aaron shall enroll in companies all the men
in Israel of twenty years or more who are fit for military
service. To assist you there shall be a man from each tribe, the
head of his ancestral house. These are the names of those who are
to assist you: from Reuben: Elizur, son of Shedeur; from Simeon:
Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai..." [Taken from NUM 1:1-6]
If one of your kinsmen in any community is in
need in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you, you
shall not harden your heart nor close your hand to him in his
need. Instead, you shall open your hand to him and freely lend him
enough to meet his need. Be on your guard lest, entertaining the
mean thought that the seventh year, the year of relaxation, is
near, you grudge help to your needy kinsman and give him nothing;
else he will cry to the LORD against you and you will be held
guilty. When you give to him, give freely and not with ill will;
for the LORD, your God, will bless you for this in all your works
and undertakings. [DEUT 15:7-10]
"But if you do not hearken to the voice of
the LORD, your God, and are not careful to observe all his
commandments which I enjoin on you today, all these curses shall
come upon you and overwhelm you: May you be cursed in the city,
and cursed in the country! ... May you be cursed in your coming
in, and cursed in your going out! The LORD will put a curse on
you, defeat and frustration in every enterprise you undertake,
until you are speedily destroyed and perish for the evil you have
done in forsaking me. The LORD will bring a pestilence upon you
that will persist until he has exterminated you from the land you
are entering to occupy. The LORD will strike you with wasting and
fever, with scorching, fiery drought, with blight and searing
wind, that will plague you until you perish. The sky over your
heads will be like bronze and the earth under your feet like iron.
For rain the LORD will give your land powdery dust, which will
come down upon you from the sky until you are destroyed. The LORD
will let you be beaten down before your enemies; though you
advance against them from one direction, you will flee before them
in seven, so that you will become a terrifying example to all the
kingdoms of the earth... The LORD will strike you with Egyptian
boils and with tumors, eczema and the itch, until you cannot be
cured. And the LORD will strike you with madness, blindness and
panic, so that even at midday you will grope like a blind man in
the dark, unable to find your way. You will be oppressed and
robbed continually, with no one to come to your aid." [Taken
from DEUT 28:15-16,19-25,27-29]
The following is for Judah. He said: "The
LORD hears the cry of Judah; you will bring him to his people. His
own hands defend his cause and you will be his help against his
foes." [DEUT 33:7]
Joshua reminded the Reubenites, the Gadites, and
the half-tribe of Manasseh: "Remember what Moses, the servant
of the LORD, commanded you when he said, 'The LORD, your God, will
permit you to settle in this land.' Your wives, your children, and
your livestock shall remain in the land Moses gave you here beyond
the Jordan. But all the warriors among you must cross over armed
ahead of your kinsmen and you must help them until the LORD has
settled your kinsmen, and they like you possess the land which the
LORD, your God, is giving them. Afterward you may return and
occupy your own land, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, has
given you east of the Jordan." [JOSH 1:12-15]
So Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, sent for
Hoham, king of Hebron, Piram, king of Jarmuth, Japhia, king of
Lachish, and Debir, king of Eglon, to come to his aid for an
attack on Gibeon, since it had concluded peace with Joshua and the
Israelites. The five Amorite kings, of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth,
Lachish and Eglon, united all their forces and marched against
Gibeon, where they took up siege positions. Thereupon, the men of
Gibeon sent an appeal to Joshua in his camp at Gilgal: "Do
not abandon your servants. Come up here quickly and save us. Help
us, because all the Amorite kings of the mountain country have
joined forces against us." [JOSH 10:3-6]
The LORD delivered Lachish into the power of Israel, so that on the second day Joshua captured it and put it to the sword with every person in it, just as he had done to Libnah. At that time Horam, king of Gezer, came up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his people, leaving him no survivors.
[JOSH 10:32-33]
"Curse Meroz," says the LORD,
"hurl a curse at its inhabitants! For they came not to my
help, as warriors to the help of the LORD." [JUDG 5:23]
Having taken what Micah had made, and the priest he had had, they attacked Laish, a quiet and trusting people; they put them to the sword and destroyed their city by fire. No one came to their aid, since the city was far from Sidon and they had no contact with other people. The Danites then rebuilt the city, which was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob, and lived there. [JUDG 18:27-28]
Then he said to her, "Take off your cloak
and hold it out." When she did so, he poured out six measures
of barley, helped her lift the bundle, and left for the city. Ruth
went home to her mother-in-law, who asked, "How have you
fared, my daughter?" So she told her all the man had done for
her, and concluded, "He gave me these six measures of barley
because he did not wish me to come back to my mother-in-law empty
handed!" Naomi then said, "Wait here, my daughter, until
you learn what happens, for the man will not rest, but will settle
the matter today." [RUTH 3:15-18]
Samuel then took a stone and placed it between
Mizpah and Jeshanah; he named it Ebenezer, explaining, "To
this point the LORD helped us." [1SAM 7:12]
The day before Saul's arrival, the LORD had
given Samuel the revelation: "At this time tomorrow I will
send you a man from the land of Benjamin whom you are to anoint as
commander of my people Israel. He shall save my people from the
clutches of the Philistines, for I have witnessed their misery and
accepted their cry for help." When Samuel caught sight of
Saul, the LORD assured him, "This is the man of whom I told
you; he is to govern my people." [1SAM 9:15-17]
Jonathan said to his armor-bearer: "Come
let us go over to that outpost of the uncircumcised. Perhaps the
LORD will help us, because it is no more difficult for the LORD to
grant victory through a few than through many." [1SAM 14:6]
Jonathan then spoke well of David to his father
Saul, saying to him: "Let not your majesty sin against his
servant David, for he has committed no offense against you, but
has helped you very much by his deeds. When he took his life in
his hands and slew the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a
great victory for all Israel through him, you were glad to see it.
Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood by
killing David without cause?" Saul heeded Jonathan's plea and
swore, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed." [1SAM
19:4-6]
The same night, Saul sent messengers to David's
house to guard it, that he might kill him in the morning. David's
wife Michal informed him, "Unless you save yourself tonight,
tomorrow you will be killed." Then Michal let David down
through a window, and he made his escape in safety. Michal took
the household idol and laid it in the bed, putting a net of goat's
hair at its head and covering it with a spread. When Saul sent
messengers to arrest David, she said, "He is sick."
Saul, however, sent the messengers back to see David and commanded
them, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill
him." But when the messengers entered, they found the
household idol in the bed, with the net of goat's hair at its
head. Saul therefore asked Michal: "Why did you play this
trick on me? You have helped my enemy to get away!" Michal
answered Saul: "He threatened me, 'Let me go or I will kill
you.'" 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. [1SAM 19:11-18]
The king then commanded his henchmen standing
by: "Make the rounds and kill the priests of the LORD, for
they assisted David. They knew he was a fugitive and yet failed to
inform me." But the king's servants refused to lift a hand to
strike the priests of the LORD. [1SAM 22:17]
Then Abner sent messengers to David in Telam,
where he was at the moment, to say, "Make an agreement with
me, and I will aid you by bringing all Israel over to you."
He replied, "Very well, I will make an agreement with you.
But one thing I require of you. You must not appear before me
unless you bring back Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to
present yourself to me." [2SAM 3:12-13]
When the Arameans of Damascus came to the aid of
Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David slew twenty-two thousand of them.
[2SAM 8:5]
When Joab saw the battle lines drawn up against
him, both front and rear, he made a selection from all the picked
troops of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans. He placed
the rest of the soldiers under the command of his brother Abishai,
who arrayed them against the Ammonites. Joab said, "If the
Arameans are stronger than I, you shall help me. But if the
Ammonites are stronger than you, I will come to help you. Be
brave; let us prove our valor for the sake of our people and the
cities of our God; the LORD will do what he judges best." [2SAM
10:9-12]
All of Hadadezer's vassal kings, in view of
their defeat by Israel, then made peace with the Israelites and
became their subjects. And the Arameans were afraid to give
further aid to the Ammonites. [2SAM 10:19]
So the woman of Tekoa went to the king and fell
prostrate to the ground in homage, saying, "Help, your
majesty!" [2SAM 14:4]
After mustering the troops he had with him,
David placed officers in command of groups of a thousand and
groups of a hundred. David then put a third part of the soldiers
under Joab's command, a third under command of Abishai, son of
Zeruiah and brother of Joab, and a third under command of Ittai
the Gittite. The king then said to the soldiers, "I intend to
go out with you myself." But they replied: "You must not
come out with us. For if we should flee, we shall not count; even
if half of us should die, we shall not count. You are equal to ten
thousand of us. Therefore it is better that we have you to help us
from the city." So the king said to them, "I will do
what you think best"; and he stood by the gate as all the
soldiers marched out in units of a hundred and of a thousand. [2SAM
18:1-4]
You are my lamp, O LORD! O my God, you brighten
the darkness about me. For with your aid I run against an armed
band, and by the help of my God I leap over a wall. [2SAM 22:29-30]
"You have given me your saving shield, and
your help has made me great." [2SAM 22:36]
"You girded me with strength for war; you
subdued my adversaries beneath me. My enemies you put to flight
before me and those who hated me I destroyed. They cried for
help-but no one saved them; to the LORD - but he answered them
not." [2SAM 22:40-42]
"The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock!
Extolled be my God, rock of my salvation. O God, who granted me
vengeance, who made peoples subject to me and helped me escape
from my enemies, Above my adversaries you exalt me and from the
violent man you rescue me. Therefore will I proclaim you, O LORD,
among the nations, and I will sing praise to your name, You who
gave great victories to your king and showed kindness to your
anointed, to David and his posterity forever." [2SAM 22:47-51]
A certain woman, the widow of one of the guild
prophets, complained to Elisha: "My husband, your servant, is
dead. You know that he was a God-fearing man, yet now his creditor
has come to take my two children as his slaves." "How
can I help you?" Elisha answered her. "Tell me what you
have in the house." "This servant of yours has nothing
in the house but a jug of oil," she replied. "Go
out," he said, "borrow vessels from all your neighbors -
as many empty vessels as you can. Then come back and close the
door on yourself and your children; pour the oil into all the
vessels, and as each is filled, set it aside." She went and
did so, closing the door on herself and her children. As they
handed her the vessels, she would pour in oil. When all the
vessels were filled, she said to her son, "Bring me another
vessel." "There is none left," he answered her. And
then the oil stopped. She went and told the man of God, who said,
"Go and sell the oil to pay off your creditor; with what
remains, you and your children can live." [2KGS 4:1-7]
For the LORD saw the very bitter affliction of Israel, where there was neither slave nor freeman, no one at all to help Israel.
Since the LORD had not determined to blot out the name of Israel from under the heavens, he saved them through Jeroboam, son of Joash. [2KGS 14:26-27]
Pul, king of Assyria, invaded the land, and
Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to have his
assistance in strengthening his hold on the kingdom. [2KGS 15:19]
Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent this message to
Hezekiah: "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, in answer
to your prayer for help against Sennacherib, king of Assyria: I
have listened!" [Taken from 2KGS 19:20]
Jabez was the most distinguished of the brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I bore him with pain." Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: "Oh, that you may truly bless me and extend my boundaries! Help me and make me free of misfortune, without pain!" And God granted his prayer.
[1CHRON 4:9-10]
When they waged war against the Hagrites and against Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab, they received help so that they mastered the Hagrites and all who were with them. For during the battle they called on God, and he heard them because they had put their trust in him.
[1CHRON 5:19-20]
In all, those who were chosen for gatekeepers at
the threshold were two hundred and twelve. They were inscribed in
the family records of their villages. David and Samuel the seer
had established them in their position of trust. Thus they and
their sons kept guard over the gates of the house of the LORD, the
house which was then a tent. The gatekeepers were stationed at the
four sides, to the east, the west, the north, and the south. Their
kinsmen who lived in their own villages took turns in assisting
them for seven-day periods, while the four chief gatekeepers were
on constant duty. These were the Levites who also had charge of
the chambers and treasures of the house of God. At night they
lodged about the house of God, for it was in their charge and they
had the duty of opening it each morning. Some of them had charge
of the liturgical equipment, tallying it as it was brought in and
taken out. Others were appointed to take care of the utensils and
all the sacred vessels, as well as the fine flour, the wine, the
oil, the frankincense, and the spices. [1CHRON 9:22-29]
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. Men from Manasseh also deserted to David when he came with
the Philistines to battle against Saul. However, he did not help
the Philistines, for their lords took counsel and sent him home,
saying, "At the cost of our heads he will desert to his
master Saul." As he was returning to Ziklag, therefore, these
deserted to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael,
Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands of Manasseh.
They helped David by taking charge of his troops, for they were
all warriors and became commanders of his army. And from day to
day men kept coming to David's help until there was a vast
encampment, like an encampment of angels. [1CHRON 12:17-23]
When David heard of this, he sent Joab and his
whole army of warriors against them. The Ammonites marched out and
lined up for a battle at the gate of the city, while the kings who
had come to their help remained apart in the open field. When Joab
saw that there was a battle line both in front of and behind him,
he chose some of the best fighters among the Israelites and set
them in array against the Arameans; the rest of the army, which he
placed under the command of his brother Abishai, then lined up to
oppose the Ammonites. And he said: "If the Arameans prove too
strong for me, you must come to my help; and if the Ammonites
prove too strong for you, I will save you. Hold steadfast and let
us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and the
cities of our God; then may the LORD do what seems best to
him." [1CHRON 19:8-13]
When the vassals of Hadadezer saw themselves
vanquished by Israel, they made peace with David and became his
subjects. After this, the Arameans refused to come to the aid of
the Ammonites. [1CHRON 19:19]
David also commanded all of Israel's leaders to
help his son Solomon: "Is not the LORD your God with you? Has
he not given you rest on every side? Indeed, he has delivered the
occupants of the land into my power, and the land is subdued
before the LORD and his people. Therefore, devote your hearts and
souls to seeking the LORD your God. Proceed to build the sanctuary
of the LORD God, that the ark of the covenant of the LORD and
God's sacred vessels may be brought into the house built in honor
of the LORD." [1CHRON 22:17-19]
David said: "The LORD, the God of Israel,
has given rest to his people, and has taken up his dwelling in
Jerusalem. Henceforth the Levites need not carry the Dwelling or
any of its furnishings or equipment. Rather, their duty shall be
to assist the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the
LORD, having charge of the courts, the chambers, and the
preservation of everything holy: they shall take part in the
service of the house of God." [Taken from 1CHRON 23:25-28]
Then David said to his son Solomon: "Be
firm and steadfast; go to work without fear or discouragement, for
the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or abandon
you before you have completed all the work for the service of the
house of the LORD. The classes of the priests and Levites are
ready for all the service of the house of God; they will help you
in all your work with all those who are eager to show their skill
in every kind of craftsmanship. Also the leaders and all the
people will do everything that you command." [1CHRON 28:20-21]
Asa went out to meet him and set himself in
battle array in the valley of Zephathah, near Mareshah. Asa called
upon the LORD, his God, praying: "O LORD, there is none like
you to help the powerless against the strong. Help us, O LORD, our
God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against
this multitude. You are the LORD, our God; let no man prevail
against you." And so the LORD defeated the Ethiopians before
Asa and Judah, and they fled. [2CHRON 14:9-11]
When the commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they exclaimed, "That must be the king of Israel!" and shifted to fight him. But
Jehoshaphat cried out and the LORD helped him; God induced them to leave him. The chariot commanders became aware that he was not the king of Israel and gave up their pursuit of him.
[Taken from 2CHRON 18:31-32]
Jehu the seer, son of Hanani, met King Jehoshaphat and said to him: "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? For this reason, wrath is upon you from the LORD.
Yet some good things are to be found in you, since you have removed the sacred poles from the land and have been determined to seek God." [2CHRON 19:2-3]
After this the Moabites, the Ammonites, and with
them some Meunites came to fight against Jehoshaphat. The message
was brought to Jehoshaphat: "A great multitude is coming
against you from across the sea, from Edom; they are already in
Hazazon-tamar" (which is En-gedi). Jehoshaphat was
frightened, and he hastened to consult the LORD. He proclaimed a
fast for all Judah. Then Judah gathered to seek help from the
LORD; from every one of the cities of Judah they came to seek the
LORD. [2CHRON 20:1-4]
Uzziah also had a standing army of fit soldiers
divided into bands according to the number in which they were
mustered by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the recorder, under the
command of Hananiah, one of the king's officials. The entire
number of family heads over these valiant warriors was two
thousand six hundred, and at their disposal was a mighty army of
three hundred seven thousand five hundred fighting men of great
valor to help the king against his enemies. Uzziah provided for
them - for the entire army - bucklers, lances, helmets,
breastplates, bows and slingstones. He also built machines in
Jerusalem, devices contrived to stand on the towers and at the
angles of the walls to shoot arrows and cast large stones. His
fame spread far and wide, and his power was ascribed to the
marvelous help he had received. [2CHRON 28:11-15]
At that time King Ahaz sent an appeal for help
to the kings of Assyria. The Edomites had returned, attacked
Judah, and carried off captives. The Philistines too had raided
the cities of the foothills and the Negeb of Judah; they captured
Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its dependencies, Timnah
and its dependencies, and Gimzo and its dependencies, and occupied
them. For the LORD had brought Judah low because of Ahaz, king of
Israel, who let Judah go its own way and proved utterly faithless
to the LORD. Tilgath-pilneser, king of Assyria, did indeed come to
him, but to oppress him rather than to help him. Though Ahaz
plundered the LORD'S house and the houses of the king and the
princes to make payment to the king of Assyria, it availed him
nothing. While he was already in distress, the same King Ahaz
became even more unfaithful to the LORD. [Taken from 2CHRON 28:16-22]
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was coming
with the intention of attacking Jerusalem, he decided in counsel
with his princes and warriors to stop the waters of the springs
outside the city. When they had pledged him their support, a large
crowd was gathered which stopped all the springs and also the
running stream in the valley nearby. For they said, "Why
should the kings of Assyria come and find an abundance of
water?" He then looked to his defenses: he rebuilt the wall
where it was broken down, raised towers upon it, and built another
wall outside. He strengthened the Millo of the City of David and
had a great number of spears and shields prepared. Then he
appointed army commanders over the people. He gathered them
together in his presence in the open space at the gate of the city
and encouraged them with these words: "Be brave and
steadfast; do not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of
Assyria and all the throng that is coming with him, for there is
more with us than with him. For he has only an arm of flesh, but
we have the LORD, our God, to help us and to fight our
battles." And the people took confidence from the words of
King Hezekiah of Judah. [2CHRON 32:2-8]
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and
Levites - everyone, that is, whom God had inspired to do so -
prepared to go up to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. All their neighbors gave them help in every
way [Taken from EZRA 1:5-6]
They joyfully kept the feast of Unleavened Bread
for seven days, for the LORD had filled them with joy by making
the king of Assyria favorable to them, so that he gave them help
in their work on the house of God, the God of Israel. [EZRA 6:22]
The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul; it had taken fifty-two days. When all our enemies had heard of this, and all the nations round about had taken note of it, our enemies lost much face in the eyes of the nations, for they knew that it was with our God's help that this work had been completed. [NEH 6:15-16]
You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to
be his help and support; and from these two the human race
descended. You said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; let
us make him a partner like himself.' [Taken from TOBIT 8:6]
Then they reassured Achior and praised him highly. Uzziah brought him from the assembly to his home, where he gave a banquet for the elders. That whole night they called upon the God of Israel for help.
[JDTH 6:20-21]
All in the assembly with one accord broke into
shrill wailing and loud cries to the Lord their God. But Uzziah
said to them, "Courage, my brothers! Let us wait five days
more for the Lord our God, to show his mercy toward us; he will
not utterly forsake us. But if those days pass without help coming
to us, I will do as you say." [Taken from JDTH 7:29-31]
When they came, she said to them: "Listen
to me, you rulers of the people of Bethulia. What you said to the
people today is not proper. When you promised to hand over the
city to our enemies at the end of five days unless within that
time the Lord comes to our aid, you interposed between God and
yourselves this oath which you took. Who are you, then, that you
should have put God to the test this day, setting yourselves in
the place of God in human affairs? It is the Lord Almighty for
whom you are laying down conditions; will you never understand
anything? You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart or grasp
the workings of the human mind; how then can you fathom God, who
has made all these things, discern his mind, and understand his
plan? No, my brothers, do not anger the Lord our God. For if he
does not wish to come to our aid within the five days, he has it
equally within his power to protect us at such time as he pleases,
or to destroy us in the face of our enemies. It is not for you to
make the Lord our God give surety for his plans. God is not man
that he should be moved by threats, nor human, that he may be
given an ultimatum. So while we wait for the salvation that comes
from him, let us call upon him to help us, and he will hear our
cry if it is his good pleasure." [Taken from JDTH 8:11-17]
"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.
Please, please, God of my forefather, God of the heritage of Israel, Lord of heaven and earth, Creator of the waters, King of all you have created, hear my prayer!"
[Taken from JDTH 9:11-12]
Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, likewise had recourse to the Lord. Taking off her splendid garments, she put on garments of distress and mourning. In place of her precious ointments she
covered her head with dirt and ashes. She afflicted her body severely;
all her festive adornments were put aside, and her hair was wholly disheveled. Then she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: "My Lord, our King, you alone are God. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand."
[Taken from ESTH C:12-15]
But Seron, commander of the Syrian army, heard
that Judas had gathered many about him, an assembly of faithful
men ready for war. So he said, "I will make a name for myself
and win glory in the kingdom by defeating Judas and his followers,
who have despised the king's command." And again a large
company of renegades advanced with him to help him take revenge on
the Israelites. When he reached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas
went out to meet him with a few men. 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. With great presumption and lawlessness
they come against us to destroy us and our wives and children and
to despoil us; but we are fighting for our lives and our laws. He
himself will crush them before us; so do not be afraid of
them." When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly upon
Seron and his army, who were crushed before him. [1MACC 3:13-23]
After these events Timothy assembled another
army and camped opposite Raphon, on the other side of the stream.
Judas sent men to spy on the camp, and they reported to him:
"All the Gentiles around us have rallied to him, making a
very large force; they have also hired Arabs to help them, and
have camped beyond the stream, ready to attack you." So Judas
went forward to attack them. [1MACC 5:37-39]
In truth, those whom they desired to help to a
kingdom became kings, and those whom they wished to depose they
deposed; and they were greatly exalted. [1MACC 8:13]
When Demetrius heard of these things, he was distressed and said:
"Why have we allowed Alexander to get ahead of us by gaining the friendship of the Jews and thus strengthening himself? I too will write them conciliatory words and offer dignities and gifts, so that they may be an aid to me." [1MACC 10:22-24]
Demetrius appointed Apollonius governor of
Coelesyria. Having gathered a large army, Appollonius pitched his
camp at Jamnia. From there he sent this message to Jonathan the
high priest: "You are the only one who resists us. I am
laughed at and put to shame on your account. Why are you
displaying power against us in the mountains? If you have
confidence in your forces, come down now to us in the plain, and
let us test each other's strength there; the city forces are on my
side. Inquire and learn who I am and who the others are who are
helping me. Men say that you cannot make a stand against us
because your fathers were twice put to flight in their own land.
Now you too will be unable to withstand our cavalry and such a
force as this in the plain, where there is not a stone or a pebble
or a place to flee." When Jonathan heard the message of
Apollonius, he was roused. Choosing ten thousand men, he set out
from Jerusalem, and Simon his brother joined him to help him. [1MACC
10:69-74]
We did not wish to be troublesome to you and to the rest of our allies and friends in these wars; with the help of Heaven for our support, we have been saved from our enemies, and they have been humbled. [Taken from 1MACC 12:14-15]
Trypho sent soldiers and cavalry to Galilee and
the Great Plain to destroy all Jonathan's men. These, upon
learning that Jonathan had been captured and his companions
killed, encouraged one another and went out in compact body ready
to fight. As their pursuers saw that they were ready to fight for
their lives, they turned back. Thus all these men of Jonathan came
safely into the land of Judah. They mourned over Jonathan and his
men, and were in great fear, and all Israel fell into deep
mourning. All the nations round about sought to destroy them. They
said, "Now that they have no leader to help them, let us make
war on them and wipe out their memory from among men." [1MACC
12:49-53]
In the year one hundred and seventy-two, King
Demetrius assembled his army and marched into Media to obtain help
so that he could fight Trypho. [1MACC 14:1]
When King Antiochus was encamped before Dor, he assaulted it continuously both with troops and with the siege machines he had made. He blockaded Trypho by preventing anyone from going in or out. Simon sent to Antiochus' support two thousand elite troops, together with gold and silver and much equipment. But he refused to accept the aid; in fact, he broke all the agreements he had previously made with Simon and became hostile toward him.
[Taken from 1MACC 15:25-27]
Simon called his two oldest sons, Judas and John, and said to them: "I and my brothers and my father's house have fought the battles of Israel from our youth until today, and many times we succeeded in saving Israel.
I have now grown old, but you, by the mercy of Heaven, have come to man's estate. Take my place and my brother's, and go out and fight for our nation; and may the help of Heaven be with you!"
[1MACC 16:2-3]
As Simon was inspecting the cities of the
country and providing for their needs, he and his sons Mattathias
and Judas went down to Jericho in the year one hundred and
seventy-seven, in the eleventh month (that is, the month Shebat).
The son of Abubus gave them a deceitful welcome in the little
stronghold called Dok which he had built. While serving them a
sumptuous banquet, he had his men hidden there. Then, when Simon
and his sons had drunk freely, Ptolemy and his men sprang up,
weapons in hand, rushed upon Simon in the banquet hall, and killed
him, his two sons, and some of his servants. By this vicious act
of treason he repaid good with evil. Then Ptolemy wrote an account
of this and sent it to the king, asking that troops be sent to
help him and that the country be turned over to him. [1MACC 16:14-18]
This is the story of Judas Maccabeus and his
brothers, of the purification of the great temple, the dedication
of the altar, the campaigns against Antiochus Epiphanes and his
son Eupator, and of the heavenly manifestations accorded to the
heroes who fought bravely for Judaism, so that, few as they were,
they seized the whole land, put to flight the barbarian hordes,
regained possession of the world-famous temple, liberated the
city, and reestablished the laws that were in danger of being
abolished, while the Lord favored them with all his generous
assistance. [2MACC 2:19-22]
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. While he lay
speechless and deprived of all hope of aid, due to an act of God's
power, the Jews praised the Lord who had marvelously glorified his
holy Place; and the temple, charged so shortly before with fear
and commotion, was filled with joy and gladness, now that the
almighty Lord had manifested himself. [2MACC 3:22-30]
When Philip saw that Judas was gaining ground
little by little and that his successful advances were becoming
more frequent, he wrote to Ptolemy, governor of Coelesyria and
Phoenicia, to come to the aid of the king's government. [2MACC
8:8]
Maccabeus assembled his men, six thousand
strong, and exhorted them not to be panic-stricken before the
enemy, nor to fear the large number of the Gentiles attacking them
unjustly, but to fight courageously, keeping before their eyes the
lawless outrage perpetrated by the Gentiles against the holy Place
and the affliction of the humiliated city, as well as the
subversion of their ancestral way of life. "They trust in
weapons and acts of daring," he said, "but we trust in
almighty God, who can by a mere nod destroy not only those who
attack us, but the whole world." He went on to tell them of
the times when help had been given their ancestors: both the time
of Sennacherib, when a hundred and eighty-five thousand of his men
were destroyed, and the time of the battle in Babylonia against
the Galatians, when only eight thousand Jews fought along with
four thousand Macedonians; yet when the Macedonians were hard
pressed, the eight thousand routed one hundred and twenty thousand
and took a great quantity of booty, because of the help they
received from Heaven. With such words he encouraged them and made
them ready to die for their laws and their country. Then Judas
divided his army into four, placing his brothers, Simon, Joseph,
and Jonathan, each over a division, assigning to each fifteen
hundred men. (There was also Eleazar.) After reading to them from
the holy book and giving them the watchword, "The Help of
God," he himself took charge of the first division and joined
in battle with Nicanor. With the Almighty as their ally, they
killed more than nine thousand of the enemy, wounded and disabled
the greater part of Nicanor's army, and put all of them to flight.
[2MACC 8:16-24]
When Maccabeus and his men learned that Lysias was besieging the strongholds, they and all the people begged the Lord with lamentations and tears to send a good angel to save Israel.
Maccabeus himself was the first to take up arms, and he exhorted the others to join him in risking their lives to help their kinsmen. Then they resolutely set out together. Suddenly, while they were still near Jerusalem, a horseman appeared at their head, clothed in white garments and brandishing gold weapons. [Taken from 2MACC 11:6-8]
He also attacked a certain city called Caspin,
fortified with earthworks and ramparts and inhabited by a mixed
population of Gentiles. Relying on the strength of their walls and
their supply of provisions, the besieged treated Judas and his men
with contempt, insulting them and even uttering blasphemies and
profanity. But Judas and his men invoked the aid of the great
Sovereign of the world, who, in the day of Joshua, overthrew
Jericho without battering-ram or siege machine; then they
furiously stormed the ramparts. Capturing the city by the will of
God, they inflicted such indescribable slaughter on it that the
adjacent pool, which was about a quarter of a mile wide, seemed to
be filled with the blood that flowed into it. [2MACC 12:13-16]
The king was advancing, his mind full of savage
plans for inflicting on the Jews worse things than those they
suffered in his father's time. When Judas learned of this, he
urged the people to call upon the LORD night and day, to help them
now, if ever, when they were about to be deprived of their law,
their country, and their holy temple; and not to allow this
nation, which had just begun to revive, to be subjected again to
blasphemous Gentiles. When they had all joined in doing this, and
had implored the merciful LORD continuously with weeping and
fasting and prostrations for three days, Judas encouraged them and
told them to stand ready. After a private meeting with the elders,
he decided that, before the king's army could invade Judea and
take possession of the city, the Jews should march out and settle
the matter with God's help. [Taken from 2MACC 13:9-13]
The Gentiles from Judea, who would have banished
Judas, came flocking to Nicanor, thinking that the misfortunes and
calamities of the Jews would mean prosperity for themselves. When
the Jews heard of Nicanor's coming, and that the Gentiles were
rallying to him, they sprinkled themselves with earth and prayed
to him who established his people forever, and who always comes to
the aid of his heritage. [2MACC 14:14-15]
In his utter boastfulness and arrogance Nicanor
had determined to erect a public monument of victory over Judas
and his men. But Maccabeus remained confident, fully convinced
that he would receive help from the LORD. He urged his men not to
fear the enemy, but mindful of the help they had received from
Heaven in the past, to expect that now, too, victory would be
given them by the Almighty. By encouraging them with words from
the law and the prophets, and by reminding them of the battles
they had already won, he filled them with fresh enthusiasm. Having
stirred up their courage, he gave his orders and pointed out at
the same time the perfidy of the Gentiles and their violation of
oaths. When he had armed each of them, not so much with the safety
of shield and spear as with the encouragement of noble words, he
cheered them all by relating a dream, a kind of vision, worthy of
belief. What he saw was this: Onias, the former high priest, a
good and virtuous man, modest in appearance, gentle in manners,
distinguished in speech, and trained from childhood in every
virtuous practice, was praying with outstretched arms for the
whole Jewish community. Then in the same way another man appeared,
distinguished by his white hair and dignity, and with an air about
him of extraordinary, majestic authority. Onias then said of him,
"This is God's prophet Jeremiah, who loves his brethren and
fervently prays for his people and their holy city."
Stretching out his right hand, Jeremiah presented a gold sword to
Judas. As he gave it to him he said, "Accept this holy sword
as a gift from God; with it you shall crush your
adversaries." [2MACC 15:6-16]
Have I no helper, and has advice deserted me?
[JOB 6:13]
He is God and he does not relent; the helpers of
Rahab bow beneath him. [JOB 9:13]
If I cry out "Injustice!" I am not
heard. I cry for help, but there is no redress. [JOB 19:7]
What help you give to the powerless, what
strength to the feeble arm! How you counsel, as though he had no
wisdom; how profuse is the advice you offer! With whose help have
you uttered those words, and whose is the breath that comes forth
from you? [JOB 26:2-4]
Whoever heard of me blessed me; those who saw me
commended me. For I rescued the poor who cried out for help, the
orphans, and the unassisted; The blessing of those in extremity
came upon me, and the heart of the widow I made joyful. [Taken
from JOB 29:11-13]
Yet should not a hand be held out to help a
wretched man in his calamity? [JOB 30:24]
In great oppression men cry out; they call for
help because of the power of the mighty [Taken from JOB 35:9]
The impious in heart lay up anger for
themselves; they cry not for help when he enchains them [Taken
from JOB
36:13]
Should the sword reach him, it will not avail;
nor will the spear, nor the dart, nor the javelin. [JOB 41:18]
Hear my cry for help, my king, my God! To you I pray, O LORD; at dawn you will hear my cry; at dawn I will plead before you and wait.
[PS 5:3-4]
Help, LORD, for no one loyal remains; the
faithful have vanished from the human race [PS 12:2]
I trust in your faithfulness. Grant my heart
joy in your help, That I may sing of the LORD, "How good our
God has been to me!" [PS 13:6]
With you I can rush an armed band, with my God
to help I can leap a wall. [PS 18:30]
You girded me with strength for war, subdued
adversaries at my feet. My foes you put to flight before me; those
who hated me I destroyed. They cried for help, but no one saved
them; cried to the LORD but got no answer. [PS 18:40-42]
May God send you help from the temple, from Zion
be your support. [PS 20:3]
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why
so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish? My God, I
call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no
relief. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory
of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you
rescued them. To you they cried out and they escaped; in you they
trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm, hardly human,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock
me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me:
"You relied on the LORD - let him deliver you; if he loves
you, let him rescue you." Yet you drew me forth from the
womb, made me safe at my mother's breast. Upon you I was thrust
from the womb; since birth you are my God. Do not stay far from
me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help. Many bulls
surround me; fierce bulls of Bashan encircle me. They open their
mouths against me, lions that rend and roar. Like water my life
drains away; all my bones grow soft. My heart has become like wax,
it melts away within me. As dry as a potsherd is my throat; my
tongue sticks to my palate; you lay me in the dust of death. Many
dogs surround me; a pack of evildoers closes in on me. So wasted
are my hands and feet that I can count all my bones. They stare at
me and gloat; they divide my garments among them; for my clothing
they cast lots. But you, LORD, do not stay far off; my strength,
come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my forlorn
life from the teeth of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth, my
poor life from the horns of wild bulls. [PS 22:2-22]
Hear my voice, LORD, when I call; have mercy on
me and answer me. "Come," says my heart, "seek
God's face"; your face, LORD, do I seek! Do not hide your
face from me; do not repel your servant in anger. You are my help;
do not cast me off; do not forsake me, God my savior! Even if my
father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me in. [PS 27:7-10]
The LORD is my strength and my shield, in whom
my heart trusted and found help. So my heart rejoices; with my
song I praise my God. [PS 28:7]
"Hear, O LORD, have mercy on me; LORD, be my
helper." [Taken from PS 30:11]
A king is not saved by a mighty army, nor a
warrior delivered by great strength. Useless is the horse for
safety; its great strength, no sure escape. But the LORD'S eyes
are upon the reverent, upon those who hope for his gracious help,
Delivering them from death, keeping them alive in times of famine.
[PS 33:16-19]
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and
shield. For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust.
May your kindness, LORD, be upon us; we have put our hope in you. [PS
33:20-22]
The salvation of the just is from the LORD, their refuge in time of distress.
The LORD helps and rescues them, rescues and saves them from the wicked, because in God they take refuge.
[PS 37:39-40]
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