Topical Scripture

strength / strengthen / strong, continued

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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]

When at least nine thousand took refuge in two very strong towers, containing everything necessary to sustain a siege, Maccabeus left Simon and Joseph, along with Zacchaeus and his men, in sufficient numbers to besiege them, while he himself went off to places where he was more urgently needed. But some of the men in Simon's force who were money lovers let themselves be bribed by some of the men in the towers; on receiving seventy thousand drachmas, they allowed a number of them to escape. [2MACC 10:18-20]

For four days Maccabeus and his men eagerly besieged the fortress. Those inside, relying on the strength of the place, kept repeating outrageous blasphemies and uttering abominable words. When the fifth day dawned, twenty young men in the army of Maccabeus, angered over such blasphemies, bravely stormed the wall [Taken from 2MACC 10:33-35]

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. When they had gone on some ninety miles, they reached Charax, where there were certain Jews known as Toubiani. But they did not find Timothy in that region, for he had already departed from there without having done anything except to leave behind in one place a very strong garrison. [Taken from 2MACC 12:14-18]

A man called Dositheus, a powerful horseman and one of Bacenor's men, caught hold of Gorgias, grasped his military cloak and dragged him along by main strength, intending to capture the vile wretch alive, when a Thracian horseman attacked Dositheus [Taken from 2MACC 12:35]

The king, having had a taste of the Jews' daring, tried to take their positions by a stratagem. So he marched against Beth-zur, a strong fortress of the Jews; but he was driven back, checked, and defeated. [2MACC 13:18-19]

Your words have upheld the stumbler; you have strengthened his faltering knees. [JOB 4:4]

What strength have I that I should endure, and what is my limit that I should be patient? Have I the strength of stones, or is my flesh of bronze? Have I no helper, and has advice deserted me? [JOB 6:11-13]

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has withstood him and remained unscathed? [JOB 9:4]

With a tempest he might overwhelm me, and multiply my wounds without cause; He need not suffer me to draw breath, but might fill me with bitter griefs. If it be a question of strength, he is mighty; and if of judgment, who will call him to account? [JOB 9:17-19]

With him are strength and prudence; the misled and the misleaders are his. [JOB 12:16]

I could strengthen you with talk, or shake my head with silent lips. [JOB 16:5]

Yet the righteous shall hold to his way, and he who has clean hands increase in strength. [JOB 17:9]

To him who rises without assurance of his life he gives safety and support. He sustains the mighty by his strength, and his eyes are on their ways. [JOB 24:22-23]

What help you give to the powerless, what strength to the feeble arm! [JOB 26:2]

Such strength as they had, to me meant nought; they were utterly destitute. [JOB 30:2]

I cry to you, but you do not answer me; you stand off and look at me, Then you turn upon me without mercy and with your strong hand you buffet me. [JOB 30:20-21]

Will you trust him for his great strength and leave to him the fruits of your toil? [JOB 39:11]

Do you give the horse his strength, and endow his neck with splendor? [JOB 39:19]

See, besides you I made Behemoth, that feeds on grass like an ox. Behold the strength in his loins, and his vigor in the sinews of his belly. He carries his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are like cables. His bones are like tubes of bronze; his frame is like iron rods. [JOB 40:15-18]

Is he not relentless when aroused; who then dares stand before him? Whoever might vainly hope to do so need only see him to be overthrown. Who has assailed him and come off safe - Who under all the heavens? I need hardly mention his limbs, his strength, and the fitness of his armor. Who can strip off his outer garment, or penetrate his double corselet? Who can force open the doors of his mouth, close to his terrible teeth? Rows of scales are on his back, tightly sealed together; They are fitted each so close to the next that no space intervenes; So joined one to another that they hold fast and cannot be parted. [Taken from JOB 41:1-9]

Strength abides in his neck, and terror leaps before him. [JOB 41:14]

He said: I love you, LORD, my strength, LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, my saving horn, my stronghold! Praised be the LORD, I exclaim! I have been delivered from my enemies. [PS 18:2-4]

You girded me with strength for war, subdued adversaries at my feet. [PS 18:40]

Now I know victory is given to the anointed of the LORD. God will answer him from the holy heavens with a strong arm that brings victory. Some rely on chariots, others on horses, but we on the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we stand strong and firm. LORD, grant victory to the king; answer when we call upon you. [PS 20:7-10]

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. [PS 22:17-20]

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name. Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage. [PS 23:1-4]

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. LORD, you are the strength of your people, the saving refuge of your anointed king. [PS 28:7-8]

Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am in distress; with grief my eyes are wasted, my soul and body spent. My life is worn out by sorrow, my years by sighing. My strength fails in affliction; my bones are consumed. To all my foes I am a thing of scorn, to my neighbors, a dreaded sight, a horror to my friends. When they see me in the street, they quickly shy away. I am forgotten, out of mind like the dead; I am like a shattered dish. I hear the whispers of the crowd; terrors are all around me. They conspire against me; they plot to take my life. But I trust in you, LORD; I say, "You are my God." [PS 31:10-15]

Love the LORD, all you faithful. The LORD protects the loyal, but repays the arrogant in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. [PS 31:24-25]

As long as I kept silent, my bones wasted away; I groaned all the day. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength withered as in dry summer heat. Then I declared my sin to you; my guilt I did not hide. I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD," and you took away the guilt of my sin. [Taken from PS 32:3-5]

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]

I have seen ruthless scoundrels, strong as flourishing cedars. When I passed by again, they were gone; though I searched, they could not be found. [PS 37:35-36]

My iniquities overwhelm me, a burden beyond my strength.  Foul and festering are my sores because of my folly. I am stooped and deeply bowed; all day I go about mourning. My loins burn with fever; my flesh is afflicted. I am numb and utterly crushed; I wail with anguish of heart. My Lord, my deepest yearning is before you; my groaning is not hidden from you. My heart shudders, my strength forsakes me; the very light of my eyes has failed. Friends and companions shun my pain; my neighbors stand far off. Those who seek my life lay snares for me; they seek my misfortune, they speak of ruin; they plot treachery all the day. [PS 38:5-13]

You, God, are my strength. Why then do you spurn me? Why must I go about mourning, with the enemy oppressing me? Send your light and fidelity, that they may be my guide And bring me to your holy mountain, to the place of your dwelling, That I may come to the altar of God, to God, my joy, my delight. Then I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. [PS 43:2-4]

God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea, Though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging. The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. [Taken from PS 46:2-4]

O God, by your name save me. By your strength defend my cause. O God, hear my prayer. Listen to the words of my mouth. The arrogant have risen against me; the ruthless seek my life; they do not keep God before them. [Taken from PS 54:3-5]

My strength, for you I watch; you, God, are my fortress, my loving God. [PS 59:10-11]

But I shall sing of your strength, extol your love at dawn, For you are my fortress, my refuge in time of trouble. My strength, your praise I will sing; you, God, are my fortress, my loving God. [PS 59:17-18]

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer! From the brink of Sheol I call; my heart grows faint. Raise me up, set me on a rock, for you are my refuge, a tower of strength against the foe. Then I will ever dwell in your tent, take refuge in the shelter of your wings. [Taken from PS 61:2-5]

My soul, be at rest in God alone, from whom comes my hope. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my secure height; I shall not fall. My safety and glory are with God, my strong rock and refuge. Trust God at all times, my people! Pour out your hearts to God our refuge! [Taken from PS 62:6-9]

Say to God: "How awesome your deeds! Before your great strength your enemies cringe. All on earth fall in worship before you; they sing of you, sing of your name!" [Taken from PS 66:3-4]

Awesome is God in his holy place, the God of Israel, who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God! [PS 68:36]

More numerous than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause. Too many for my strength are my treacherous enemies. Must I now restore what I did not steal? [PS 69:5]

You are my hope, Lord; my trust, GOD, from my youth. On you I depend since birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength; my hope in you never wavers. I have become a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge! My mouth shall be filled with your praise, shall sing your glory every day. Do not cast me aside in my old age; as my strength fails, do not forsake me. For my enemies speak against me; they watch and plot against me. They say, "God has abandoned that one Pursue, seize the wretch! No one will come to the rescue!" God, do not stand far from me; my God, hasten to help me. [PS 71:5-12]

Terrible and awesome are you, stronger than the ancient mountains. [PS 76:5]

May your help be with the man at your right hand, with the one whom you once made strong. [PS 80:18]

Sing joyfully to God our strength; shout in triumph to the God of Jacob! [PS 81:2]

Turn to me, have pity on me; give your strength to your servant; save this child of your handmaid. Give me a sign of your favor: make my enemies see, to their confusion, that you, LORD, help and comfort me. [PS 86:16-17]

I am reckoned with those who go down to the pit; I am weak, without strength. [PS 88:5]

LORD, God of hosts, who is like you? Mighty LORD, your loyalty is always present. You rule the raging sea; you still its swelling waves. You crushed Rahab with a mortal blow; your strong arm scattered your foes. Yours are the heavens, yours the earth; you founded the world and everything in it. Zaphon and Amanus you created; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name. Mighty your arm, strong your hand, your right hand is ever exalted. Justice and judgment are the foundation of your throne; love and loyalty march before you. Happy the people who know you, LORD, who walk in the radiance of your face. In your name they sing joyfully all the day; at your victory they raise the festal shout. You are their majestic strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. Truly the LORD is our shield, the Holy One of Israel, our king! [PS 89:9-19]

Once you spoke in vision; to your faithful ones you said: "I have set a leader over the warriors; I have raised up a hero from the army. I have chosen David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him. My hand will be with him; my arm will make him strong. No enemy shall outwit him, nor shall the wicked defeat him. I will crush his foes before him, strike down those who hate him. My loyalty and love will be with him; through my name his horn will be exalted." [Taken from PS 89:20-25]

Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are strong; Most of them are sorrow and toil; they pass quickly, we are all but gone. [PS 90:10]

You have given me the strength of a wild bull; you have poured rich oil upon me. [PS 92:11]

God has shattered my strength in mid-course, has cut short my days. [PS 102:24]

Bless the LORD, all you angels, mighty in strength and attentive, obedient to every command. [PS 103:20]

The LORD'S love for us is strong; the LORD is faithful forever. Hallelujah! [PS 117:2]

I was hard pressed and falling, but the LORD came to my help. The LORD, my strength and might, came to me as savior. [PS 118:13-14]

I lie prostrate in the dust; give me life in accord with your word. I disclosed my ways and you answered me; teach me your laws. Make me understand the way of your precepts; I will ponder your wondrous deeds. I weep in bitter pain; in accord with your word to strengthen me. Lead me from the way of deceit; favor me with your teaching. The way of loyalty I have chosen; I have set your edicts before me. I cling to your decrees, LORD; do not let me come to shame. I will run the way of your commands, for you open my docile heart. [PS 119:25-32]

Sustain me by your promise that I may live; do not disappoint me in my hope. Strengthen me that I may be safe, ever to contemplate your laws. You reject all who stray from your laws, for vain is their deceit. Like dross you regard all the wicked on earth; therefore I love your decrees. My flesh shudders with dread of you; I hold your edicts in awe. [PS 119:116-120]

When I cried out, you answered; you strengthened my spirit. [PS 138:3]

I say to the LORD: You are my God; listen, LORD, to the words of my prayer. My revered LORD, my strong helper, my helmet on the day of battle. LORD, do not grant the desires of the wicked; do not let their plots succeed. Around me they raise their proud heads; may the mischief they threaten overwhelm them. [Taken from PS 140:7-10]

Listen to my cry for help, for I am brought very low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me. [PS 142:7]

God takes no delight in the strength of horses, no pleasure in the runner's stride. Rather the LORD takes pleasure in the devout, those who await his faithful care. [PS 147:10-11]

Glorify the LORD, Jerusalem; Zion, offer praise to your God, Who has strengthened the bars of your gates, blessed your children within you, Brought peace to your borders, and filled you with finest wheat. [PS 147:12-14]

"I, Wisdom, dwell with experience, and judicious knowledge I attain. (The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;) Pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth I hate. Mine are counsel and advice; Mine is strength; I am understanding. By me kings reign, and lawgivers establish justice; By me princes govern, and nobles; all the rulers of earth. Those who love me I also love, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than pure gold, and my revenue than choice silver." [Taken from PROV 8:12-19]

The rich man's wealth is his strong city; the ruination of the lowly is their poverty. [PROV 10:15]

When a wicked man dies his hope perishes, and what is expected from strength comes to nought. [PROV 11:7]

Where there are no oxen, the crib remains empty; but large crops come through the strength of the bull. [PROV 14:4]

In the fear of the LORD is a strong defense; even for one's children he will be a refuge. [PROV 14:26]

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the just man runs to it and is safe. [PROV 18:10]

The rich man's wealth is his strong city; he fancies it a high wall. [PROV 18:11]

A brother is a better defense than a strong city, and a friend is like the bars of a castle. [PROV 18:19]

Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who goes astray for it is wise. [PROV 20:1]

The glory of young men is their strength, and the dignity of old men is gray hair. [PROV 20:29]

Remove not the ancient landmark, nor invade the fields of orphans; For their redeemer is strong; he will defend their cause against you. [PROV 23:10-11]

A wise man is more powerful than a strong man, and a man of knowledge than a man of might; For it is by wise guidance that you wage your war, and the victory is due to a wealth of counselors. [PROV 24:5-6]

If you remain indifferent in time of adversity, your strength will depart from you. Rescue those who are being dragged to death, and from those tottering to execution withdraw not. If you say, "I know not this man!" does not he who tests hearts perceive it? He who guards your life knows it, and he will repay each one according to his deeds. [PROV 24:10-12]

Four things are among the smallest on the earth, and yet are exceedingly wise: Ants - a species not strong, yet they store up their food in the summer; Rock-badgers - a species not mighty, yet they make their home in the crags; Locusts - they have no king, yet they migrate all in array; Lizards - you can catch them with your hands, yet they find their way into king's palaces. [PROV 30:24-28]

Give not your vigor to women, nor your strength to those who ruin kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, not for kings to drink wine; strong drink is not for princes! Lest in drinking they forget what the law decrees, and violate the rights of all who are in need. Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the sorely depressed; When they drink, they will forget their misery, and think no more of their burdens. [Taken from PROV 31:3-7]

When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands. Like merchant ships, she secures her provisions from afar. She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household. She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms. She enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. She fears not the snow for her household; all her charges are doubly clothed. She makes her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing. Her husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land. She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel. She watches the conduct of her household, and eats not her food in idleness. Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her: "Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all." Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. [PROV 31:10-30]

Whatever is, was long ago given its name, and the nature of man is known, and that he cannot contend in judgment with one who is stronger than he. [ECCL 6:10]

Strengthen me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. [SONG 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]

For with you great strength abides always; who can resist the might of your arm? [WISDOM 11:21]

And again, even in the water, fire blazed beyond its strength so as to consume the produce of the wicked land. Instead of this, you nourished your people with food of angels and furnished them bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for, endowed with all delights and conforming to every taste. For this substance of yours revealed your sweetness toward your children, and serving the desire of him who received it, was blended to whatever flavor each one wished. Yet snow and ice withstood fire and were not melted, that they might know that their enemies' fruits Were consumed by a fire that blazed in the hail and flashed lightning in the rain. But this fire, again, that the just might be nourished, forgot even its proper strength; For your creation, serving you, its maker, grows tense for punishment against the wicked, but is relaxed in benefit for those who trust in you. Therefore at that very time, transformed in all sorts of ways, it was serving your all-nourishing bounty according to what they needed and desired; That your sons whom you loved might learn, O LORD, that it is not the various kinds of fruits that nourish man, but it is your word that preserves those who believe you! [Taken from WISDOM 16:19-26]

For the blameless man hastened to be their champion, bearing the weapon of his special office, prayer and the propitiation of incense; He withstood the wrath and put a stop to the calamity, showing that he was your servant. And he overcame the bitterness not by bodily strength, not by force of arms; But by word he overcame the smiter, recalling the sworn covenants with their fathers. [WISDOM 18:21-22]

For the elements, in variable harmony among themselves, like strings of the harp, produce new melody, while the flow of music steadily persists. And this can be perceived exactly from a review of what took place. For land creatures were changed into water creatures, and those that swam went over on to the land. Fire in water maintained its own strength, and water forgot its quenching nature; Flames, by contrast, neither consumed the flesh of the perishable animals that went about in them, nor melted the ice like, quick-melting kind of ambrosial food. For every way, O LORD! you magnified and glorified your people; unfailing, you stood by them in every time and circumstance. [WISDOM 19:18-22]

My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives. Even if his mind fail, be considerate with him; revile him not in the fullness of your strength. For kindness to a father will not be forgotten, it will serve as a sin offering - it will take lasting root. In time of tribulation it will be recalled to your advantage, like warmth upon frost it will melt away your sins. A blasphemer is he who despises his father; accursed of his Creator, he who angers his mother. [SIRACH 3:12-16]

What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not. [SIRACH 3:20]

Rely not on your wealth; say not: "I have the power." Rely not on your strength in following the desires of your heart. Say not: "Who can prevail against me?" for the LORD will exact the punishment. Say not: "I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?" for the LORD bides his time. Of forgiveness be not overconfident, adding sin upon sin. Say not: "Great is his mercy; my many sins he will forgive." For mercy and anger alike are with him; upon the wicked alights his wrath. Delay not your conversion to the LORD, put it not off from day to day; For suddenly his wrath flames forth; at the time of vengeance, you will be destroyed. [SIRACH 5:1-9]

Fall not into the grip of desire, lest, like fire, it consume your strength; Your leaves it will eat, your fruits destroy, and you will be left a dry tree, For contumacious desire destroys its owner and makes him the sport of his enemies. [SIRACH 6:2-4]

For discipline is like her name, she is not accessible to many. Listen, my son, and heed my advice; refuse not my counsel. Put your feet into her fetters, and your neck under her yoke. Stoop your shoulders and carry her and be not irked at her bonds. With all your soul draw close to her; with all your strength keep her ways. Search her out, discover her; seek her and you will find her. Then when you have her, do not let her go; Thus will you afterward find rest in her, and she will become your joy. Her fetters will be your throne of majesty; her bonds, your purple cord. You will wear her as your robe of glory, bear her as your splendid crown. [SIRACH 6:23-31]

Seek not to become a judge if you have not strength to root out crime, Or you will show favor to the ruler and mar your integrity. [SIRACH 7:6]

With all your soul, fear God, revere his priests. With all your strength, love your Creator, forsake not his ministers. [SIRACH 7:29-30]

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 11:11-14]

The eyes of God see all he has made; he understands man's every deed. No man does he command to sin, to none does he give strength for lies. [SIRACH 15:19-20]

He endows man with a strength of his own, and with power over all things else on earth. [SIRACH 17:3]

There is the wicked man who is bowed in grief, but is full of guile within; He bows his head and feigns not to hear, but when not observed, he will take advantage of you: Even though his lack of strength keeps him from sinning, when he finds the opportunity, he will do harm. [SIRACH 19:22-24]

The more wood, the greater the fire, the more underlying it, the fiercer the fight; The greater a man's strength, the sterner his anger, the greater his power, the greater his wrath. [SIRACH 28:10]

Better a poor man strong and robust, than a rich man with wasted frame. More precious than gold is health and well-being, contentment of spirit than coral. No treasure greater than a healthy body; no happiness, than a joyful heart! [SIRACH 30:14-16]

Let not wine-drinking be the proof of your strength, for wine has been the ruin of many. [SIRACH 31:25]

More and more wine is a snare for the fool; it lessens his strength and multiplies his wounds. [SIRACH 31:30]

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. [SIRACH 34:16]

O death! how bitter the thought of you for the man at peace amid his possessions, For the man unruffled and always successful, who still can enjoy life's pleasures. O death! how welcome your sentence to the weak man of failing strength, Tottering and always rebuffed, with no more sight, with vanished hope. Fear not death's decree for you; remember, it embraces those before you, and those after. Thus God has ordained for all flesh; why then should you reject the will of the Most High? [Taken from SIRACH 41:1-4]

As the rising sun is clear to all, so the glory of the LORD fills all his works; Yet even God's holy ones must fail in recounting the wonders of the LORD, Though God has given these, his hosts, the strength to stand firm before his glory. [SIRACH 42:16-17]

Lift up your voices to glorify the LORD, though he is still beyond your power to praise; Extol him with renewed strength, and weary not, though you cannot reach the end: For who can see him and describe him? or who can praise him as he is? [SIRACH 43:31-33]

From him was to spring the man who won the favor of all: Dear to God and men, Moses, whose memory is held in benediction. God's honor devolved upon him, and the Lord strengthened him with fearful powers; God wrought swift miracles at his words and sustained him in the king's presence. He gave him the commandments for his people, and revealed to him his glory. For his trustworthiness and meekness God selected him from all mankind; He permitted him to hear his voice, and led him into the cloud, Where, face to face, he gave him the commandments, the law of life and understanding, That he might teach his precepts to Jacob, his judgments and decrees to Israel. [SIRACH 45:1-5]

And the strength he gave to Caleb remained with him even in his old age Till he won his way onto the summits of the land; his family too received an inheritance, That all the people of Jacob might know how good it is to be a devoted follower of the LORD. [SIRACH 46:9-10]

As a youth [David] slew the giant and wiped out the people's disgrace, When his hand let fly the slingstone that crushed the pride of Goliath. Since he called upon the Most High God, who gave strength to his right arm To defeat the skilled warrior and raise up the might of his people, Therefore the women sang his praises and ascribed to him tens of thousands. When he assumed the royal crown, he battled and subdued the enemy on every side. He destroyed the hostile Philistines and shattered their power till our own day. With his every deed he offered thanks to God Most High, in words of praise. With his whole being he loved his Maker and daily had his praises sung; He added beauty to the feasts and solemnized the seasons of each year With string music before the altar, providing sweet melody for the psalms So that when the Holy Name was praised, before daybreak the sanctuary would resound. The LORD forgave him his sins and exalted his strength forever; He conferred on him the rights of royalty and established his throne in Israel. [Taken from SIRACH 47:4-11]

Then, too, the twelve prophets - may their bones return to life from their resting place! - Gave new strength to Jacob and saved him by their faith and hope. [SIRACH 49:10]

The greatest among his brethren, the glory of his people, was Simon the priest, son of Jochanan, In whose time the house of God was renovated, in whose days the temple was reinforced. In his time also the wall was built with powerful turrets for the temple precincts; In his time the reservoir was dug, the pool with a vastness like the sea's. He protected his people against brigands and strengthened his city against the enemy. [Taken from SIRACH 50:1-4]

You shall become like a tree with falling leaves, like a garden that has no water. The strong man shall turn to tow, and his work shall become a spark; Both shall burn together, and there shall be none to quench the flames. [ISA 1:30-31]

Woe to those who demand strong drink as soon as they rise in the morning, And linger into the night while wine inflames them! With harp and lyre, timbrel and flute, they feast on wine; But what the LORD does, they regard not, the work of his hands they see not. [ISA 5:11-12]

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light, and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own sight, and prudent in their own esteem! Woe to the champions at drinking wine, the valiant at mixing strong drink! To those who acquit the guilty for bribes, and deprive the just man of his rights! [ISA 5:20-23]

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]

God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. [ISA 12:2]

On that day man shall look to his maker, his eyes turned toward the Holy One of Israel. He shall not look to the altars, his handiwork, nor shall he regard what his fingers have made: the sacred poles or the incense stands. On that day his strong cities shall be like those abandoned by the Hivites and Amorites When faced with the children of Israel: they shall be laid waste. For you have forgotten God, your savior, and remembered not the Rock, your strength. Therefore, though you plant your pagan plants and set out your foreign vine slips, Though you make them grow the day you plant them and make your sprouts blossom on the next morning, The harvest shall disappear on the day of the grievous blow, the incurable blight. [ISA 17:7-11]

Then will gifts be brought to the LORD of hosts from a people tall and bronzed, from a people dreaded near and far, a nation strong and conquering, whose land is washed by rivers-to Mount Zion where dwells the name of the LORD of hosts. [ISA 18:7]

The earth is polluted because of its inhabitants, who have transgressed laws, violated statutes, broken the ancient covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants pay for their guilt; Therefore they who dwell on earth turn pale, and few men are left. The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted groan. Stilled are the cheerful timbrels, ended the shouts of the jubilant, stilled is the cheerful harp. They cannot sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who partake of it. Broken down is the city of chaos, shut against entry, every house. In the streets they cry out for lack of wine; all joy has disappeared and cheer has left the land. [Taken from ISA 24:5-11]

O LORD, you are my God, I will extol you and praise your name; For you have fulfilled your wonderful plans of old, faithful and true. For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; The castle of the insolent is a city no more, nor ever to be rebuilt. Therefore a strong people will honor you, fierce nations will fear you. For you are a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in distress; Shelter from the rain, shade from the heat. As with the cold rain, as with the desert heat, even so you quell the uproar of the wanton. [ISA 25:1-5]

On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah: "A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us. Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith. A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you." [ISA 26:1-3]

On that day, The LORD will punish with his sword that is cruel, great, and strong [Taken from ISA 27:1]

Woe to the majestic garland of the drunkard Ephraim, To the fading blooms of his glorious beauty, on the head of him who is stupefied with wine. Behold, the LORD has a strong one and a mighty, who, like a downpour of hail, a destructive storm, Like a flood of water, great and overflowing, levels to the ground with violence; With feet that will trample the majestic garland of the drunkard Ephraim. The fading blooms of his glorious beauty on the head of the fertile valley will be like an early fig before summer: when a man sees it, he picks and swallows it at once. 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 28:1-6]

Be irresolute, stupefied; blind yourselves and stay blind! Be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from strong drink! 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 29:9-10]

Woe to the rebellious children, says the LORD, Who carry out plans that are not mine, who weave webs that are not inspired by me, adding sin upon sin. They go down to Egypt, but my counsel they do not seek. They find their strength in Pharaoh's protection and take refuge in Egypt's shadow; Pharaoh's protection shall be your shame, and refuge in Egypt's shadow your disgrace. [Taken from ISA 30:1-3]

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies. But this you did not wish. [ISA 30:15]

O LORD, have pity on us, for you we wait. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of trouble! [ISA 33:2]

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. [Taken from ISA 35:3-6]

"Thus says Hezekiah: 'This is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace. Children are at the point of birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.'" [Taken from ISA 37:3]

Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm; Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care. [ISA 40:9-11]

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Was it not foretold you from the beginning? Have you not understood? Since the earth was founded He sits enthroned above the vault of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; He stretches out the heavens like a veil, spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He brings princes to nought and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. Scarcely are they planted or sown, scarcely is their stem rooted in the earth, When he breathes upon them and they wither, and the storm wind carries them away like straw. To whom can you liken me as an equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these: He leads out their army and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the strength of his power not one of them is missing! Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? 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 40:21-31]

Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed; I am your God. I will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with my right hand of justice. [ISA 41:10]

You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. [ISA 49:3-6]

Why was no one there when I came? Why did no one answer when I called? Is my hand too short to ransom? Have I not the strength to deliver? Lo, with my rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert [Taken from ISA 50:2]

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD! Awake as in the days of old, in ages long ago! Was it not you who crushed Rahab, you who pierced the dragon? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, Who made the depths of the sea into a way for the redeemed to pass over? [ISA 51:9-10]

Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your glorious garments, O Jerusalem, holy city. No longer shall the uncircumcised or the unclean enter you. Shake off the dust, ascend to the throne, Jerusalem; Loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter Zion! For thus says the LORD: You were sold for nothing, and without money you shall be redeemed. [ISA 52:1-3]

They are relentless dogs, they know not when they have enough. These are the shepherds who know no discretion; Each of them goes his own way, every one of them to his own gain: "Come, I will fetch some wine; let us carouse with strong drink, And tomorrow will be like today, or even greater." [ISA 56:11-12]

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]

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; Then the LORD will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails. [Taken from ISA 58:8-11]

Who is this that comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments, from Bozrah- This one arrayed in majesty, marching in the greatness of his strength? "It is I, I who announce vindication, I who am mighty to save." [ISA 63:1]

Thus says the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich man glory in his riches; But rather, let him who glories, glory in this, that in his prudence he knows me, Knows that I, the LORD, bring about kindness, justice and uprightness on the earth; For with such am I pleased, says the LORD. [JER 9:22-23]

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