Fear

Passages

Every passage tagged with this emotion in the Vela corpus. Search the body text, narrow by source or register, click through to a book’s profile to see how the passage sits with the rest of the work.

Page 258 of 529 · 20 per page

• From The Beautiful Room Is Empty (1988)

  When my stepmother finally arrived, she revealed that my father thought he would drive the queerness out of me through manual labor. For weeks we had circled each other wordlessly, my father up on a ladder, me with my eternal rake and wheelbarrow, his anger between us, mysterious as the stone the Muslims worship. Since he knew how to cook nothing but steaks, every night we’d sit wordlessly over plates overflowing with fat and blood. He’d read the newspaper. I couldn’t guess why he hated me so much. In the past I’d always welcomed his indifference, since that was what I felt for him, though I took care to hide it, but his program of hatred frightened me. My stepmother told me my mother had accused my father over the phone of having brought about my “sickness” through his absence; my father was countering the charge by administering to me his grim discipline. Although I’d finally done something to grab his attention, that same thing repelled him. My stepmother said, “Your poor dad, this thing is killing him, he stays awake all night worrying; he was so angry at first I was afraid he’d kill you.” At college I was finally free. I’d smoldered against other people’s rules for so long that now I felt freedom as a form of loneliness, a disturbing withdrawal of love. Certainly I was lonely and I wanted friends. I wanted to be popular, not just with indulgent bohemian grown-ups, but even with attractive people my own age, for here, being intelligent was, if not quite a social asset, at least not a liability. English class was taught by Winthrop Shelley, a pale-skinned black man whose blue eyes seemed to be a constant source of pain, as though their blueness were a form of encroaching blindness. He was always taking off his wire-rimmed glasses, which were so pliable that they had to be handled gingerly, and massaging his closed eyes and particularly the delicate bridge of his nose, the place where he located his objections to a student’s remarks. What Mr. Shelley said was always precise, quizzical. His queer air of listening to himself, the way he had of responding to his own idea in a complex sequence of feelings by a wavering, then pinched smile and a line of doubt drawn on his forehead—such scrupulosity vaguely irritated me. Didn’t Mr. Shelley see that most of the class couldn’t parse the syntax of so much refinement? And what kind of Negro was he, anyway, with his tweed jacket and the gold pocket watch he ceremoniously placed on his desk to indicate class was beginning? With his Oxbridge accent, his soundless chuckle, and his dumbshow of glee (titter behind an exquisitely manicured hand) when someone said something stupid?

• From The Well of Loneliness (1928)

  were by a common impulse, they turned to such people as Barbara and Jamie, people who would neither despise nor insult them. It was Mary who suggested that Barbara and Jamie should be asked to share their Christmas dinner, while Stephen who must suddenly pity Wanda for a misjudged and very unfortunate genius, invited her also — after all why not? Wanda was more sinned against than sinning. She drank, oh, yes, Wanda drowned her sorrows; everybody knew that, and like Valérie Seymour, Stephen hated drink like the plague — but all the same she invited Wanda. An ill wind it is that blows no one any good. Barbara and Jamie accepted with rapture; but for Mary’s most timely invita- tion, their funds being low at the end of the year, they two must have gone without Christmas dinner. Wanda also seemed glad enough to come, to leave her enormous, turbulent canvas for the orderly peace of the well-warmed house with its comfortable rooms and its friendly servants. All three of them arrived a good hour before dinner, which on this occasion would be in the evening. Wanda had been up to Midnight Mass at the Sacré Cur, she informed them gravely; and Stephen, reminded of Made- moiselle Duphot, regretted that she had not offered her the motor. No doubt she too had gone up to Montmartre for Midnight Mass — how queer, she and Wanda. Wanda was quiet, depressed and quite sober; she was wearing a straight-cut, simple black dress that somehow suggested a species of cassock. And as often hap- pened when Wanda was sober, she repeated herself more than when she was drunk. 430 THE WELL OF LONELINESS ‘I have been to the Sacré Cœur, she repeated, ‘ for the Messe de Minuit; it was very lovely.’ But she did not reveal the tragic fact that her fear had sud- denly laid hold upon her at the moment of approaching the altar rails, so that she had scuttled back to her seat, terrified of receiving the Christmas Communion. Even a painfully detailed confession of intemperance, of the lusts of the eyes and the mind, of the very occasional sins of the body; even the absolution ac- corded by a white-haired old priest who had spoken gently and pitifully to his penitent, directing her prayers to the Sacred Heart from which his own heart had derived its compassion — even these things had failed to give Wanda courage when it came to the Christmas Communion. And now as she sat at Stephen’s table she ate little and drank but three glasses of wine; nor did she ask for a cognac brandy when later they went to the study for coffee, but must talk of the mighty temple of her faith that watched day and night, night and day over Paris.

• From Who Wrote the Bible? Searching for Its Origins and Authors (2025)

  37 6. Deuteronomy: Retelling Israel’s Past the ancient Near Eastern treaty. “I love the king my lord,” says a letter from a vassal to his Egyptian suzerain. Love was a technical diplomatic word for treaty obedience. Past and Future Warnings For various reasons, scholars generally agree that D was written in the Neo-Assyrian period, specifically somewhere in the 7th century BCE. This historical context explains not only D’s treaty structure but also its main themes. D was written in the shadow of the greatest empire that the ancient world had ever seen. The Assyrians were mighty, ruthless, and terrifying. Their rise coincided with a time when Israel was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel, with its capital in Samaria, and the southern kingdom of Judah, with its capital in Jerusalem. In 722 BCE, a few decades before D was written, the Assyrians had swept through Israel, conquering and destroying the northern kingdom and sending many of its inhabitants into exile. In 701, during the reign of Judah’s King Hezekiah, they were back to decimate the southern kingdom, sparing only Jerusalem. The authors of D wanted to make sense of the world around them, especially the fall of the northern kingdom and the subjugation of Judah. D insists on three things above all, the first of which is loyalty to Yahweh. It makes clear that obedience to God’s laws will bring blessings, including security and protection from foreign powers. By contrast, disobedience will result in conquest—and exile, as befell the northern kingdom of Israel. Thus, D tells the story of a covenant made in Israel’s distant past but makes the blessings and curses attached to that covenant relevant to Israel’s present, in the 7th century. Second, D is insistent that there’s only one proper place for worshipping Yahweh: the Temple in Jerusalem. For most of Israelite history up to this point, there were places of worship all over. D is clear that this is unacceptable. Archaeological evidence shows that many of the local sanctuaries in Israel were destroyed during the reign of Hezekiah, before D was even written. There are two possible reasons why. One is purely

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  13 “This [which I am about to explain] is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the inheritance which tyrants and oppressors receive from the Almighty: 14 “Though his children are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not have sufficient bread. 15 “Those who survive him will be buried because of the plague, And [their] widows will not be able to weep. 16 “Though he heaps up silver like dust And piles up clothing like clay, 17 He may prepare it, but the just will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver. 18 “He builds his house like a spider’s web, Like a (temporary) hut which a watchman makes. 19 “He lies down rich, but never will again; He opens his eyes, and it is gone. 20 “Terrors overtake him like a [suddenly rising] flood; A windstorm steals him away in the night. 21 “The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place. 22 “For it will hurl [thunderbolts of God’s wrath] at him unsparingly and without compassion; He flees in haste from its power. 23 “People will clap their hands at him [to mock and ridicule him] And hiss him out of his place. Job 28 Job Tells of Earth’s Treasures 1 “S URELY THERE is a mine for silver, And a place where they refine gold. 2 “Iron is taken out of the earth, And copper is smelted from the stone ore. 3 “Man puts an end to darkness [by bringing in a light], And to the farthest bounds he searches out The rock buried in gloom and deep shadow. 4 “He breaks open (mine) shafts far away from where people live, [In places] forgotten by the [human] foot; They dangle [in the mines] and hang away from men. 5 “[As for] the earth, out of it comes food, But underneath [its surface, down deep] it is turned over as fire. 6 “Its stones are the bed of sapphires; It holds dust of gold. 7 “The path [deep within] no bird of prey knows, And the falcon’s eye has not caught sight of it. 8 “The proud beasts [and their young] have not walked on it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it. 9 “Man puts his hand on [and tears apart] the flinty rock; He overturns the mountains at the base [looking for treasure]. 10 “He cuts out channels and passages among the rocks; And his eye sees every precious thing. 11 “Man dams up the streams from flowing [so that they do not trickle into the mine], And what is hidden he brings out to the light. The Search for Wisdom Is Harder 12 “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? 13 “Man does not know the value of it; Nor is it found in the land of the living.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  [Jer 31:4 , 28 ] 11 ‘Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear [as if he were deity]; do not be afraid of him,’ says the LORD , ‘for [he is a mere man, but I am the living, omniscient God and] I am with you [always] to protect you and to deliver you from his hand. 12 ‘And I will show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land. 13 ‘But if you are going to say, “We will not stay in this land,” and [in so doing] do not listen to the voice of the LORD your God, 14 saying, “No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the [warrior’s] trumpet or hunger for bread, and we will stay there,” 15 then in that case listen to the word of the LORD , O remnant of Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “If you are really determined to go to Egypt and to reside there [temporarily], 16 then the sword, of which you are afraid, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine of which you are afraid will follow closely after you in Egypt, and you will die there. 17 ‘So all the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there [temporarily] will die by the sword, by famine and by virulent disease; none of them will remain or survive the disaster that I am going to bring on them.” ’ ” 18 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “As My anger and My wrath have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so My wrath will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will become detested, an object of horror, a curse and a people scorned; and you will no longer see this place.” 19 The LORD has spoken to you, O remnant of Judah, “Do not go into Egypt!” Know with certainty that I [Jeremiah] have warned you and testified to you this day 20 that you have deceived yourselves; for you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, “Pray for us to the LORD our God; and whatever the LORD our God says, declare it to us and we will do it.” 21 And so I have told you today, but you have not listened to the voice of the LORD your God, in anything that He has sent me to tell you. 22 Now therefore know for certain that you will die by the sword, by famine, and by virulent disease in the land [of Egypt] where you wish to reside [temporarily].

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  12 Many [enemies like] bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. [Ezek 39:18 ; Amos 4:1 ] 13 They open wide their mouths against me, Like a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; It is melted [by anguish] within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery; And my [dry] tongue clings to my jaws; And You have laid me in the dust of death. [John 19:28 ] 16 For [a pack of] dogs have surrounded me; A gang of evildoers has encircled me, They pierced my hands and my feet. [Is 53:7 ; John 19:37 ] 17 I can count all my bones; They look, they stare at me. [Luke 23:27 , 35 ] 18 They divide my clothing among them And cast lots for my b garment. [John 19:23 , 24 ] 19 But You, O LORD , do not be far from me; O You my help, come quickly to my assistance. 20 Rescue my life from the sword, My only life from the paw of the dog (the executioner). 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me. 22 I will tell of Your name to my countrymen; In the midst of the congregation I will praise You. [John 20:17 ; Rom 8:29 ; Heb 2:12 ] 23 You who fear the LORD [with awe-inspired reverence], praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him. Fear Him [with submissive wonder], all you descendants of Israel. 24 For He has not despised nor detested the suffering of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He listened. 25 My praise will be of You in the great assembly. I will pay my vows [made in the time of trouble] before those who [reverently] fear Him. 26 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; Those who [diligently] seek Him and require Him [as their greatest need] will praise the LORD . May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD , And all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You, 28 For the kingship and the kingdom are the LORD ’s And He rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust (the dead) will bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive. 30 Posterity will serve Him; They will tell of the Lord to the next generation. 31 They will come and declare His righteousness To a people yet to be born—that He has done it [and that it is finished]. [John 19:30 ] Psalm 23 The LORD , the Psalmist’s Shepherd. A Psalm of David.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  Then, after opening their treasure chests, they presented to Him gifts [fit for a king, gifts] of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned [by God] in a dream not to go back to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way. The Flight to Egypt 13 Now when they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him.” 14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet [Hosea]: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON .” [Hos 11:1 ] Herod Slaughters the Babies 16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been tricked by the magi, was extremely angry, and he sent [soldiers] and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that area who were two years old and under, according to the date which he had learned from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 18 “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN f RAMAH , WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING , g RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN ; SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED , BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE .” [Jer 31:15 ] 19 But when h Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20 “Get up! Take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then Joseph got up, and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea i in place of his father Herod [the Great], he was afraid to go there. Then being warned by God in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee, 23 and went and settled in a city called Nazareth.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  Isaiah 43 Israel Redeemed 1 B UT NOW , this is what the LORD , your Creator says, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you [from captivity]; I have called you by name; you are Mine! 2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. 3 “For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt [to the Babylonians] as your ransom, Cush (ancient Ethiopia) and Seba [its province] in exchange for you. 4 “Because you are precious in My sight, You are honored and I love you, I will give other men in return for you and other peoples in exchange for your life. 5 “Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east [where they are scattered], And gather you from the west. [Acts 18:10 ] 6 “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from far way And My daughters from the ends of the earth, 7 Everyone who is called by My Name, Whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” Israel Is God’s Witness 8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears. 9 All the nations have gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them (the idolaters) can a predict this [that Judah would return from captivity] And proclaim to us the former events? Let them provide their witnesses so that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say [in acknowledgement], “It is the truth.” [Ps 123:3 , 4 ] 10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD , “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. 11 “I, [only] I, am the LORD , And there is no Savior besides Me. 12 “I have declared [the future] and saved [the nation] and proclaimed [that I am God], And there was no strange (alien) god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses [among the pagans],” declares the LORD , “That I am God.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  8 “Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there; I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him; 9 To the left (north) He turns, but I cannot behold Him; He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him. 10 “But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous]. [Ps 17:3 ; 66:10 ; James 1:12 ] 11 “My feet have carefully followed His steps; I have kept His ways and not turned aside. 12 “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. 13 “But He is unique and unchangeable, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does. 14 “For He performs what is planned (appointed) for me, And He is mindful of many such things. 15 “Therefore I would be terrified at His presence; When I consider [all of this], I tremble in dread of Him. 16 “For God has made my heart faint, And the Almighty has terrified me, 17 But I am not silenced by the darkness [of these woes that fell on me], Nor by the thick darkness which covers my face. Job 24 Job Says God Seems to Ignore Wrongs 1 “W HY DOES the Almighty not set seasons for judgment? Why do those who know Him not see His days [for punishment of the wicked]? [Acts 1:7 ] 2 “Some remove the landmarks; They [violently] seize and pasture flocks [appropriating land and flocks openly]. 3 “They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow’s ox for a pledge. 4 “They crowd the needy off the road; The poor of the land all hide themselves. 5 “Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, The poor go to their work, diligently seeking food; As bread for their children in the desert. 6 “They harvest their fodder in a field [that is not their own], And glean the vineyard of the wicked. 7 “They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering against the cold. 8 “They are wet from the rain of the mountains And cling to the rock for lack of shelter. 9 “Others snatch the fatherless [infants] from the breast [to sell or make them slaves], And against the poor they take a pledge [of clothing]. 10 “They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing, And they take away the sheaves [of grain] from the hungry. 11 “Within the walls [of the wicked] the poor make [olive] oil; They tread [the grapes in] the wine presses, but thirst. 12 “From the [populous and crowded] city men groan, And the souls of the wounded cry out for help; Yet God [seemingly] does not pay attention to the wrong [done to them].

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  [Is 10:12 ] 3 The shields of his soldiers [of c Media and Babylon] are colored red; The warriors are dressed in scarlet. The chariots blaze with fire of [flashing] steel When he is prepared to march, And the cypress spears are brandished [for battle]. 4 The chariots race madly in the streets; They rush wildly in the broad plazas. Their appearance is like torches; They rush in various directions like forked lightning. 5 d He remembers and summons his nobles; They stumble in their march [terrified because of the attack]. They hurry to the city wall, And the e mantelet is prepared and firmly set up. 6 The gates of the rivers [surrounding Nineveh] are opened And the palace [of sun-dried brick] is dissolved [by the torrents]. 7 It is decreed: Nineveh is stripped, and she is carried away, And her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their breasts [in sorrow]. 8 Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now her inhabitants are fleeing; “Stop! Stop!” [a few cry,] But no one turns back. 9 Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! For there is no end to the treasure— Wealth from every precious object. 10 She is emptied! She is desolate and waste! Hearts melting [in fear] and knees knocking! Anguish is in the whole body, And the faces of all grow pale! [Is 13:7 , 8 ] 11 Where is the den of the lions (Assyria) And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub prowled With nothing to fear? 12 The lion [of Assyria] tore enough for his cubs (Assyrian citizens), Killed [enough prey] for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh. 13 “Behold, I am against you [Nineveh],” declares the LORD of hosts, “and I will burn your chariots in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the land, and the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.” Nahum 3 Nineveh’s Complete Ruin 1 W OE (JUDGMENT is coming) to the city of blood [guilty of murder and mayhem], completely full of lies and pillage; Her prey never departs [alive]. [Ezek 24:6 , 9 , 10 ; Hab 2:12 ] 2 The noise of the [cracking of the] whip, The noise of the rattling of the wheel, Galloping horses And rumbling and bounding chariots [in the assault of Nineveh]! 3 Horsemen charging, Swords flashing, spears gleaming, Many slain, a mass of corpses, No end of corpses— The horsemen stumble over the corpses! 4 All because of the many acts of prostitution of [Nineveh] the prostitute, The charming and well-favored one, the mistress of sorceries, Who betrays nations by her acts of prostitution (idolatry) And families by her sorceries.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  [Rev 4:3 ] Ezekiel 2 The Prophet’s Call 1 T HEN HE said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you.” 2 Then as He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. 3 And He said to me, “I am sending you, son of man, to the children of Israel, to a rebellious people [in both the north and the south] that have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have sinned and revolted against Me to this very day. 4 “I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord a GOD .’ 5 “As for them, whether they listen or refuse [to listen]—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know and be fully aware of the fact that there has been a prophet among them. 6 “And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words; though briars and thorns are all around you and you sit among scorpions, neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. 7 “But you shall speak My words to them whether they will listen or refuse [to listen], for they are [most] rebellious. 8 “As for you, son of man, listen to what I say to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” 9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out toward me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And He spread it before me, and it was written on the front and on the back, and written on it were [words of] lamentation (funeral songs) and mourning and woe. Ezekiel 3 Ezekiel’s Commission 1 H E SAID to me, “Son of man, eat what you find [in this book]; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. 4 Then He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. 5 “For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel, 6 not to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  [Deut 28:37 ; Ps 79:4 ; Jer 24:9 ] 16 ‘When I send against them the deadly arrows of hunger which were for the destruction of those whom I will send to destroy you, then I will increase the famine upon you and break your staff of bread. 17 ‘Further, I will send against you hunger and wild beasts, and they will bereave you of children; virulent disease and bloodshed also will pass through you, and I will bring the sword on you. I, the LORD , have spoken.’ ” Ezekiel 6 Idolatrous Worship Denounced 1 A ND THE word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them, 3 and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD ! Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places [of idolatrous worship], 4 and your altars will become deserted and your pillars for sun-worship will be smashed in pieces; and I will throw down your slain in front of your idols [that cannot bring them back to life]. [Lev 26:30 ] 5 “I will also lay the dead bodies of the children of Israel in front of their [Canaanite] idols; and I will scatter your bones all around your altars. 6 “Everywhere you live, the cities will become waste and the high places will become deserted, so that your altars may bear their guilt and become deserted, your idols may be broken and destroyed, your incense altars [for sun-worship] may be cut down, and your works may be blotted out. 7 “The slain will fall among you, then you shall know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD . 8 “Yet I will leave some of you alive [a remnant], for you will have some who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered throughout the countries. 9 “Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be exiled, how I have been broken by their lewdness and their adulterous hearts which have turned away from Me, and by their eyes which lust after their idols; and they will loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed, for all their repulsive acts. 10 “Then they will know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD ; I have not said in vain that I would bring this disaster [as punishment] on them.” ’ 11 “Thus says the Lord GOD , ‘Strike with your fist, stamp with your foot and say, “Alas, because of all the evil atrocities of the house of Israel, which will fall by sword, by famine, and by virulent disease!

• From Henry Miller on Writing (1964)

  I didn't know a thing about writing. I was scared shitless. But I was determined to wipe Horatio Alger out of the North American consciousness. I suppose it was the worst book any man has ever written. It was a colossal tome and faulty from start to finish. But it was my first book and I was in love with it.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD , And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night. [Rom 13:8–10 ; Gal 3:1–29 ; 2 Tim 3:16 ] 3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity]. [Jer 17:7 , 8 ] 4 The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so, But they are like the chaff [worthless and without substance] which the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand [unpunished] in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows and fully approves the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked shall perish. Psalm 2 The Reign of the LORD ’s Anointed. 1 W HY ARE the a nations in an b uproar [in turmoil against God], And why do the people devise a vain and hopeless plot? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand; And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and His Anointed (the Davidic King, the Messiah, the Christ), saying, [Acts 4:25–27 ] 3 “Let us break apart their [divine] bands [of restraint] And cast away their cords [of control] from us.” 4 He who sits [enthroned] in the heavens laughs [at their rebellion]; The [Sovereign] c Lord scoffs at them [and in supreme contempt He mocks them]. 5 Then He will speak to them in His [profound] anger And terrify them with His displeasure, saying, 6 “Yet as for Me, I have anointed and firmly installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” 7 “I will declare the decree of the LORD : He said to Me, ‘You are My Son; This day [I proclaim] I have begotten You. [2 Sam 7:14 ; Heb 1:5 ; 3:5 , 6 ; 2 Pet 1:17 , 18 ] 8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will assuredly give [You] the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall shatter them [in pieces] like earthenware.’ ” [Rev 12:5 ; 19:15 ] 10 Now therefore, O kings, act wisely; Be instructed and take warning, O leaders (judges, rulers) of the earth. 11 Worship the LORD and serve Him with reverence [with awe-inspired fear and submissive wonder]; Rejoice [yet do so] with trembling. 12 Kiss (pay respect to) the d Son, so that He does not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled and set aflame. How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] are all those who take refuge in Him! Psalm 3 Morning Prayer of Trust in God. A Psalm of David. When he fled from Absalom his son.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  8 Now it happened while Zacharias was serving as priest before God in the appointed order of his priestly division, 9 as was the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter [the sanctuary of] the temple of the Lord and f burn incense [on the altar of incense]. [Ex 30:7 ] 10 And all the congregation was praying outside [in the court of the temple] at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 When Zacharias saw the angel, he was troubled and overcome with fear. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, because your petition [in prayer] was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him g John. 14 “You will have great joy and delight, and many will rejoice over his birth, 15 for he will be great and distinguished in the sight of the Lord; and will never drink wine or liquor, and he will be filled with and empowered to act by the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. [Num 6:3 ] 16 “He will turn many of the sons of Israel back [from sin] to [love and serve] the Lord their God. 17 “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN , and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous [which is to seek and submit to the will of God]—in order to make ready a people [perfectly] prepared [spiritually and morally] for the Lord.” [Is 40:3 ; Mal 4:5 , 6 ] 18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I be certain of this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in age.” 19 The angel replied and said to him, “I am Gabriel; I stand and minister in the [very] presence of God, and I have been sent [by Him] to speak to you and to bring you this good news. [Dan 8:16 ; 9:21 ] 20 “h Listen carefully, you will be continually silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe what I told you; but my words will be fulfilled at their proper time.” 21 The people [outside in the court] were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering about his long delay in the temple. 22 But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. 23 When his time of priestly service was finished, he returned to his home.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  17 “This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, So that the living may know [without any doubt] That the Most High [God] rules over the kingdom of mankind And He bestows it on whomever He desires And sets over it the humblest and lowliest of men.” [Dan 2:21 ; 5:21 ] 18 ‘This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, explain its meaning, since none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to reveal its interpretation to me; but you are able, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.’ Daniel Interprets the Vision 19 “Then Daniel, whose [Babylonian] name was Belteshazzar, was appalled and speechless for a while [because he was deeply concerned about the destiny of the king], and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation frighten you.’ Belteshazzar answered, ‘My lord, may the dream be [meant] for those who hate you and its message for your enemies! 20 ‘The tree that you saw, which became great and grew strong, whose height reached to heaven and which was visible to all the earth, 21 whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and on which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the sky nested— 22 it is you, O king, who have become great and grown strong; your greatness has increased and it reaches to heaven, and your dominion [reaches] to the ends of the earth. 23 ‘In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, “Cut the tree down and destroy it; but leave the stump with its roots in the earth, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him feed with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him,” 24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is the decree of the Most High [God], which has come upon my lord the king: 25 that you shall be driven from mankind and your dwelling place shall be with the beasts of the field; and that you be given grass to eat like the cattle and be wet with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know [without any doubt] that the Most High [God] rules over the kingdom of mankind and He bestows it to whomever He desires. 26 ‘And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree [in the earth], your kingdom shall be restored to you after you recognize (understand fully) that Heaven rules.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered! 38 “A drought on her waters, and they will dry up! For it is a land of [worthless] idols, And they are mad over fearsome idols [those objects of terror in which they foolishly trust]. 39 “Therefore d wild beasts of the desert will live there [in Babylon] with the jackals; The ostriches also will live there, And it will never again be inhabited [with people] Or lived in from generation to generation. [Is 13:20–22 ] 40 “As when God overthrew Sodom And Gomorrah and their neighboring cities,” says the LORD , “So no man will live there; Nor shall any son of man live there.” [Jer 49:18 ] 41 “Behold, a people is coming from the north, And a great nation and many kings Will be stirring from the remote parts of the earth. 42 “They seize their bow and spear; They are cruel and have no compassion. They sound like the roaring of the sea; They ride on horses, Every man equipped like a man [ready] for the battle Against you, O Daughter of Babylon. 43 “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands fall limp and helpless; Anguish has seized him, And agony like that of a woman in childbirth. 44 “See, one will come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan against the enduring habitation [of Babylon] and its watered pastures; for in an instant I will make Babylon run from his land. I will appoint over Babylon the one whom I choose. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me [into court] and prosecute Me [for this]? Who is the [earthly] shepherd who can stand [defiantly] before Me?” [Jer 49:19 ] 45 Therefore hear the plan of the LORD which He has devised against Babylon, and hear what He has purposed against [the inhabitants of the land of] the Chaldeans: surely they will be dragged away, [even] the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their habitation desolate because of them. 46 At the shout, “Babylon has been seized!” the earth quakes, and an outcry is heard among the nations. Jeremiah 51 Babylon Judged for Sins against Israel 1 T HUS SAYS the LORD : “Behold, I am going to stir up and put into action [a fury] against Babylon And against the [rebellious] people of Leb-kamai (Chaldea) A destroying wind and hostile spirit; 2 “And I will send foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her And may devastate and empty her land; For in the day of destruction They will be against her on every side. 3 “Do not let him (the Chaldean defender) who bends his bow bend it, Nor let him rise up in his coat of armor. So do not spare her young men; Devote her entire army to destruction.

• From The Glass Castle: A Memoir (2005)

  Then a pair of headlights appeared way in the distance behind us. We watched as the car slowly caught up with the U-Haul. After a few minutes, it pulled up right behind us, and its headlights caught us there in the back of the cab. The car started honking and flashing its brights. Then it pulled up and passed us. The driver must have signaled Mom and Dad, because the U-Haul slowed to a stop and Dad came running back with a flashlight. “What the hell is going on?” he asked. He was furious. We tried to explain that it wasn’t our fault the doors blew open, but he was still angry. I knew that he was scared, too. Maybe even more scared than angry. “Was that a cop?” Brian asked. “No,” Dad said. “And you’re sure as hell lucky it wasn’t, or he’d be hauling your asses off to jail.” After we peed, we climbed back into the truck and watched as Dad closed the doors. The darkness enveloped us again. We could hear Dad locking the doors and double-checking them. The engine restarted, and we continued on our way. BATTLE MOUNTAIN HAD started out as a mining post, settled a hundred years earlier by people hoping to strike it rich, but if anyone ever had struck it rich in Battle Mountain, they must have moved somewhere else to spend their fortune. Nothing about the town was grand except the big empty sky and, off in the distance, the stony purple Tuscarora Mountains running down to the table-flat desert. The main street was wide—with sun-bleached cars and pickups parked at an angle to the curb—but only a few blocks long, flanked on both sides with low, flat-roofed buildings made of adobe or brick. A single streetlight flashed red day and night. Along Main Street was a grocery store, a drugstore, a Ford dealership, a Greyhound bus station, and two big casinos, the Owl Club and the Nevada Hotel. The buildings, which seemed puny under the huge sky, had neon signs that didn’t look like they were on during the day because the sun was so bright. We moved into a wooden building on the edge of town that had once been a railroad depot. It was two stories tall and painted an industrial green, and was so close to the railroad tracks that you could wave to the engineer from the front window. Our new home was one of the oldest buildings in town, Mom proudly told us, with a real frontier quality to it. Mom and Dad’s bedroom was on the second floor, where the station manager once had his office. We kids slept downstairs in what had been the waiting room. The old restrooms were still there, but the toilet had been ripped out of one and a bathtub put in its place. The ticket booth had been converted into a kitchen.

• From Birthday Girl (2018)

  La luz debajo de la puerta del sótano está encendida y la charla en el exterior es casi tan fuerte como la música. Al menos Cole mantiene a la gente fuera de la casa, en su mayoría. Es muy probable que Pike no esté durmiendo con esto. Subiendo suavemente por las escaleras, camino silenciosamente por el pasillo, viendo la puerta del dormitorio de Pike cerrada y la luz del interior apagada. La puerta de Cole también está cerrada y abro la mía, mirando dentro y viendo que está vacía. Mi cama está deshecha donde la madre de Cole durmió anoche y miro alrededor, usando la luz que entra desde afuera para ver. Ninguna de las cosas de Lindsay está aquí, así que tal vez su apartamento ya está listo. Dejando la luz apagada, tomo mi mochila de cuero y la lleno con libros y cuadernos de mi escritorio y comienzo a llenar una mochila de lona con ropa y cualquier cosa que necesitaré de inmediato. —Pensé escuchar a alguien entrar —dice una voz detrás de mí. Mi corazón se detiene y vacilo, reconociendo la voz al instante. Cierro mis ojos, deseando que se vaya. Cole no lo habría invitado. Debe haberse colado en la fiesta. Las tijeras están sobre mi escritorio frente a mí y las miro, el instinto activándose. —Cole rompió con Elena —me dice Jay—. ¿Vas a regresar con él? ¿Rompió? ¿Realmente estaban juntos? Miro hacia mi pulgar, viendo la pequeña cicatriz en la oscuridad y apenas sintiendo algo más. Cómo siempre podía tirar de mi corazón, pero ahora, parece que fue hace mucho tiempo que Cole se preocupaba por mí. Ni siquiera puedo reunir un gramo de nostalgia esta noche por la conexión que alguna vez tuvimos. El modo de supervivencia ha comenzado. Mi cerebro ahora tiene el control y no me dará las llaves de mi corazón hasta que esté seguro que puede soportarlo. —¿Quieres una pequeña venganza primero? —se burla Jay y puedo escuchar su voz acercándose—. Vamos, Jordan. Te daré una buena follada ahora y aquí mismo. —¿A diferencia de lo terrible que siempre era follar contigo? —replico. No dice nada, pero simplemente puedo imaginar el pequeño gruñido que se dibuja en sus labios y el cosquilleo que siente en sus manos, que le suplica que me haga pagar por esa observación. Tomando las tijeras en mi mano, me giro y las giro en mis dedos, jugando con ellas mientras lo miro. Está parado justo pasando mi puerta, vestido con sus jeans y camiseta, con sus ojos fríos fulminándome con la mirada desde debajo de sus cejas oscuras. —Lo que debes haberte dicho para convencer a ese cerebro de guisante dentro de tu cabeza de que me hiciste correr tan bien —digo fríamente—. Las tres veces que lo hicimos fueron tan malas, me quedaba allí confundida y luego me divertía, hasta que finalmente rompía en llanto porque no había nada en ti que no fuera absolutamente patético.

• From Henry Miller on Writing (1964)

  It means “to piss warm and drink cold,” as Trimalchio says, “because our mother the earth is in the middle, made round like an egg, and has all good things in herself, like a honeycomb.” And now, ladies and gentlemen, with this little universal can-opener which I hold in my hands I am about to open a can of sardines. With this little can-opener which I hold in my hands it’s all the same—whether you want to open a box of sardines or a drug store. It’s the third or fourth day of spring, as I’ve told you several times already, and even though it’s a poor, shabby, reminiscent spring, the thermometer is driving me crazy as a bedbug. You thought I was sitting at the Place Clichy all the time, drinking an apéritif perhaps. As a matter of fact I was sitting at the Place Clichy, but that was two or three years ago. And I did stand at the bar of Little Tom Thumb, but that was a long time ago and since then a crab has been gnawing at my vitals. All this began in the Métro (first-class) with the phrase “l’homme que j’étais, je ne le suis plus .” Walking past the railroad yards I was plagued by two fears—one, that if I lifted my eyes a little higher they would dart out of my head; two, that my bung-hole was dropping out. A tension so strong that all ideation became instantly rhombohedral. Imagined the whole world declaring a holiday to think about static. On that day so many suicides that there would not be wagons enough to collect the dead. Passing the railroad yards at the Porte I catch the sickening stench from the cattle trains. It’s like this: all day today and all day yesterday—three or four years ago, of course—they have been standing there body to body in fear and sweat. Their bodies are saturated with doom. Passing them my mind is terribly lucid, my thoughts crystal clear. I’m in such a hurry to spill out my thoughts that I am running past them in the dark. I too am in great fear. I too am sweating and panting, thirsty, saturated with doom. I’m going by them like a letter through the post. Or not I, but certain ideas of which I am the harbinger. And these ideas are already labeled and docketed, already sealed, stamped and water-marked. They run in series, my ideas, like electric coils. To live beyond illusion, or with it? that’s the question. Inside me a terrifying gem which will not wear away, a gem which scratches the windowpanes as I flee through the night. The cattle are lowing and bleating. They stand there in the warm stench of their own dung. I hear again now the music of the A Minor Quartet, the agonized flurries of the strings. There’s a madman inside me and he’s hacking away, hacking and hacking until he strikes the final discord.