Grief

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 148 of 263 · 20 per page

• From The Decameron (1353)

  Accordingly, he let bring her, without any stir, whereas Pasquino's body lay yet, swollen as it were a tun, and himself following her thither, marvelled at the dead man and asked her how it had been; whereupon, going up to the sage-bush, she recounted to him all the foregoing story and to give him more fully to understand how the thing had befallen, she did even as Pasquino had done and rubbed one of the sage-leaves against her teeth. Then,--whilst her words were, in the judge's presence, flouted by Stramba and Atticciato and the other friends and comrades of Pasquino as frivolous and vain and they all denounced her wickedness with the more instance, demanding nothing less than that the fire should be the punishment of such perversity,--the wretched girl, who abode all confounded for dolour of her lost lover and fear of the punishment demanded by Stramba fell, for having rubbed the sage against her teeth, into that same mischance, whereinto her lover had fallen [and dropped dead], to the no small wonderment of as many as were present. O happy souls, to whom it fell in one same day to terminate at once your fervent love and your mortal life! Happier yet, an ye went together to one same place! And most happy, if folk love in the other life and ye love there as you loved here below! But happiest beyond compare,--at least in our judgment who abide after her on life,--was Simona's soul, whose innocence fortune suffered not to fall under the testimony of Stramba and Atticciato and Malagevole, wool-carders belike or men of yet meaner condition, finding her a more honourable way, with a death like unto that of her lover, to deliver herself from their calumnies and to follow the soul, so dearly loved of her, of her Pasquino.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  For as is the share of him who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the provisions and supplies; they shall share alike.” 25 So from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. 26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, “Here is a blessing (gift) for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD : 27 For those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir, 28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29 Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites, 30 Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach, 31 Hebron, and for [those elders in] all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go.” 1 Samuel 31 Saul and His Sons Slain 1 N OW THE Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons. 3 The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers. 4 Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised [Philistines] will come and pierce me through and abuse and mock me.” But his armor bearer would not, because he was terrified [of doing such a thing]. So a Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together on that day. 7 When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley [of Jezreel], and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the other men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them. 8 The next day, when the Philistines came to plunder the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his weapons and armor and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to bring the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 And they put Saul’s weapons and armor in the temple of the Ashtaroth (female goddesses), and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 When the b inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the brave men stood and walked all night, and they took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and cremated them there.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  In the morning, being risen and daring not say aught to her brothers, she determined to go to the place appointed and see if the thing were true, as it had appeared to her in the dream. Accordingly, having leave to go somedele without the city for her disport, she betook herself thither,[241] as quickliest she might, in company of one who had been with them[242] otherwhiles and knew all her affairs; and there, clearing away the dead leaves from the place, she dug whereas herseemed the earth was less hard. She had not dug long before she found the body of her unhappy lover, yet nothing changed nor rotted, and thence knew manifestly that her vision was true, wherefore she was the most distressful of women; yet, knowing that this was no place for lament, she would fain, an she but might, have borne away the whole body, to give it fitter burial; but, seeing that this might not be, she with a knife did off[243] the head from the body, as best she could, and wrapping it in a napkin, laid it in her maid's lap. Then, casting back the earth over the trunk, she departed thence, without being seen of any, and returned home, where, shutting herself in her chamber with her lover's head, she bewept it long and bitterly, insomuch that she bathed it all with her tears, and kissed it a thousand times in every part. Then, taking a great and goodly pot, of those wherein they plant marjoram or sweet basil, she set the head therein, folded in a fair linen cloth, and covered it with earth, in which she planted sundry heads of right fair basil of Salerno; nor did she ever water these with other water than that of her tears or rose or orange-flower water. Moreover she took wont to sit still near the pot and to gaze amorously upon it with all her desire, as upon that which held her Lorenzo hid; and after she had a great while looked thereon, she would bend over it and fall to weeping so sore and so long that her tears bathed all the basil, which, by dint of long and assiduous tending, as well as by reason of the fatness of the earth, proceeding from the rotting head that was therein, waxed passing fair and very sweet of savour. [Footnote 241: _i.e._ to the place shown her in the dream.] [Footnote 242: _i.e._ in their service.] [Footnote 243: Lit. unhung (_spiccò_).]

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  24 “But his bow remained firm and steady [in the Strength that does not fail], For his arms were made strong and agile By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (By the name of the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), [Gen 48:15 ; Deut 32:4 ; Is 9:6 ; 49:26 ] 25 By the God of your father who will help you, And by the g Almighty who blesses you With blessings of the heavens above, Blessings lying in the deep that couches beneath, Blessings of the [nursing] breasts and of the [fertile] womb. 26 “The blessings of your father Are greater than the blessings of my ancestors [Abraham and Isaac] Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; They shall be on the head of Joseph, Even on the crown of the head of him who was the distinguished one and the one who is prince among (separate from) his brothers. 27 “Benjamin is a h ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And at night he divides the spoil.” 28 All these are the [beginnings of the] twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one according to the blessing appropriate to him. 29 He charged them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave in the field at Machpelah, east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, that Abraham bought, along with the field from Ephron the Hittite, to possess as a burial site. [Gen 23:17–20 ] 31 “There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it was purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 When Jacob (Israel) had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was i gathered to his people [who had preceded him in death]. Genesis 50 Burial Preparations and Mourning for Jacob 1 T HEN JOSEPH fell upon his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him [tenderly]. 2 Then Joseph ordered his servants the physicians to embalm (mummify) his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel (Jacob). 3 Now forty days were required for this, for that is the customary number of days [of preparation] required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept and grieved for him [in public mourning as they would for royalty] for seventy days.

• From The Ice Storm (1994)

  The technician had Mike’s jacket and shirt open now and was looking for markings of any kind. But this expert knew the answer, Benjamin could tell, and he knew, too. When the other two volunteers had hoisted the stretcher up onto the front step, the driver pronounced Mike’s fate, as though breaking a spell. He turned over one of the boy’s palms. —Electrocution, you guys. Electrocution. —You wanna wire up the— —No point, the driver said. He’s been this way for a couple of hours, I’ll bet. Radio it in? They flung Mike’s shroud on the floor by the stairs and covered him with a fresh, dry one. Then they strapped him onto the gurney and rolled it back toward the ambulance. —Listen, Hood said. You’re going to Norwalk Hospital? Before you go we really ought to tell his family. Or at least drop me there. It’s just up there. The phones are down and my car is.... Do you think you could? The driver said nothing. —They’re my neighbors. This boy is my neighbors’ son. My kids have played with him. My daughter was going steady with this boy. This boy right here. Hood had become firm. His demeanor had changed. He was acquainted with this bad luck. He knew what he was saying. —Imagine if it was your son, he said. The driver sucked on his lower lip. He had a prizefighter’s dull glare. Said nothing. But he led Hood out into the driveway, and he held open the back of the ambulance for Hood. Benjamin was going to sit in the back, with the corpse. He was out in the cold air again, in just galoshes and the jacket from last night. He was aware that his hair was mussed, that he needed a shower. They wheeled the stretcher up to the ambulance and hoisted it in. The radio in the ambulance was clear on one point—the temperature would plunge again, in the afternoon. Yes, radio. In that swift moment, when the door was closed behind him, Hood was put back in touch with the all-news format, with its blessed and conflicting voices—Britain slashes budget, Brendan Byrne opposes Jersey Turnpike extension, United Nations peacekeeping force patrols heavily mined areas between Egyptian and Israeli armies, Hall Bartlett’s new film, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, opens to mixed reviews, move in Congress to impeach. The Concord, California, murder case: two popular locals, Walter and Joanne Parkin, their children, their baby-sitter, the babysitter’s boyfriend and her parents all murdered by drifter from the Bronx, Dennis Guzman, and his accomplice, Archie Stealing, also of Concord. Elsewhere in California: an Oakland school superintendent executed with cyanide bullets by unknown terrorist organization, the Symbionese Liberation Army, which objected to the superintendent’s “fascist” policies. —Which roads are clear? the driver called back. Hood didn’t know. The two volunteers in the back of the ambulance with Hood stared down at the floor. They proceeded by guesswork.

• From The Well of Loneliness (1928)

  Yet even as a child she had sat at the piano and picked out little tunes of her own inventing. He had done his best; she had been taught to play by Miss Morrison of the next-door village, since music alone seemed able to tame her. And as Jamie had grown so her tunes had grown with her, gathering purpose and strength with her body. She would improvise for hours on the winter evenings, if Barbara would sit in their parlour and listen. He had always made Barbara welcome at the manse; they had been so inseparable, those two, since childhood — and now? He had frowned, remembering the gossip. Rather timidly he had spoken to Jamie. ‘ Listen, my dear, when you’re always together, the lads don’t get a chance to come courting, and Barbara’s grandmother wants the lass married. Let her walk with a lad on Sabbath afternoons — there’s that young MacGregor, he’s a fine, steady fellow, and they say he’s in love with the little lass. . . .’ Jamie had stared at him, scowling darkly. ‘ She doesn’t want to walk out with MacGregor! ’ 408 THE WELL OF LONELINESS The minister had shaken his head yet again. In the hands of his child he was utterly helpless. Then Jamie had gone to Inverness in order the better to study music, but every week-end she had spent at the manse, there had been no real break in her friendship with Barbara; indeed they had seemed more devoted than ever, no doubt because of these forced separations. Two years later the minister had suddenly died, leaving his little all to Jamie. She had had to turn out of the old, grey manse, and had taken a room in the village near Barbara. But antagonism, no longer restrained through respect for the gentle and child-like pastor, had made itself very acutely felt — hostile they had been, those good people, to Jamie. Barbara had wept. ‘ Jamie, let’s go away . . . they hate us. Let’s go where nobody knows us. I’m twenty-one now, I can go where I like, they can’t stop me. Take me away from them, Jamie! ’ Miserable, angry, and sorely bewildered, Jamie had put her arm round the girl. ‘ Where can I take you, you poor little crea- ture? You’re not strong, and I’m terribly poor, remember.’ But Barbara had continued to plead. ‘ PII work, PII scrub floors, I’ll do anything, Jamie, only let’s get away where nobody knows us!’ So Jamie had turned to her music master in Inverness, and had begged him to help her. What could she do to earn her liv- ing? And because this man believed in her talent, he had helped her with advice and a small loan of money, urging her to go to Paris and study to complete her training in composition.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  And the young man who kept watch looked up, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons are coming. It has turned out just as your servant said.” 36 And when he finished speaking, the king’s sons came, and they raised their voices and wept; and the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly. 37 But Absalom fled and went to [his mother’s father] Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David g mourned for his son every day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there for three years. 39 And the heart of King David longed to go to Absalom; for he was comforted regarding Amnon, since he was dead. 2 Samuel 14 The Woman of Tekoa 1 N OW JOAB the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2 So Joab sent word to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there and told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning clothes, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has for many days been in mourning for the dead. 3 “Then go to the king and speak to him in this way.” So Joab a told her what to say. 4 When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she bowed with her face to the ground and lay herself down, and said, “Help, O king.” 5 The king asked her, “b What is the matter?” She said, “Truly I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 “Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled and fought in the field. There was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him.

• From Emotional Beats: How to Easily Convert your Writing into Palpable Feelings (2018)

  She felt like she was walking in a dream world; a horrific, nightmarish dream world.He heard a roaring in his ears and lost track of what others were saying [this is also a physical manifestation of unbearable grief].Her heart stuttered, and there was this falling, spinning-down feeling.His face sagged.He lowered his head.She hung her head.She bowed her head.Her countenance tumbled into a dark thing.CryingJoy, sadness, exhaustion. The reasons behind a character’s tears can be numerous. So, what kind of crying is your character experiencing? Here are some common ways of crying, that will allow you to use the perfect word for each occasion*: Bawl: This is an unattractive, loud crying that is characterized by mutters, truncated, erratic breathing, clenched facial expressions, and a hunched posture.Howl: This heavy crying results in an inability to speak or produce sounds even resembling words.Lament : This kind of crying comes from grief, regret or sorrow.Silent Tears: This is a soft, inaudible crying that does not draw attention. Try to avoid displaying it as a single tear rolling down one’s cheek, as this has been overused and is considered a cliché.Sob : In a sense, this is the opposite of the silent tears. It is heavy crying with a large volume of tears flowing steadily. It does not have to be inappropriately loud, but it is characterized by the noisy intake of breaths.Snivel: Audible but soft crying. It usually indicates the presence of drool or mucus.Squall : A loud cry signifying emotional distress. It is usually associated with infants or very young children.Wail : The distinguishing feature of wailing is the high pitch.Weep: A gentler version of sobbing. It involves a soft, steady stream of tears.Whimper: Soft and irregular crying. There are usually few or no tears.Whine : Crying in distress, or in a high-pitched, complaining manner. * See also Ways to Describe Crying . SighsA sigh escaped his lips.He released an old man’s sigh.A groan accompanied the roll of his eyes.His shoulders dropped with a sigh.He stood there shaking, a low groaning sound bubbling from his mouth. PainWhat good is a story with no drama? Characters will inevitably experience discomfort. Sure, they can moan and groan to your heart’s content, but there are so many better ways of making the pain palpable. She tried to prop herself up on her right elbow, but it collapsed under her, sending lances of stabbing pain to shoot up her shoulder.He rubbed the stubble on his head, avoiding the tender knot.His skull felt like an eggshell.His face started to ache. Dully at first, then in hot stabs.A dull headache formed behind his brow.His expression was drawn in agony, but not over his own pain.His legs flared with fiery slices of pain.Pain funneled into her heart.His arms were covered in bruises, his knees a maze of grazes and cuts.His eyes rolled back into his head.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a massive tree, and his d head was caught in [the thick branches of] the tree; and he was left hanging [in midair] between heaven and earth, while the mule that had been under him kept going. 10 A certain man saw it and informed Joab, saying, “I saw Absalom hanging in a tree.” 11 Joab said to the man who informed him, “You saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? e I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” 12 The man told Joab, “Even if I were to feel the weight of a thousand pieces of silver in my hands, I would not put out my hand against the king’s son; for f we all heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, ‘Protect the young man Absalom, for my sake.’ 13 “Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously against his life (for nothing is hidden from the king) you yourself would have g taken sides against me.” 14 Joab said, “I will not waste time with you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive [and caught] in the midst of the tree. 15 And ten young men, Joab’s armor bearers, surrounded and struck Absalom and killed him. 16 Then Joab blew the trumpet [to signal the end of the combat], and the men returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held them back. 17 They took [down the body of] Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest and set up a huge mound of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his own tent. 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have h no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He named the memorial pillar after himself, and to this day it is called i Absalom’s Monument. David Is Grief-stricken 19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, said, “Let me run and bring the king news that the LORD has vindicated him by rescuing him from [the power of] his enemies.” 20 But Joab told him, “You are not the man to carry news [to King David] today, but you shall carry news another day. On this day you shall carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Then Joab said to the Cushite (Ethiopian), “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” And the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  19 The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam. Descendants of Ephraim 20 The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah and Bered his son, Tahath [I] his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath [II] his son, 21 Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead were killed by men who were natives of Gath, because they came down to take their livestock. 22 Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. 23 Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Beriah (on misfortune), because tragedy had come on his house. 24 Beriah’s daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and also Uzzen-sheerah. 25 Rephah was his son along with Resheph; Resheph’s son was Telah, Tahan his son, 26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 Non (Nun) his son, and Joshua [Moses’ successor] his son. 28 Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, and Shechem, and as far as c Ayyah with all their towns, 29 and along the borders of the sons of Manasseh, Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, Dor, with all their towns. In these [places] lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel (Jacob). Descendants of Asher 30 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; and Serah their sister. 31 The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. 32 Heber became the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister. 33 The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet. 34 The sons of Shemer (Shomer) [his brother]: Ahi and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. 35 The sons of his brother Helem (Hotham): Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. 38 The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. 40 All these were sons (descendants) of Asher, heads of their fathers’ houses, choice men, courageous men, chiefs of the leaders. Their number, enrolled by genealogies for service in war, was 26,000 men. 1 Chronicles 8 Genealogy from Benjamin 1 B ENJAMIN BECAME the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, 2 Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth. 3 Bela had sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud, 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. 6 These are the sons of Ehud: These are the heads of the fathers’ households of the inhabitants of Geba; they were exiled to Manahath: 7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera—he forced them into exile; he became the father of Uzza and Ahihud. 8 Shaharaim became the father of children in the country of Moab after he had sent away (divorced) Hushim and Baara his wives.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  After a while the young woman, marvelling at his continence and fearing lest her husband should awake, began to say, 'Alack, Girolamo, why dost thou not get thee gone?' Hearing no answer, she concluded that he had fallen asleep and putting out her hand to awaken him, found him cold to the touch as ice, whereat she marvelled sore; then, nudging him more sharply and finding that he stirred not, she felt him again and knew that he was dead; whereat she was beyond measure woebegone and abode a great while, unknowing what she should do. At last she bethought herself to try, in the person of another, what her husband should say was to do [in such a case]; wherefore, awakening him, she told him, as having happened to another, that which had presently betided herself and after asked him what counsel she should take thereof,[253] if it should happen to herself. The good man replied that himseemed the dead man should be quietly carried to his house and there left, without bearing any ill will thereof to the woman, who, it appeared to him, had nowise done amiss. Then said Salvestra, 'And so it behoveth us do'; and taking his hand, made him touch the dead youth; whereupon, all confounded, he arose, without entering into farther parley with his wife, and kindled a light; then, clothing the dead body in its own garments, he took it, without any delay, on his shoulders and carried it, his innocence aiding him, to the door of Girolamo's house, where he set it down and left it. [Footnote 253: _i.e._ what course she should take in the matter, _consiglio_ used as before (see notes, pp. 2 and 150) in this special sense.]

• From The Decameron (1353)

  On the morrow, having meanwhile revolved in himself many and divers devices, he betook himself, after eating, as of his wont, to his daughter's chamber and sending for the lady, who as yet knew nothing of these things, shut himself up with her and proceeded, with tears in his eyes, to bespeak her thus: 'Ghismonda, meseemed I knew thy virtue and thine honesty, nor might it ever have occurred to my mind, though it were told me, had I not seen it with mine own eyes, that thou wouldst, even so much as in thought, have abandoned thyself to any man, except he were thy husband; wherefore in this scant remnant of life that my eld reserveth unto me, I shall still abide sorrowful, remembering me of this. Would God, an thou must needs stoop to such wantonness, thou hadst taken a man sortable to thy quality! But, amongst so many who frequent my court, thou hast chosen Guiscardo, a youth of the meanest condition, reared in our court, well nigh of charity, from a little child up to this day; wherefore thou hast put me in sore travail of mind, for that I know not what course to take with thee. With Guiscardo, whom I caused take yesternight, as he issued forth of the tunnel and have in ward, I am already resolved how to deal; but with thee God knoweth I know not what to do. On one side love draweth me, which I still borne thee more than father ever bore daughter, and on the other most just despite, conceived for thine exceeding folly; the one would have me pardon thee, the other would have me, against my nature, deal harshly by thee. But ere I come to a decision, I would fain hear what thou hast to say to this.' So saying, he bowed his head and wept sore as would a beaten child.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  30 “Thus says the LORD , ‘Write this man [Coniah] down as childless, A man who will not prosper (succeed) in his lifetime; For not one of his descendants will succeed In sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.’ ” Jeremiah 23 The Coming Messiah: the Righteous Branch 1 “W OE TO the shepherds (civil leaders, rulers) who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD . 2 Therefore thus says the LORD , the God of Israel, in regard to the shepherds who care for and feed My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hear this, I am about to visit and attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” says the LORD . 3 “Then I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them and bring them back to their folds and pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 “I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” says the LORD . 5 “Behold (listen closely), the days are coming,” says the LORD , “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as King and act wisely And will do [those things that accomplish] justice and righteousness in the land. 6 “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called; ‘The LORD Our Righteousness.’ [Matt 1:21–23 ; Rom 3:22 ] 7 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD , “when they will no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but [they will say], ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries to which I had driven them.’ Then they will live in their own land.” [Jer 16:14 , 15 ] False Prophets Denounced 9 Concerning the prophets: My heart [says Jeremiah] is broken within me, All my bones shake; I have become like a drunken man, A man whom wine has overcome, Because of the LORD And because of His holy words [declared against unfaithful leaders]. 10 For the land is full of adulterers (unfaithful to God); The land mourns because of the curse [of God upon it]. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. The course of action [of the false prophets] is evil and they rush into wickedness; And their power is not right. 11 “For both [false] prophet and priest are ungodly (profane, polluted); Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” says the LORD .

• From Understanding the Old Testament (2019)

  leCtUre 19 | hoW sCholars stUdy Psalms 119 Parallelism works in one of two ways. In synonymous parallelism, the same thought is echoed. For example, in Psalm 113:7, take this echoed thought: “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.” On the other hand, one can express an opposing thought in the second line. This is called antithetic parallelism. Consider Psalm 126:5: “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.” It’s metaphorical. Metaphor is a major part of what makes the psalms poetry. This isn’t about literal sowing and reaping. It’s about planning and enjoying the results. The psalm authors are very skilled at using parallelism to map out large patterns in a psalm. For instance, the first verse may not correspond to the second. Imagine that the first verse corresponds to the last verse, and the second verse corresponds to the penultimate verse. This is called a chiasm. In Psalm 22, verses 1 and 11, there are words that correspond to each other in some way. Both verses are pleas to God to not abandon the one praying. Verses 1 and 11 are in parallelism with each other. That means that the entire unit of verses 1 through 11 is designated by inclusion. There are other examples of inclusion throughout the book of Psalms. A Difficult Passage Understanding parallelism can also help with difficult passages. For instance, the final stanza of Psalm 137 is addressed to Babylon. It is in the context of the exile of Jews in Babylon after the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 586 BCE: “Blessed shall be he who takes your little children and dashes them against the rocks.” At first, it seems Israel is calling for the massacre of innocent children. However, the true reading lies in parallelism. The prior verse is this: “Blessed shall be he who repays you what you have done to us.” The phrase “your little children and dashes them against the rocks” stands in poetic parallelism with “repays you what you have unto us.” This isn’t about Babylonian babies and all. It’s about Israelite babies. It is about coming to terms with what happened in the conquest of Jerusalem in 586. This is a way Israel can say, “You massacred our infants,” without saying it directly. The point is not a wish against Babylon; the point is articulating the pain.

• From Understanding the Old Testament (2019)

  Understanding the o ld testament 66 Jephthah If Abimelech is the most brutal judge, the next one, Jephthah, is the most pitiable. Chapter 10 describes God handing Israel over to its enemy, the Ammonites. In chapter 11, God raises Jephthah as a judge. He starts off looking better than Abimelech and Gideon. He tries diplomacy in Judges 11:12–28. He negotiates with the Ammonites about a piece of land that was claimed by Israel and Ammon. Israel had taken it long ago from people called Amorites. Jephthah wants to argue that it belongs to Israel, but he has many of the events wrong. Later, Jephthah makes a vow in chapter 12, verse 30. He says, “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power, whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return from the Ammonites in peace shall belong to the Lord. I shall offer it up as a burnt offering.” Jephthah is successful. In verse 34, this occurs: When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came out to meet him with tambourine playing and dancing. She was his only child. He had neither son or daughter besides her. When he saw her, he tore his garments and said “Oh my daughter! You have struck me down and brought calamity upon me, for I have made a vow to the Lord and I cannot take it back.” “Father,” she replied, “you have made a vow to the Lord. Do with me as you have vowed because the Lord has taken vengeance for you against your enemies the Ammonites.” This episode concludes with: “He did to her as he had vowed.” This is a tragic ending. The vow and whether it should have been binding troubled early Christian and Jewish theologians. Some medieval theologians pointed out that it only says, “He did as he had vowed”—not explicitly that he killed her. Perhaps he didn’t actually kill her, but instead put her away in a cloister, much like a nun in a convent. However, most earlier Christian and Jewish writers knew it was an actual killing. l e Ct Ure 11 | t he Boo K of J Udges 67 The rabbis and the 4th-century Christian writer Augustine said Jephthah should never have made a vow like that in the first place. However, Augustine goes on to praise Jephthah for keeping the vow. Other theologians, Christians and Jewish, considered the vow and its fulfillment both reprehensible. Jephthah returning from Battle is greeted by his Daughter , giovanni a ntonio Pellegrini, 1708 - 1713

• From Emotional Beats: How to Easily Convert your Writing into Palpable Feelings (2018)

  Wallace Peach has written many of the beats found in this book. She has kindly allowed me to include here her excellent post on how real people react to death. Common Physical Reactions to a Death:Tightness in the forehead, throat, or chestDry mouthBreathlessnessNausea and/or a hollow feeling in the stomachWeakness, fatigueSleep disturbances, dreams, and nightmaresAppetite disturbancesDisbelief is often a first reaction upon hearing of a death, especially if the death is sudden. Disbelief manifests as an initial numbness, a surreal sense that this can’t be happening, that the world has stopped making sense.Internal/External Coping : Your characters’ reactions will vary widely. Some will express themselves externally, others internally. This can be a source of misunderstanding – the less emotionally expressive characters accused of coldness or indifference, the more openly expressive characters accused of wallowing in self-pity.Social Immersion/Withdrawal: Some characters will desire immersion within their social network to gain support or stem loneliness and fear. Other characters may avoid interactions, needing time to process and reflect in solitude. Many will fall somewhere in between, appearing fine until the brittle walls of control collapse at a word or gesture.The Rollercoaster: Most people will dip in and out of grief, able to handle it in small doses before backing up and regaining emotional control. Your characters will function and grieve, function and grieve.Reminders: Some characters may avoid reminders of the deceased, finding that places or objects trigger painful feelings. Others may have the opposite reaction—desiring to visit those places and carry keepsakes.Active/Passive: Death generates a sense of helplessness. Some grieving characters may resort to intense activity (cooking, training, working, painting the house, or shopping). This is a coping mechanism that counters the loss of control. Others will feel lethargic, distracted and forgetful. They’ll have trouble focusing or wander in a fog without the will to complete the simplest tasks.Spirituality and Religion: For some characters, death may challenge spiritual or religious beliefs and shake faith to its foundations. For others, spiritual or religious beliefs may be or become the lifeline that sees the character through.Conflicted Relationships: These are relationships shaped by a tangle of positive and negative experiences, wishes, and emotions. Characters are grappling for balance and control, for respect, love, or approval. Death ends all chances for a satisfactory resolution. The feelings left behind are a stew of love, anger, regret, and guilt.Recklessness: Though recklessness may appear as a death wish, it might actually be angry defiance, a wager that death can be beaten at its game. Characters may also put themselves at risk to make up for a failure to protect others or guilt at their own survival.Anxiety, insecurity, and panic: Unlike recklessness, anxiety can be paralyzing. A shattered world can leave a character with a heightened sense of mortality, a fear of surviving on their own, or an aversion to taking risks.Relief: Characters may feel relief after the death, particularly if the deceased suffered.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  David Mourns Abner 31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the king sang a dirge (funeral song) over Abner and said, “Should Abner [the great warrior] die as a fool dies? 34 “Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As a man falls before the wicked, so you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him. 35 All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets.” 36 And all the people took notice of it and it l pleased them, just as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. 38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 “Today I am weak, though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer [Joab] in accordance with his wickedness!” 2 Samuel 4 Ish-bosheth Murdered 1 W HEN SAUL’S son Ish-bosheth [king of Israel], heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he a lost courage, and all Israel was horrified. 2 Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of [raiding] bands [of soldiers]. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the sons (tribe) of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of [the tribe of] Benjamin, 3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been resident aliens there to this day). 4 Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the news [of the deaths] of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. And the boy’s nurse picked him up and fled; but it happened that while she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth. 5 So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, left and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest. 6 They came into the interior of the house as if to get wheat [for the soldiers], and they struck him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped [unnoticed]. 7 Now when they entered the house he was lying on his bed in his bedroom.

• From The Well of Loneliness (1928)

  ‘You’re home very early, Stephen,’ said Anna, but Sir Philip was staring at his daughter’s face. : What’s the matter?’ he inquired, and his voice sounded anxious. ‘ Come here and tell me about it.’ Then Stephen quite suddenly burst into tears, and she wept and she wept as she stood there before them, and she poured out her shame and humiliation, telling all that Roger had said about her mother, telling all that she, Stephen, would have done to defend her, had it not been that Roger would not fight with a girl. She wept and she wept without any restraint, scarcely know- ing what she said — at that moment not caring. And Sir Philip listened with his head on his hand, and Anna listened bewildered and dumbfounded. She tried to kiss Stephen, to hold her to her, 54 THE WELL OF LONELINESS but Stephen, still sobbing, pushed her away; in this orgy of grief she resented consolation, so that in the end Anna took her to the nursery and delivered her over to the care of Mrs. Bingham, feeling that the child did not want her. When Anna went quietly back to the study, Sir Philip was still sitting with his head on his hand. She said: ‘It’s time you realized, Philip, that if you’re Stephen’s father, I’m her mother. So far you’ve managed the child your own way, and I don’t think it’s been successful. You’ve treated Stephen as though she were a boy — perhaps it’s because I’ve not given you a son —’ Her voice trembled a little but she went on gravely: ‘It’s not good for Stephen; I know it’s not good, and at times it frightens me, Philip.’ ‘ No, no!’ he said sharply. But Anna persisted: ‘ Yes, Philip, at times it makes me afraid -I can’t tell you why, but it seems all wrong — it makes me feel — strange with the child.’ He looked at her out of his melancholy eyes: * Can’t you trust me? Won’t you try to trust me, Anna?’ But Anna shook her head: ‘ I don’t understand, why shouldn’t you trust me, Philip? ’ And then in his terror for this well-beloved woman, Sir Philip committed the first cowardly action of his life— he who would not have spared himself pain, could not bear to inflict it on Anna. In his infinite pity for Stephen’s mother, he sinned very deeply and gravely against Stephen, by withholding from that mother his own conviction that her child was not as other children. ‘ There’s nothing for you to understand,’ he said firmly, ‘ but I like you to trust me in all things.’ After this they sat talking about the child, Sir Philip very quiet and reassuring.

• From Emotional Beats: How to Easily Convert your Writing into Palpable Feelings (2018)

  Relief and a sense of liberation may also occur at the end of conflicted relationship, the battle finally over. Guilt frequently accompanies the sense of relief.Guilt: Guilt is very common and often completely illogical. All the “ I should have’s ” and “ if only’s ” roll through the character’s brain, especially in cases of suicide.Anger: Anger generally has four sources:Justified anger at perpetrators and the failures of individuals and institutions. This is fertile ground for thoughts of revenge.Lashing out at others in response to feelings of helplessness and loss of control.Anger at one’s self for an inability to prevent the death.Anger at the deceased for dying, for not fighting harder, not making better choices, or abandoning the survivors (like guilt, this anger isn’t always logical).Unexpected Death: Death out of the natural sequence of life is generally more tragic than death after a long life. Sudden death is frequently harder to deal with than a loss that’s expected. Death by a purposeful or negligent hand is often more difficult than one by accident or illness.Previous Experience: Previous experience with death can prepare a character for new losses and soften the sharp edges. At the same time, if previous deaths weren’t fully processed, new losses can trigger unresolved emotions and complicate healing.Delaying grief: Death and grief make characters feel vulnerable. In dangerous situations, it’s common for grief responses to be suppressed or delayed. Then, once safe, the emotional blockade opens. If that safe haven for grief is a long time coming, consider that feelings may bottleneck, turn in on the character, or explode.Children’s Grief: Don’t forget that babies, children, and teens grieve too.Babies experience a sense of absence in their lives. They also respond to the stress of the adults around them.Little children and teens experience the SAME feelings as adults including guilt – believing that they somehow could have prevented the death.Children also dip in and out of grief, cry and whine one minute, then play and laugh the next.Children and teens tend to regress to younger behaviors.Children will frequently delay their own grief until they see that the adults are handling it well and it’s safe to grieve.In an attempt to fit in, teenagers will frequently hide their grief. Teens may not talk about their feelings with their parents, but will talk to another trusted adult and among each other. List of Common SynonymsAuthor Lara Eakins has painstakingly compiled and shared an excellent list of synonyms for some of the most common words we use in our writing: Amazing — incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary. Anger — enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden. Angry — mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed. Answer — reply, respond, retort, acknowledge. Ask - — question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz. Awful — dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  Then I took the crown which was on his head and the b band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.” [1 Sam 31:4 ] 11 Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them [in mourning]; so did all the men who were with him. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan his son, and for the LORD ’s people and the house of c Israel, because they had fallen by the sword [in battle]. 13 David said to the young man who informed him, “Where are you from?” He answered, “I am the son of a foreigner (resident alien, sojourner), an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the LORD ’s anointed?” 15 David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” So he struck the Amalekite and he died. 16 David said to the [fallen] man, “d Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD ’s anointed.’ ” David’s Dirge for Saul and Jonathan 17 Then David sang this dirge (funeral song) over Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he told them to teach the sons of Judah, the song of the bow. Behold, it is written in e the Book of Jashar: 19 “Your glory and splendor, O Israel, is slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 “Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised (pagans) will exult. 21 “f O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be upon you, nor fields with offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, [dry, cracked] not g anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely and friends in their lives, And in their death they were not separated; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions. 24 “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you h luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places. 26 “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been a good friend to me. Your i love toward me was more wonderful Than the love of women.