Joy

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.

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• From Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928)

  Yet it was spring, and the bluebells were coming in the wood, and the leaf-buds on the hazels were opening like the spatter of green rain. How terrible it was that it should be spring, and everything cold-hearted, cold-hearted. Only the hens, fluffed so wonderfully on the eggs, were warm with their hot, brooding female bodies! Connie felt herself living on the brink of fainting all the time. Then, one day, a lovely sunny day with great tufts of primroses under the hazels, and many violets dotting the paths, she came in the afternoon to the coops and there was one tiny, tiny perky chicken tinily prancing round in front of a coop, and the mother hen clucking in terror. The slim little chick was greyish-brown with dark markings, and it was the most alive little spark of a creature in seven kingdoms at that moment. Connie crouched to watch in a sort of ecstacy. Life, life! Pure, sparky, fearless new life! New life! So tiny and so utterly without fear! Even when it scampered a little scramblingly into the coop again, and disappeared under the hen's feathers in answer to the mother hen's wild alarm-cries, it was not really frightened, it took it as a game, the game of living. For in a moment a tiny sharp head was poking through the gold-brown feathers of the hen, and eyeing the Cosmos. Connie was fascinated. And at the same time, never had she felt so acutely the agony of her own female forlornness. It was becoming unbearable. She had only one desire now, to go to the clearing in the wood. The rest was a kind of painful dream. But sometimes she was kept all day at Wragby, by her duties as hostess. And then she felt as if she too were going blank, just blank and insane. One evening, guests or no guests, she escaped after tea. It was late, and she fled across the park like one who fears to be called back. The sun was setting rosy as she entered the wood, but she pressed on among the flowers. The light would last long overhead. She arrived at the clearing flushed and semi-conscious. The keeper was there, in his shirtsleeves, just closing up the coops for the night, so the little occupants would be safe. But still one little trio was pattering about on tiny feet, alert drab mites, under the straw shelter, refusing to be called in by the anxious mother. "I had to come and see the chickens!" she said, panting, glancing shyly at the keeper, almost unaware of him. "Are there any more?" "Thurty-six so far!" he said. "Not bad!" He too took a curious pleasure in watching the young things come out. Connie crouched in front of the last coop. The three chicks had run in. But still their cheeky heads came poking sharply through the yellow feathers, then withdrawing, then only one beady little head eyeing forth from the vast mother-body.

• From The Incendiaries (2018)

  But that night, I made nothing of it. The slope of Phoebe’s neck was hot, sweat-humid. If it happens, she started saying. With a kiss, I stalled the threat; I shut Phoebe’s mouth with mine. 14. JOHN LEAL Noxhurst, though, his group said. Of all the places he could have gone after Yanji, why had he returned here, to his old college town? But John Leal saw no need to indulge such questions. He’d had his troubles, it was true. The night he first left Noxhurst, he’d imagined he’d never return. I’ve since learned, he might have said, that nothing energizes like humiliation. It had rained his first day out of the gulag, the lines slanting like marionette strings. In each breath he inhaled, he’d heard the call of the dying Christ. But none of this merited saying. It would be weak to tell too much, to explain. It could mislead. The Lord eludes the whys. To insist is also a slight; give me, we plead, testing Him. In pursuit, we misprize. Lord, increase my bewilderment, they’d do well to ask. Instead, he told them he had been called back to Noxhurst, God wanting him here. Just as He wants all of you, he said, looking in turn at his disciples’ upturned faces. 15. PHOEBE Up at the Point, Phoebe said, Will and I lolled on full bellies. Toy-sized, a plane pitched along the horizon. It dipped then rolled, playful. I watched a coin of light slip down his chin. It was the fifth date in as many days; late the previous night, as we walked home, he’d asked if I liked picnics. If so, I’ll plan it, he said. He brought all the food. Stilton hunks, fat-pebbled pâté. Plum jam. The half-baguette. Ripe peaches. Mulled wine in a jug. I ate too much, past appetite. It would be months before Will admitted he was broke, and I couldn’t have known he’d paid for this banquet, with its pâté, the out-of-season fruit, using tips he couldn’t spare. Still, it was obvious he’d put in effort. The first night I met him, for instance, I’d talked about craving a good peach. To mull this wine, he’d stolen into the dining-hall kitchen. I tried to slice the fruit. The knife slipped, cutting my left hand. I winced. It was a small cut, but he insisted on tying a folded napkin around it. Here, he said. I let him have the paring knife. With his large, blunt-nailed hands, he sliced the peach. He didn’t ask how I lacked this basic skill. I held the first piece to his mouth, and he bit into it. White flesh dribbled juice. Before I could wipe off the liquid, he kissed my wrist clean. (I had no practice slicing fruit because my mother had always done it, bringing plates heaped with Fuji apples to the piano room: a fork, too, so that I could practice without dirtying my hands.

• From The Incendiaries (2018)

  In time, they’d show like flares. 21. PHOEBE I did plan to go to Beijing, Phoebe told Jejah. She flushed, then went pale again. While she talked, I might have been home, waiting. Maybe I was in the middle of a Michelangelo’s shift, clearing basil-flecked plates. I fold napkins, and I align them in white triangles. The shining knives lie flat. She pulls her ponytail, the tip soft, wide, like a paintbrush. I’m awash with images. If I’d been with Phoebe on this night—and sometimes I see it all in such bold detail I think I was—I’d have said it’s fine, I’m here, forget Beijing. You should have seen Will when he learned he won his internship, she said. He flailed across the suite to me, half-naked, fists raised. Flinging himself on the futon, he settled his head on my thigh. Come with me, he said. Let’s go to China. He reached up to grab my face, and he pulled it down to his. But I didn’t need convincing. I said yes, I’ll go. He shouted, jubilant. I’ll go with you, I kept saying, just so that I could listen to him shout again. For a while, I pitched myself into learning about Beijing. It was going to be my first real trip to Asia. Though born in Seoul, I’d left when I was still so little I kept nothing of it. So, I explored travel guides. I compiled best-of lists: Tanzhe Si. Houhai. I plotted which sections of the Wall we’d hike, picked restaurants. Online, at night, I studied photos of temples and red-tiled palaces. Tourists’ frilled parasols, like stiff blooms, roved the imperial pavilions. I told Will what I learned. Listen to this, I said. Palace eunuchs relied on chili paste for a local anesthetic, nothing else. They rubbed it on, then, chop. Half the aspiring eunuchs died, but, hey, if they survived, they’d get rich. They all belonged to peasant families. One cut, then a palatial life. No men but eunuchs lived on imperial grounds. Even the emperor’s sons had to be banished from court the minute they learned to crawl. Oh, plus, eunuchs kept the genitals pickled. In jars. They hoped to be reunited in the afterlife. Will laughed, as I’d known he would. But then, Noxhurst opened with spring, the trees bud-tipped, and I started losing interest in the trip. It wasn’t his fault. I’d been wasteful. It’s as if, or so I’ve, at times, believed, a pleasure has its allotted limit, a finite portion of juice in each pistil. I’d sucked it all out, anticipating. If I went with him, Will would have his job, while I’d, what, visit old palaces? I’d take banal pictures. Jostle along with the hordes—a tourist, like them. One night, I admitted to Will that I didn’t know what I’d do while he was working.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  [Is 32:6 ] 34 Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people. 35 The king’s favor and good will are toward a servant who acts wisely and discreetly, But his anger and wrath are toward him who acts shamefully. [Matt 24:45 , 47 ] Proverbs 15 Contrast the Upright and the Wicked 1 A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger. [Prov 25:15 ] 2 The tongue of the wise speaks knowledge that is pleasing and acceptable, But the [babbling] mouth of fools spouts folly. 3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good [in all their endeavors]. [Job 34:21 ; Prov 5:21 ; Jer 16:17 ; 32:19 ; Heb 4:13 ] 4 A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit. 5 A [flippant, arrogant] fool rejects his father’s instruction and correction, But he who [is willing to learn and] regards and keeps in mind a reprimand acquires good sense. 6 Great and priceless treasure is in the house of the [consistently] righteous one [who seeks godly instruction and grows in wisdom], But trouble is in the income of the wicked one [who rejects the laws of God]. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain]; But the hearts of [shortsighted] fools are not so. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD , But the prayer of the upright is His delight! [Is 1:11 ; Jer 6:20 ; Amos 5:22 ] 9 The way [of life] of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD , But He loves one who pursues righteousness [personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character]. 10 There is severe discipline for him who a turns from the way [of righteousness]; And he who hates correction will die. 11 Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the place of eternal punishment) lie open before the LORD — How much more the hearts and inner motives of the children of men. [Job 26:6 ; Ps 139:8 ; Rev 9:2 ; 20:1 , 2 ] 12 A scoffer [unlike a wise man] resents one who rebukes him and tries to teach him; Nor will he go to the wise [for counsel and instruction]. 13 A heart full of joy and goodness makes a cheerful face, But when a heart is full of sadness the spirit is crushed. [Prov 17:22 ] 14 The mind of the intelligent and discerning seeks knowledge and eagerly inquires after it, But the mouth of the [stubborn] fool feeds on foolishness.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  Isaiah 62 Zion’s Glory and New Name 1 F OR ZION’S sake I (Isaiah) will not be silent, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness and vindication go forth as brightness, And her salvation goes forth like a burning torch. 2 The nations will see your righteousness and vindication [by God], And all kings [will see] your glory; And you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate. [Rev 2:17 ] 3 You will also be [considered] a crown of glory and splendor in the hand of the LORD , And a royal a diadem [exceedingly beautiful] in the hand of your God. 4 It will no longer be said of you [Judah], “Azubah (Abandoned),” Nor will it any longer be said of your land, “Shemamah (Desolate)”; But you will be called, “Hephzibah (My Delight is in Her),” And your land, “b Married”; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married [owned and protected by the LORD ]. 5 For as a young man marries a virgin [O Jerusalem], c So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you. 6 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed and stationed watchmen (prophets), Who will never keep silent day or night; You who profess the LORD , take no rest for yourselves, 7 And give Him no rest [from your prayers] until He establishes Jerusalem And makes her a praise on the earth. 8 The LORD has sworn [an oath] by His right hand and by His mighty arm, “I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies, Nor will [the invading] foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.” 9 But they who have harvested it will eat it and praise the LORD , And they who have gathered it will drink it [at the feasts celebrated] in the courtyards of My sanctuary. 10 Go through, go through the gates, Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a banner over the peoples. 11 Listen carefully, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the Daughter of Zion, “Look now, your salvation is coming [in the LORD ]; Indeed, His reward is with Him, and His restitution accompanies Him.” [Is 40:10 ] 12 And they will call them “The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD ”; And you will be called “Sought Out, A City Not Deserted.” Isaiah 63 God’s Vengeance on the Nations 1 W HO IS this who comes from Edom, With crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom], This One (the Messiah) who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His might?

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in the book as a memorial and g recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek [and his people] from under heaven.” [1 Sam 15:2–8 ] 15 And Moses built an altar and named it h The LORD Is My Banner; 16 saying, “The LORD has sworn [an oath]; the LORD will have war against [the people of] Amalek from generation to generation.” Exodus 18 Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law 1 N ow Jethro (Reuel), the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away [from Egypt], 3 along with her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom (stranger), for Moses said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.” 4 The other [son] was named Eliezer (my God is help), for Moses said, “The God of my father was my help, and He rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.” 5 Then Jethro, his father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to [join] Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mountain of God [that is, Mt. Sinai in Horeb]. 6 He sent a message to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons [who are] with her.” 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down [in respect] and kissed him. They asked each other about their well-being and went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law about all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and about all the hardship that had happened during the journey, and how the LORD had rescued them. 9 Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done to Israel, in that He had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD , who has rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who has rescued the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 “Now I know that the LORD is a greater than all gods; indeed, it was proven when they acted insolently toward Israel [and the LORD showed Himself infinitely superior to all their gods].” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and [other] sacrifices [to offer] to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God. 13 Now the next day Moses sat to judge [the disputes] the people [had with one another], and the people stood around Moses from dawn to dusk.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  My Lady Addlepate, who was somewhat scant of wit, was overjoyed to hear this, taking it all for gospel, and said, after a little, 'I told you, Fra Alberto, that my charms were celestial, but, so God be mine aid, it irketh me for you and I will pardon you forthright, so you may come to no more harm, provided you tell me truly that which the angel said to you after.' 'Madam,' replied Fra Alberto, 'since you pardon me, I will gladly tell it you; but I must warn you of one thing, to wit, that whatever I tell you, you must have a care not to repeat it to any one alive, an you would not mar your affairs, for that you are the luckiest lady in the world. The angel Gabriel bade me tell you that you pleased him so much that he had many a time come to pass the night with you, but that he feared to affright you. Now he sendeth to tell you by me that he hath a mind to come to you one night and abide awhile with you and (for that he is an angel and that, if he came in angel-form, you might not avail to touch him,) he purposeth, for your delectation, to come in guise of a man, wherefore he biddeth you send to tell him when you would have him come and in whose form, and he will come hither; whereof you may hold yourself blest over any other lady alive.' My Lady Conceit answered that it liked her well that the angel Gabriel loved her, seeing she loved him well nor ever failed to light a candle of a groat before him, whereas she saw him depictured, and that what time soever he chose to come to her, he should be dearly welcome and would find her all alone in her chamber, but on this condition, that he should not leave her for the Virgin Mary, whose great well-wisher it was said he was, as indeed appeareth, inasmuch as in every place where she saw him [limned], he was on his knees before her. Moreover, she said it must rest with him to come in whatsoever form he pleased, so but she was not affrighted.

• From The Incendiaries (2018)

  She was in Berlin with Julian, visiting his boyfriend, Sunil. I drifted into sleep with the phone hot at my face, Phoebe’s voice like a song. Will, we didn’t get back to Sunil’s place until 10:00 in the morning. It’s so bright in his living room that I can’t sleep except with a shawl tied around my head. Julian says that, even if he’s drunk, when, I can’t let him ask Sunil to quit his Berlin experiment. I broke a heel last night, dancing. Julian said I wasn’t allowed to go home. That, as his closest friend, I was obligated to stay with him. He tore his shirt, instead. He tied the cloth rags on my feet, like booties. Dancing slippers. – It was around this time that she first told me her mother had died, along with how it happened: that she, Phoebe, had been driving, unused to cars. I didn’t know how to respond. I’m so sorry, Phoebe, I said, at last. No, I just, I haven’t told people at Edwards, she said. I refuse to be the sad girl, with people whispering, but—I’ve known you awhile. I wanted to tell you. Well, I’ve told Julian. John Leal also knows, but that was my father’s doing. It’s life. Let’s talk about something else. – I did think, during this break, to look him up online. I found a couple of local-interest articles, Edwards Herald squibs. John Leal, so I learned, while he was still a student, had gotten into a late-night fistfight with a Noxhurst local, one so violent that he’d been jailed. No charges had been pressed; John Leal, released. It looked as though the college had then suspended him. Expelled, perhaps: I couldn’t find him listed with his graduating class. The more recent article featured protests he organized with local churches. He’d marshaled a pro-life group that knelt each morning in front of the local women’s clinic, Phipps. It was the largest abortion-providing clinic in New York. Jo was mentioned; Ian, too. I told Phoebe what I learned, but she didn’t sound interested. Of all the futile causes, she said. She hadn’t seen him, not since he’d invited us to his house. – During the fall term, I’d applied for a part-time Edwards research position with David Ling, a Nobel-lauded economist. It paid less than waiting tables, but it would, of course, help me with future jobs. I started working with him when I returned to Noxhurst, and I lived through a week of trying to do both before I realized I had to cut back at Michelangelo’s. The night I planned to tell Paul, he pitched a deboned tilapia fillet at a line cook’s head. Missing its target, the fish hit the wall, then slid down, trailing oil.

• From The Incendiaries (2018)

  I shook my head. Phoebe’s guesses leaped east, south, flouting logic. Istanbul, she tried. Delhi. Beirut. I said yes to Nairobi, yes to Taipei. If I had the cash, I thought, but I would. In time, if she’d wait, I’d be able to take us where she liked. We’d watch the lights of alien cities rush beneath the plane, strewn pearls we’d reach down to grab. I drove until the beach house, a clapboard one-bedroom with a potbellied stove. I carried in the bags. I tore newsprint, then I crumpled it into long ropes. I snapped kindling. Bundled logs had been left at the stove’s burned mouth. In minutes, I had the fire going. Wine bottles clanged as Phoebe lined them along the wall. I pan-fried trout; we split a cold Friuli. Pants rolled, we walked across the beach. The sea hissed, stinging exposed skin. It sucked the wet earth from beneath our feet. The next morning, we had Bellinis with toast, then we lolled on the sun porch, reading from old, salt-bloated magazines. Light spilled through closed eyelids, and I was turning into gold. On Sunday, I drove us back to Noxhurst through light rain, leaving when we finished lunch. Phoebe, it turned out, had a Jejah meeting at five. She put a bare foot up on the dashboard, touching it to the windshield. Small haloes of body heat materialized around each unpainted toe. She switched on the radio, singing along. I didn’t recognize the tune. She fell quiet. I turned down the music to let Phoebe doze. Hours passed, then she lifted her head. Hello, she said. I might have had too much wine at lunch. Poor Will, I left you alone. What time is it? She glanced around, blinking. So much traffic. It was fine until a minute ago, I said, as the radio clock flickered to 4:11. It should let up. But how long will it take before we get to Noxhurst? If this traffic doesn’t stop, we’re about an hour’s drive from town. Will, she said, voice high. I have to be at the meeting by five. No, that’s if the traffic doesn’t improve. There’s nothing to worry about, since it won’t happen. Phoebe strained in the seat, trying to look above the cars ahead of us. I wasn’t sure why I’d said what I had. She’d be on time, as I knew well enough. Maybe we should take local streets, she said. Why are you so upset? I’ll get you there. I can’t be late. I told you I’d get you there.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  24 ‘For I tell you, not one of those who were invited [and declined] will taste my dinner.’ ” Discipleship Tested 25 Now large crowds were going along with Jesus; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not c hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God]—he cannot be My disciple. 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow after Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] cannot be My disciple. 28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a watchtower [for his guards], does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to finish it? 29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is unable to finish [the building], all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 31 “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one who is coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 “Or else [if he feels he is not powerful enough], while the other [king] is still a far distance away, he sends an envoy and asks for terms of peace. 33 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not [carefully consider the cost and then for My sake] d give up all his own possessions. 34 “Therefore, salt is good; but if salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35 “It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.” Luke 15 The Lost Sheep 1 N OW ALL the tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] were coming near Jesus to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began muttering and complaining, saying, “This man accepts and welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He told them this parable: 4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost, [searching] until he finds it? [Matt 18:12–14 ] 5 “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

• From The Incendiaries (2018)

  Spires and belfries spun up from stone citadels. Frisbees soared. Bronze statues gazed forward, frozen in heroes’ poses. Sunlit paths crossed the green, lines in a giant palm, holding students who lazed on the grass. It was a lost garden, but I’d been allowed in. I still hadn’t known, though I soon would, how little I’d belong. I approached the dining hall. I’d been up since six, while she was in bed, idling. Lions in a cage. Had she petted them, and did she wake to find the tawny fur glinting on her skin? She might have rubbed the fur around as she slept. The coarse hairs strewn in Phoebe’s sheets, bijou rays of gold. But my step felt light. If I could be anyone, I’d ask to be the Will rushing to see more, again, of Phoebe. In the distance, an advertisement painted on the side of a brick building showed a young girl, lips pursed as if to send a wish. The suck and howl of a siren pierced the cold, and the fall wind smelled of reasons to live. 7. WILL She picked me up to drive to John Leal’s house. Paired taillights swept ahead of us, the red lamps slewing here, there. Turning off the road, she hurtled uphill, and stopped. Phoebe and I walked up the flagstone path to a white, tall house. She held my hand, swinging it, the way children do. Piled leaves blew about, alive again. She touched the bell button. I lifted Phoebe’s hand; I kissed bitten nails that shine, in hindsight, like quartz, spoils I pulled down from the moon. – The door flung open. Strangers appeared, drawing us into the heat, the light. The rich perfume of cooked flesh filled the front hall. Saliva flooded my mouth. They asked if we’d mind removing our shoes. Light-headed, I used the excuse to crouch. I took in a breath as I unknotted the tight laces. I hadn’t eaten since morning, when I had a stolen Gala apple. With the bus behind schedule, I’d arrived at Michelangelo’s too late for the staff lunch. Phoebe and I were led down a hall, into the living room. Flat blue cushions had been placed in a half-circle in front of the lit fireplace. There was no furniture. Invited to sit, I followed Phoebe’s lead: I took a cushion, the one closest to hers. It slipped as I sat, the glossed fabric smooth. Is John Leal here? Phoebe asked. I’d love to tell him hello. He’s in the kitchen, they said. He’ll join us in a minute. Before long, the conversation split in two. Phoebe chatted with a girl whose name I hadn’t caught, then with a person called Ian. He left the room, coming back with full porcelain teacups. Mulled wine, he said. Meanwhile, I jolted through pleasantries with Philip Hecht, also an Edwards student.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  17 This was done on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and on the fourteenth of the same month, and on the fifteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural [unwalled] towns, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending choice portions of food to one another. The Feast of Purim Instituted 20 Now Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who lived in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and as the month which was turned for them from grief to joy and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending choice portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 So the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, [to find the right time] to disturb and destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he commanded in writing that Haman’s wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews was to return on his own head, and that he and his sons should [endure what he planned for the Jews and] be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name Pur (lot). And because of all the instructions in this letter, and what they had faced in this regard and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and made it a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all who joined them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days as it was written and at the appointed time annually. 28 So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to cease from among the Jews, nor their memory fade from their descendants. 29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full power and authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  26 “He will pray to God, and He shall be favorable to him, So that he looks at His face with joy; For God restores to man His righteousness [that is, his right standing with God—with its joys]. 27 “He sings out to other men, ‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right, And it was not proper for me! 28 ‘God has redeemed my life from going to the pit [of destruction], And my life shall see the light.’ ” 29 [Elihu comments,] “Behold, God does all these things c twice, yes, three times, with a man, 30 To bring his life back from the pit [of destruction], That he may be enlightened with the light of the living. 31 “Pay attention, Job, listen to me; Keep silent, and I will speak. 32 “If you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you. 33 “If not [and you have nothing to say], listen to me; Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.” Job 34 Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice 1 E LIHU CONTINUED his discourse and said, 2 “Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who have [so much] knowledge. 3 “For the ear puts words to the test As the palate tastes food. 4 “Let us choose for ourselves that which is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good. 5 “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous [and innocent], But God has taken away my right; [Job 33:9 ] 6 Although I am right, I am accounted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ 7 “What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water, 8 Who goes in company with those who do evil And walks with wicked men? 9 “For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing When he takes delight and is pleased with God and obeys Him.’ 10 “Therefore hear me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God that He would do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong. 11 “For God pays a man according to his work, And He will make every man find [appropriate] compensation according to his way. 12 “Surely God will not act wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice. 13 “Who put God in charge over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world? 14 “If God should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself [that is, withdraw from man] His [life-giving] spirit and His breath, 15 All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust. [Ps 104:29 ; Eccl 12:7 ] 16 “If you now have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words. 17 “Shall one who hates justice [and is an enemy of right] govern? And will you condemn Him who is just and mighty?

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  6 People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will tell of Your greatness. 7 They will overflow [like a fountain] when they speak of Your great and abundant goodness And will sing joyfully of Your righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created]. 10 All Your works shall give thanks to You and praise You, O LORD , And Your godly ones will bless You. 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. [Dan 7:14 , 27 ] 14 The LORD upholds all those [of His own] who fall And raises up all those who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to You [in hopeful expectation], And You give them their food in due time. 16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is [unwaveringly] righteous in all His ways And gracious and kind in all His works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth (without guile). 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience]; He also will hear their cry and will save them. 20 The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD , And all flesh will bless and gratefully praise His holy name forever and ever. Psalm 146 The LORD an Abundant Helper. 1 P RAISE THE LORD ! (Hallelujah!) Praise the LORD , O my soul! 2 While I live I will praise the LORD ; I will sing praises to my God as long as I live. 3 Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation (help). 4 When his spirit leaves him, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts and plans perish. [1 Cor 2:6 ] 5 How blessed and graciously favored is he whose help is the God of Jacob (Israel), Whose hope is in the LORD his God, [Gen 32:30 ] 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them, Who keeps truth and is faithful forever, [Gen 1:3 ] 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets free the prisoners. 8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the a righteous [the upright in heart].

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  Acts 12 Peter’s Arrest and Escape 1 N OW AT that time a Herod [Agrippa I] the king [of the Jews] arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to harm them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword; 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to have Peter arrested as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week]. 4 When he had seized Peter, he put him in prison, turning him over to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him [in rotation throughout the night], planning after the Passover to bring him out before the people [for execution]. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent and persistent prayer for him was being made to God by the church. 6 The very night before Herod was to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries were in front of the door guarding the prison. 7 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared [beside him] and a light shone in the cell. The angel struck Peter’s side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 The angel said to him, “Prepare yourself and strap on your sandals [to get ready for whatever may happen].” And he did so. Then the angel told him, “Put on your robe and follow me.” 9 And Peter went out following the angel. He did not realize that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city. Of its own accord it swung open for them; and they went out and went along one street, and at once the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to his senses, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and has rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting [to do to me].” 12 When he realized what had happened, he went to the house of b Mary the mother of John, who was also called c Mark, where many [believers] were gathered together and were praying continually [and had been praying all night]. 13 When he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she failed to open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gateway. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel!” [Matt 18:10 ; Heb 1:14 ] 16 But [meanwhile] Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were completely amazed.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  There, being asked by the women at what she served God in the desert, she answered (Neerbale having not yet lain with her) that she served Him at putting the devil in hell and that Neerbale had done a grievous sin in that he had taken her from such service. The ladies asked, 'How putteth one the devil in hell?' And the girl, what with words and what with gestures, expounded it to them; whereat they set up so great a laughing that they laugh yet and said, 'Give yourself no concern, my child; nay, for that is done here also and Neerbale will serve our Lord full well with thee at this.' Thereafter, telling it from one to another throughout the city, they brought it to a common saying there that the most acceptable service one could render to God was to put the devil in hell, which byword, having passed the sea hither, is yet current here. Wherefore do all you young ladies, who have need of God's grace, learn to put the devil in hell, for that this is highly acceptable to Him and pleasing to both parties and much good may grow and ensue thereof." * * * * * A thousand times or more had Dioneo's story moved the modest ladies to laughter, so quaint and comical did his words appear to them; then, whenas he had made an end thereof, the queen, knowing the term of her sovranty to be come, lifted the laurel from her head and set it merrily on that of Filostrato, saying: "We shall presently see if the wolf will know how to govern the ewes better than the ewes have governed the wolves." Filostrato, hearing this, said, laughing, "An I were hearkened to, the wolves had taught the ewes to put the devil in hell, no worse than Rustico taught Alibech; wherefore do ye not style us wolven, since you yourselves have not been ewen. Algates, I will govern the kingdom committed to me to the best of my power." "Harkye, Filostrato," rejoined Neifile, "in seeking to teach us, you might have chanced to learn sense, even as did Masetto of Lamporecchio of the nuns, and find your tongue what time your bones should have learnt to whistle without a master."

• From The Decameron (1353)

  Messer Ruggieri, seeing that it was the king's pleasure, took one of the coffers, which, being opened by Alfonso's commandment, was found to be that which was full of earth; whereupon quoth the king, laughing, 'Now can you see, Messer Ruggieri, that this that I tell you of your fortune is true; but certes your worth meriteth that I should oppose myself to her might. I know you have no mind to turn Spaniard and therefore I will bestow upon you neither castle nor city in these parts; but this coffer, of which fortune deprived you, I will in her despite shall be yours, so you may carry it off to your own country and justly glorify yourself of your worth in the sight of your countrymen by the witness of my gifts.' Messer Ruggieri accordingly took the coffer and having rendered the king those thanks which sorted with such a gift, joyfully returned therewith to Tuscany." THE SECOND STORY [Day the Tenth] GHINO DI TACCO TAKETH THE ABBOT OF CLUNY AND HAVING CURED HIM OF THE STOMACH-COMPLAINT, LETTETH HIM GO; WHEREUPON THE ABBOT, RETURNING TO THE COURT OF ROME, RECONCILETH HIM WITH POPE BONIFACE AND MAKETH HIM A PRIOR OF THE HOSPITALLERS The magnificence shown by King Alfonso to the Florentine cavalier having been duly commended, the king, who had been mightily pleased therewith, enjoined Elisa to follow on, and she straightway began thus: "Dainty dames, it cannot be denied that for a king to be munificent and to have shown his munificence to him who had served him is a great and a praiseworthy thing; but what shall we say if a churchman be related to have practised marvellous magnanimity towards one, whom if he had used as an enemy, he had of none been blamed therefor? Certes, we can say none otherwise than that the king's magnificence was a virtue, whilst that of the churchman was a miracle, inasmuch as the clergy are all exceeding niggardly, nay, far more so than women, and sworn enemies of all manner of liberality; and albeit all men naturally hunger after vengeance for affronts received, we see churchmen, for all they preach patience and especially commend the remission of offences, pursue it more eagerly than other folk. This, then, to wit, how a churchman was magnanimous, you may manifestly learn from the following story of mine.

• From The Incendiaries (2018)

  14.JOHN LEALNoxhurst, though, his group said. Of all the places he could have gone after Yanji, why had he returned here, to his old college town? But John Leal saw no need to indulge such questions. He’d had his troubles, it was true. The night he first left Noxhurst, he’d imagined he’d never return. I’ve since learned, he might have said, that nothing energizes like humiliation. It had rained his first day out of the gulag, the lines slanting like marionette strings. In each breath he inhaled, he’d heard the call of the dying Christ. But none of this merited saying. It would be weak to tell too much, to explain. It could mislead. The Lord eludes the whys. To insist is also a slight; give me, we plead, testing Him. In pursuit, we misprize. Lord, increase my bewilderment, they’d do well to ask. Instead, he told them he had been called back to Noxhurst, God wanting him here. Just as He wants all of you, he said, looking in turn at his disciples’ upturned faces. 15.PHOEBEUp at the Point, Phoebe said, Will and I lolled on full bellies. Toy-sized, a plane pitched along the horizon. It dipped then rolled, playful. I watched a coin of light slip down his chin. It was the fifth date in as many days; late the previous night, as we walked home, he’d asked if I liked picnics. If so, I’ll plan it, he said. He brought all the food. Stilton hunks, fat-pebbled pâté. Plum jam. The half-baguette. Ripe peaches. Mulled wine in a jug. I ate too much, past appetite. It would be months before Will admitted he was broke, and I couldn’t have known he’d paid for this banquet, with its pâté, the out-of-season fruit, using tips he couldn’t spare. Still, it was obvious he’d put in effort. The first night I met him, for instance, I’d talked about craving a good peach. To mull this wine, he’d stolen into the dining-hall kitchen. I tried to slice the fruit. The knife slipped, cutting my left hand. I winced. It was a small cut, but he insisted on tying a folded napkin around it. Here, he said. I let him have the paring knife. With his large, blunt-nailed hands, he sliced the peach. He didn’t ask how I lacked this basic skill. I held the first piece to his mouth, and he bit into it. White flesh dribbled juice. Before I could wipe off the liquid, he kissed my wrist clean. (I had no practice slicing fruit because my mother had always done it, bringing plates heaped with Fuji apples to the piano room: a fork, too, so that I could practice without dirtying my hands. I nibbled slices between scales, the late-afternoon sun oiling the top of my head like a benediction, a sign of grace. If I then tried to clean the dish, she didn’t let me. Haejin, go practice, she said.)

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  12 “You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to obey these statutes. The Feast of Booths 13 “You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) seven days, when you have gathered in [the grain] from your threshing floor and [the wine] from your wine vat. 14 “You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are within your city. 15 “Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. 16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) and at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and at the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17 “Every man d shall give as he is able, in accordance with the blessing which the LORD your God has given you. 18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your cities (gates) which the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 “You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. 20 “You shall pursue justice, and only justice [that which is uncompromisingly righteous], so that you may live and take possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 21 “You shall not plant for yourself an e Asherah of any kind of tree or wood beside the altar of the LORD your God, which you shall make. 22 “You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the LORD your God hates. Deuteronomy 17 Administration of Justice 1 “Y OU SHALL not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or sheep with a blemish or any defect, for that is a detestable thing to the LORD your God. 2 “If there is discovered among you, within any of your cities, which the LORD your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does evil in the sight of the LORD your God, by transgressing (violating) His covenant, 3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the heavenly host, [doing these things] which I have commanded not to do, 4 and if it is told to you and you hear about it, then you shall investigate thoroughly [all the charges].

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  13 “When God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This kindness and loyalty you can show me: at every place we stop, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ” 14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him [as God commanded]. 15 So Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.” 16 Then to Sarah he said, “Look, I have given this brother of yours a d thousand pieces of silver; it is to compensate you [for all that has happened] and to vindicate your honor before all who are with you; before all men you are cleared and compensated.” 17 So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, and they again gave birth to children, 18 for the LORD had securely closed the wombs of all [the women] in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. [1 Pet 3:1–6 ] Genesis 21 Isaac Is Born 1 T he LORD graciously remembered and visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for her as He had promised. 2 So Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham named his son Isaac (laughter), the son to whom Sarah gave birth. 4 So Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, just as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. 6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh; all who hear [about our good news] will laugh with me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have given birth to a son by him in his old age.” [Heb 11:12 ] 8 The child [Isaac] grew and was a weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Sarah Turns against Hagar 9 Now [as time went on] Sarah saw [Ishmael] the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, b mocking [Isaac]. [Gal 4:29 ] 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” [Gal 4:28–31 ] 11 The situation c distressed Abraham greatly because of his son [Ishmael]. 12 God said to Abraham, “Do not let it distress you because of Ishmael and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her and do what she asks, for your descendants will be named through Isaac.