Trust

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 15 of 29 · 20 per page

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  21 My son, let them not escape from your sight, But keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 And they will be life to your soul (your inner self) And a gracious adornment to your neck (your outer self). 23 Then you will walk on your way [of life] securely And your foot will not stumble. [Ps 91:11 , 12 ; Prov 10:9 ] 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the storm of the wicked when it comes [since you will be blameless]; 26 For the LORD will be your confidence, firm and strong, And will keep your foot from being caught [in a trap]. 27 c Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients], When it is in your power to do it. [Rom 13:7 ; Gal 6:10 ] 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you. [Lev 19:13 ; Deut 24:15 ] 29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, Who lives securely beside you. 30 Do not quarrel with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. [Rom 12:18 ] 31 Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. [Ps 37:1 ; 73:3 ; Prov 24:1 ] 32 For the devious are repulsive to the LORD ; But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage]. [Ps 25:14 ] 33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just and righteous. [Ps 37:22 ; Zech 5:4 ; Mal 2:2 ] 34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favor] to the humble [those who give up self-importance]. [James 4:6 ; 1 Pet 5:5 ] 35 The wise will inherit honor and glory, But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools. [Is 32:6 ] Proverbs 4 A Father’s Instruction 1 H EAR, O children, the instruction of a father, And pay attention [and be willing to learn] so that you may gain understanding and intelligent discernment. 2 For I give you good doctrine; Do not a turn away from my instruction. 3 When I was a son with my father (David), Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother (Bathsheba), 4 He taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live. [1 Chr 28:9 ; Eph 6:4 ] 5 “Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  This pleased the pilgrim and without concerning himself to say more to him, he exhorted him to be of good heart, for that, ere the ensuing day came to an end, he should without fail hear very certain news of his safety. Then, taking leave of him, he repaired to the Seignory and said privily to a gentleman who was in session there, 'My lord, every one should gladly labour to bring to light the truth of things, and especially those who hold such a room as this of yours, to the end that those may not suffer the penalty who have not committed the crime and that the guilty may be punished; that which may be brought about, to your honour and the bane of those who have merited it, I am come hither to you. As you know, you have rigorously proceeded against Aldobrandino Palermini and thinking you have found for truth that it was he who slew Tedaldo Elisei, are minded to condemn him; but this is most certainly false, as I doubt not to show you, ere midnight betide, by giving into your hands the murderers of the young man in question.' The worthy gentleman, who was in concern for Aldobrandino, willingly gave ear to the pilgrim's words and having conferred at large with him upon the matter, on his information, took the two innkeeper brothers and their servant, without resistance, in their first sleep. He would have put them to the question, to discover how the case stood; but they brooked it not and each first for himself, and after all together, openly confessed that it was they who had slain Tedaldo Elisei, knowing him not. Being questioned of the case, they said [that it was] for that he had given the wife of one of them sore annoy, what while they were abroad, and would fain have enforced her to do his will.

• From Understanding the Old Testament (2019)

  Understanding the old testament 72 But then this kind of ecstatic prophecy seems to die out. The theme that carries through is the sense of self-transcendence behind prophecy: What comes out of the prophet’s mouth is from God, not the prophet. As Samuel nears death, the Israelites wonder how they’ll be led in the future. In 1 Samuel 8:1, it is revealed “In his old age, Samuel appointed his sons judges over Israel.” However, they “did not follow his example.” Instead, they accepted bribes and perverted justice. The elders of Israel in turn demanded that Samuel appoint a king “like all the nations.” samuel anointed saul as King leCtUre 12 | the BooKs of samUel 73 Verse 4 states, “Therefore, all the elders of Israel assembled and went to Samuel...and said to him, ‘Now that you are old and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us like all the nations to rule us.’” Monarchy Under the covenant or agreement the Israelites had entered into with God at Mount Sinai, Yahweh was Israel’s true king. Having a king “like the other nations” is a rejection of that. However, God gives in and tells Samuel to appoint a king. This is the moment when monarchy appears in Israel. Every other ancient people considered monarchy to be the inherent system of the universe. In Israel, however, monarchy originates at a defined point in time. It’s not human society’s default position. That’s a statement of political philosophy. Furthermore, the decision to move to monarchy has been initiated by the people. As political theorists and philosophers from Thomas Jefferson to John Locke would say, government derives from the mandate of the people. This is a radical belief. It is possible draw a direct line from this biblical statement to the period of the Enlightenment and, from there, to the political theories that went into the birth of the United States. In chapter 8, Samuel tells the people that monarchs are dangerous and that they “will cry out because of the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.” Samuel is making the people understand that it is as an inherently unjust form of government. Saul and David The first king that Samuel selects is Saul. Saul is in many ways a dumb brute, and he is handicapped by the fact that Samuel does not retire after making him king. Instead, Samuel expects Saul to continue to follow his will. Saul never really controls much more than the tribe of Benjamin. Eventually, Saul’s future successor David enters the picture. As soon as Saul realizes David is gaining in popularity and seeks to kill him, David joins the enemy, becoming a Philistine. He took “600 soldiers and went over to Achish king of Gath.”

• From Understanding the Old Testament (2019)

  Understanding the old testament 26 At this point, Abraham is already 75. There is no suggestion in the text that Abraham has met God or knows anything about him. Later Jewish tradition filled in all sorts of stories from Abraham’s earlier life, but those are not in the text here. According to verse 1, Abraham is being asked to relinquish “his land and his family.” He is being asked to leave Mesopotamia —that is, ancient Iraq. Essentially, Abraham is asked to relinquish rich mercantile cities for a life of nomadism, leaving behind gold and jade. a braham's Journey from Ur to Canaan, József molnár leCtUre 5 | aBraham, the father of three faiths 27 There is no indication that Abraham has any established credentials for this deity that has made this command. He is also an old man, which makes him an atypical pioneer. However, Abraham has faith going for him. He doesn’t ask any questions. He simply goes as instructed. This is the first of many examples of Abraham’s paradigmatic faith. Chapter 15 In chapter 15, God reiterates an earlier promise that Abraham will have abundant descendants. God provides him a visual image of how many descendants he will have, but that supplies no basis at all to shore up any confidence. Still, Abraham accepted God as reliable. Later, God asks Abraham to bring several animals, which are then cut in half and arranged. Then, Abraham falls into a deep sleep. Next, “a smoking fire pot and a f laming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.’” The key to understanding this episode is ancient Near Eastern treaties. When two kings were going to make a treaty between their nations, they would take sacrificial animals, then cut the animals in half. Then, the two kings would walk between parts of the animals, reciting the clauses of the treaty. The ball of fire or smoking fire pot represents God. God passes between the parts of the animals while promising to Abraham aspects of the covenant. However, God does not ask Abraham to pass between the halves of the animals. That’s because this is a covenant of divine commitment. God is making promises to Abraham that are unconditional. There’s nothing Abraham has to do in order for God to keep his side of the bargain. Symbolically, God binds himself in this treaty ceremony without asking Abraham to do the same. Chapter 17 Time goes on, and still Abraham and Sarah have no child. In the intervening chapters, they come up with a creative solution: Abraham sleeps with Sarah’s slave, who bears him the son Ishmael. However, God had promised Abraham and Sarah would have children themselves.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas, 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her [His city], she will not be moved; God will help her when the morning dawns. 6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He raised His voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD , Who has wrought desolations and wonders in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah. Psalm 47 God the King of the Earth. To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1 O clap your hands, all you people; Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy. 2 For the LORD Most High is to be feared [and worshiped with awe-inspired reverence and obedience]; He is a great King over all the earth. 3 He subdues peoples under us And nations under our feet. 4 He chooses our inheritance for us, The glory and excellence of Jacob whom He loves. [1 Pet 1:4 , 5 ] Selah. 5 God has ascended amid shouting, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; Sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding. 8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. 9 The princes of the people have gathered together as the people of the God of Abraham, For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted. Psalm 48 The Beauty and Glory of Zion. A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1 G REAT IS the LORD , and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. 2 Fair and beautiful in elevation, the joy of all the earth, Is Mount Zion [the City of David] in the far north, The city of the great King. [Matt 5:35 ] 3 God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  26 “I will make those who oppress you consume their own flesh [in mutually destructive wars] And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And all j mankind will know [with a knowledge grounded in personal experience] that I, the LORD , am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Isaiah 50 God Helps His Servant 1 a T he LORD declares this; “Where is the certificate of divorce By which I have sent your mother away, [O Israel]? Or to which one of My creditors did I sell you [as slaves]? In fact, You were sold for your wickedness [your sin, your injustice, your wrongdoing], And for your transgressions your mother was sent away. 2 “Why, when I came, was there no man [to greet Me]? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Is My hand really so short that it cannot redeem [My servants]? Or have I no power to rescue? Listen carefully, with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers into a desert; Their fish stink because there is no water And die of thirst. 3 “I clothe the heavens with the blackness [of storm clouds] And make sackcloth [of mourning] their clothing.” 4 The Lord GOD has given Me [His b Servant] the tongue of disciples [as One who is taught], That I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple [as One who is taught]. 5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear, And I have not been rebellious Nor have I turned back. 6 I turned My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not hide My face from insults and spitting. [Matt 26:67 ; 27:30 ; John 19:1 ] 7 For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I have not been ashamed or humiliated. Therefore, I have made My face like flint, And I know that I shall not be put to shame. [Luke 9:51 ; Is 52:13 ; 53:10–12 ] 8 He who declares Me in the right is near; Who will [dare to] contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who is My adversary? Let him approach Me. [Rom 8:33–35 ; 1 Tim 3:16 ] 9 In fact, the Lord GOD helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me [as guilty]? Indeed, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them. [Heb 1:11 , 12 ] 10 Who is among you who fears the LORD , Who obeys the voice of His Servant, Yet who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust and be confident in the name of the LORD and let him rely on his God.

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  (2) John’s mind, at a period when it was most pliable and plastic, had been so conformed to the mind of Christ that his own thoughts and words faithfully reflected the teaching of his Master. If there ever was spiritual sympathy and congeniality between two minds, it was between Jesus and the disciple whom he loved and whom he intrusted with the care of his mother. John stood nearer to his Lord than any Christian or any of the Synoptists. "Why should not John have been formed upon the model of Jesus rather than the Jesus of his Gospel be the reflected image of himself? Surely it may be left to all candid minds to say whether, to adopt only the lowest supposition, the creative intellect of Jesus was not far more likely to mould His disciple to a conformity with itself, than the receptive spirit of the disciple to give birth by its own efforts to that conception of a Redeemer which so infinitely surpasses the loftiest image of man’s own creation."1056 (3) John reproduced the discourses from the fulness of the spirit of Christ that dwelt in him, and therefore without any departure from the ideas. The whole gospel history assumes that Christ did not finish, but only began his work while on earth, that he carries it on in heaven through his chosen organs, to whom he promised mouth and wisdom (Luke 21:15; Matt. 10:19) and his constant presence (Matt. 19:20; 28:20). The disciples became more and more convinced of the superhuman character of Christ by the irresistible logic of fact and thought. His earthly life appeared to them as a transient state of humiliation which was preceded by a pre-existent state of glory with the Father, as it was followed by a permanent state of glory after the resurrection and ascension to heaven. He withheld from them "many things" because they could not bear them before his glorification (John 16:12). "What I do," he said to Peter, "thou knowest not now, but thou shalt come to know hereafter" (13:7). Some of his deepest sayings, which they had at first misunderstood, were illuminated by the resurrection (2:22; 12:16), and then by the outpouring of the Spirit, who took things out of the fulness of Christ and declared them to the disciples (16:13, 14). Hence the farewell discourses are so full of the Promises of the Spirit of truth who would glorify Christ in their hearts. Under such guidance we may be perfectly sure of the substantial faithfulness of John’s record.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  16 Then Elijah said to Ahaziah, “Thus says the LORD : ‘Since you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?—therefore you will not leave the bed on which you lie, but will certainly die.’ ” Jehoram Reigns over Israel 17 So Ahaziah [the son of King Ahab] died in accordance with the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And because he had no son, Jehoram [his younger brother] became king [of Israel, the northern kingdom] in his place in the f second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah [the southern kingdom]. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 2 Kings 2 Elijah Taken to Heaven 1 W HEN THE LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the a sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it; be quiet [about it].” 4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; be quiet [about it].” 6 Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood opposite them [to watch] at a distance; and the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his mantle (coat) and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they were divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let a double b portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 He said, “You have asked for a difficult thing.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  21 Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you [as My representatives].” 22 And when He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [Acts 1:8 ; 2:1–3 ] 23 “If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven [because of their faith]; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained [and remain unforgiven because of their unbelief].” 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve [disciples], who was called Didymus (the twin), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the marks of the nails, and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later His disciples were again inside the house, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, though the doors had been barred, and stood among them and said, “Peace to you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and put out your hand and place it in My side. Do not be unbelieving, but [stop doubting and] believe.” [Luke 24:39 ] 28 Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, do you now believe? Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, and favored by God] are they who did not see [Me] and yet believed [in Me].” Purpose of Writing this Gospel 30 There are also many other signs (attesting miracles) that Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God; and that by believing [and trusting in and relying on Him] you may have life in His name. [Ps 2:7 , 12 ] John 21 Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee 1 A FTER THIS Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). And He did it in this way: 2 Simon Peter, and Thomas who is called Didymus (the twin), and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, as well as [John and James] the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said, “And we are coming with you.” So they went out and got into the boat; and a that night they caught nothing. 4 As morning was breaking, Jesus [came and] stood on the beach; however, the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  [Rom 8:31 ] 10 In God, whose word I praise, In the LORD , whose word I praise, 11 In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12 Your vows are binding upon me, O God; I will give thank offerings to You. 13 For You have rescued my soul from death, Yes, and my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of life. Psalm 57 Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors. To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Mikhtam of David. [A record of memorable thoughts of David] when he fled from Saul in the cave. 1 B E GRACIOUS to me, O God, be gracious and merciful to me, For my soul finds shelter and safety in You, And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge and be confidently secure Until destruction passes by. 2 I will cry to God Most High, Who accomplishes all things on my behalf [for He completes my purpose in His plan]. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; He calls to account him who tramples me down. Selah. God will send out His lovingkindness and His truth. 4 My life is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe out fire— The sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory and majesty be over all the earth. 6 They a set a net for my steps; My very life was bowed down. They dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah. 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing, yes, I will sing praises [to You]! 8 Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the people; I will sing praises to You among the nations. 10 For Your faithfulness and lovingkindness are great, reaching to the heavens, And Your truth to the clouds. 11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory and majesty be over all the earth. Psalm 58 Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked. To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Mikhtam of David. [A record of memorable thoughts of David]. 1 D O YOU indeed speak righteousness, O gods (heavenly beings)? Do you judge fairly, O sons of men? [Ps 82:1 , 2 ] 2 No, in your heart you devise wrongdoing; On earth you deal out the violence of your hands. 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; These go astray from birth, speaking lies [even twisted partial truths].

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  15 Let death come deceitfully upon them; Let them go down alive to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), For evil [of every kind] is in their dwelling and in their hearts, in their midst. 16 As for me, I shall call upon God, And the LORD will save me. 17 Evening and morning and at noon I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice. 18 He has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me. 19 God will hear and humble them, Even He who c sits enthroned from old— Selah. Because in them there has been no change [of heart], And they do not fear God [at all]. 20 He [my companion] has put out his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has d broken his covenant [of friendship and loyalty]. 21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, But his heart was hostile; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords. 22 Cast your burden on the LORD [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail). [1 Pet 5:7 ] 23 But You, O God, will bring down the wicked to the pit of destruction; Men of blood and treachery will not live out half their days. But I will [boldly and unwaveringly] trust in You. Psalm 56 Supplication for Rescue and Grateful Trust in God. To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Silent Dove Among Those Far Away.” A Mikhtam of David. [A record of memorable thoughts] when the Philistines seized him in Gath. 1 B E GRACIOUS to me, O God, for man has trampled on me; All day long the adversary oppresses and torments me. 2 My enemies have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me. 3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust and faith in You. 4 In God, whose word I praise; In God I have put my trust; I shall not fear. What can mere man do to me? 5 All day long they twist my words and say hurtful things; All their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They attack, they hide and lurk, They watch my steps, As they have [expectantly] waited to take my life. 7 Cast them out because of their wickedness. In anger bring down the peoples, O God! 8 You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not recorded in Your book? 9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  1 O LORD , how my enemies have increased! Many are rising up against me. 2 Many are saying of me, “There is no help [no salvation] for him in God.” a Selah. 3 But You, O LORD , are a shield for me, My glory [and my honor], and the One who lifts my head. 4 With my voice I was crying to the LORD , And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. 5 I lay down and slept [safely]; I awakened, for the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not be intimidated or afraid of the ten thousands Who have set themselves against me all around. 7 Arise, O LORD ; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the LORD ; May Your blessing be upon Your people. Selah. Psalm 4 Evening Prayer of Trust in God. To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. 1 A NSWER ME when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have freed me when I was hemmed in and relieved me when I was in distress; Be gracious to me and hear [and respond to] my prayer. 2 O sons of men, how long will my honor and glory be [turned into] shame? How long will you [my enemies] love worthless (vain, futile) things and seek deception and lies? Selah. 3 But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself [and dealt wonderfully with] the godly man [the one of honorable character and moral courage—the one who does right]. The LORD hears and responds when I call to Him. 4 Tremble [with anger or fear], and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still [reflect on your sin and repent of your rebellion]. [Eph 4:26 ] Selah. 5 Offer righteous sacrifices; Trust [confidently] in the LORD . 6 Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see some good!” Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O LORD . 7 You have put joy in my heart, More than [others know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly. 8 In peace [and with a tranquil heart] I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD , make me dwell in safety and confident trust. Psalm 5 Prayer for Protection from the Wicked. To the Chief Musician; on wind instruments. A Psalm of David. 1 L ISTEN TO my words, O LORD , Consider my groaning and sighing. 2 Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD , You will hear my voice; In the morning I will prepare [a prayer and a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  O God, lift up Your hand [in judgment]; Do not forget the suffering. 13 Why has the wicked spurned and shown disrespect to God? He has said to himself, “You will not require me to account.” 14 You have seen it, for You have noted mischief and vexation (irritation) to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find no more. 16 The LORD is King forever and ever; The nations will perish from His land. 17 O LORD , You have heard the desire of the humble and oppressed; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to hear, 18 To vindicate and obtain justice for the fatherless and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer terrify them. Psalm 11 The LORD a Refuge and Defense. To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1 I N THE LORD I take refuge [and put my trust]; How can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to your mountain; 2 For look, the wicked are bending the bow; They take aim with their arrow on the string To shoot [by stealth] in darkness at the upright in heart. 3 “If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” 4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD ’s throne is in heaven. His eyes see, His eyelids test the children of men. [Acts 7:49 ; Rev 4:2 ] 5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And His soul hates the [malevolent] one who loves violence. [James 1:12 ] 6 Upon the wicked (godless) He will rain coals of fire; Fire and a brimstone and a dreadful scorching wind will be the portion of their cup [of doom]. 7 For the LORD is [absolutely] righteous, He loves righteousness (virtue, morality, justice); The upright shall see His face. Psalm 12 God, a Helper against the Treacherous. To the Chief Musician; a set an octave below. A Psalm of David. 1 S ave and help and rescue, LORD , for godly people cease to be, For the faithful vanish from among the sons of men. 2 They speak deceitful and worthless words to one another; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things [in boasting]; 4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord and master over us?” 5 “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the LORD ; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” 6 The words and promises of the LORD are pure words, Like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.

• From Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual Thought of Race Women (2017)

  This book is not only committed to the notion that we should “care more.” It explores what a careful examination of Black women’s intellectual traditions might yield for both the study of Black intellectual history and for one particular branch of Black intellectual history—Black feminist thought. Beyond care, I would also suggest that, in order to take these Black women seriously as intellectuals, we must be willing to trust them. Dare I say, trust? By trust, I don’t mean always agree. I mean acknowledge, appreciate, struggle with, disagree with, sit with, and question. I mean take Black women seriously. Most academics have been trained to trust that white males of all varieties are capable of “deep thoughts.” Beyond Respectability requires that we approach Black women’s long history of knowledge production with this same kind of trust. If I were aiming to show (and was successful at showing) how Black women’s ideas dovetailed the ideas of Michel Foucault or Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari or Louis Althusser or Judith Butler, this book would be deemed sufficiently rigorous and, dare I say, “original.” That I aim for a different goal, namely to show that we should take Black women, from Fannie Barrier Williams to Mary Church Terrell to Pauli Murray, as theoretically seriously as we take the work of French white males, requires a different inclination. It is perhaps counterintuitive to argue that affective considerations like care and trust are critical to the work of studying Black women’s intellectual production. But Black women’s knowledge production has always been motivated by a sense of care for Black communities in a world where non-Black people did not find value in the lives and livelihoods of these communities. And we are again in a moment where taking care of Black lives and livelihoods has become a matter of critical social import. The call to care here is a call for scholarly rigor, a reminder that Black women’s intellectual work does still matter. What might it mean for Black feminist scholars to say they are theorists in the tradition of Anna Julia Cooper or Fannie Barrier Williams, or Ida B. Wells or Patricia Hill Collins or Joy James, in the same way that scholars are allowed to claim that they are Marxist, or Freudian, or Foucaldian, or Kantian, or Spinozan? What might it look like to be Cooperian or Wellsian in our approach to the study of Black women’s lives and Black intellectual thought? Beyond Respectability employs an Anna Julia Cooperian approach to reading and interrogating the theoretical work and lived experiences of Black women intellectuals. To understand this methodological approach, one needs to first become acquainted with two of Cooper’s cardinal commitments. They include: 1) a commitment to seeing the Black female body as a form of possibility and not a burden, and 2) a commitment to centering the Black female body as a means to cathect Black social thought.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  17 And let the [gracious] favor of the Lord our God be on us; Confirm for us the work of our hands— Yes, confirm the work of our hands. Psalm 91 Security of the One Who Trusts in the LORD . 1 H E WHO a dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]. 2 I will say of the LORD , “He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!” 3 For He will save you from the trap of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions, And under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a wall. 5 You will not be afraid of the terror of night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Nor of the destruction (sudden death) that lays waste at noon. 7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But danger will not come near you. 8 You will only [be a spectator as you] look on with your eyes And witness the [divine] repayment of the wicked [as you watch safely from the shelter of the Most High]. 9 Because you have made the LORD , [who is] my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, [Ps 91:1 , 14 ] 10 No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. 11 For He will command His angels in regard to you, To protect and defend and guard you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. 12 They will lift you up in their hands, So that you do not [even] strike your foot against a stone. [Luke 4:10 , 11 ; Heb 1:14 ] 13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra; The young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. [Luke 10:19 ] 14 “Because he set his love on Me, therefore I will save him; I will set him [securely] on high, because he knows My name [he confidently trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never abandon him, no, never]. 15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 “With a long life I will satisfy him And I will let him see My salvation.” Psalm 92 Praise for the LORD ’s Goodness. A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

• From Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual Thought of Race Women (2017)

  Beyond care, I would also suggest that, in order to take these Black women seriously as intellectuals, we must be willing to trust them. Dare I say, trust? By trust, I don’t mean always agree. I mean acknowledge, appreciate, struggle with, disagree with, sit with, and question. I mean take Black women seriously. Most academics have been trained to trust that white males of all varieties are capable of “deep thoughts.” Beyond Respectability requires that we approach Black women’s long history of knowledge production with this same kind of trust. If I were aiming to show (and was successful at showing) how Black women’s ideas dovetailed the ideas of Michel Foucault or Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari or Louis Althusser or Judith Butler, this book would be deemed sufficiently rigorous and, dare I say, “original.” That I aim for a different goal, namely to show that we should take Black women, from Fannie Barrier Williams to Mary Church Terrell to Pauli Murray, as theoretically seriously as we take the work of French white males, requires a different inclination. It is perhaps counterintuitive to argue that affective considerations like care and trust are critical to the work of studying Black women’s intellectual production. But Black women’s knowledge production has always been motivated by a sense of care for Black communities in a world where non-Black people did not find value in the lives and livelihoods of these communities. And we are again in a moment where taking care of Black lives and livelihoods has become a matter of critical social import. The call to care here is a call for scholarly rigor, a reminder that Black women’s intellectual work does still matter. What might it mean for Black feminist scholars to say they are theorists in the tradition of Anna Julia Cooper or Fannie Barrier Williams, or Ida B. Wells or Patricia Hill Collins or Joy James, in the same way that scholars are allowed to claim that they are Marxist, or Freudian, or Foucaldian, or Kantian, or Spinozan? What might it look like to be Cooperian or Wellsian in our approach to the study of Black women’s lives and Black intellectual thought? Beyond Respectability employs an Anna Julia Cooperian approach to reading and interrogating the theoretical work and lived experiences of Black women intellectuals. To understand this methodological approach, one needs to first become acquainted with two of Cooper’s cardinal commitments. They include: 1) a commitment to seeing the Black female body as a form of possibility and not a burden, and 2) a commitment to centering the Black female body as a means to cathect Black social thought. In Voice, Cooper places the Black female body and all that it knows squarely in the center of the text’s methodology. She fundamentally believed that we cannot divorce Black women’s bodies from the theory they produce.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  18 “Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like an iron pillar and like bronze walls against the whole land—against the [successive] kings of Judah, against its leaders, against its priests, and against the people of the land [giving you divine strength which no hostile power can overcome]. [Is 50:7 ; 54:17 ; Jer 6:27 ; 15:20 ; Luke 21:15 ; Acts 6:10 ] 19 “They will fight against you, but they will not [ultimately] prevail over you, for I am with you [always] to protect you and deliver you,” says the LORD . Jeremiah 2 Judah’s Apostasy 1 N OW THE word of the LORD came to me saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD , “I remember [earnestly] the lovingkindness and devotion of a your youth, Your time of betrothal [like that of a bride during the early years in Egypt and again at Sinai], When you followed Me in the wilderness, Through a land not sown. 3 “b Israel was holy [something set apart from ordinary purposes, consecrated] to the LORD , The first fruits of His harvest [in which no outsider was allowed to share]. All who ate of it [injuring Israel] became guilty; Evil came on them,” says the LORD .’ ” 4 Hear the word of the LORD , O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the LORD , “What injustice or unrighteousness did your fathers find in Me, That they have wandered far from Me And [habitually] walked after emptiness and futility and became empty? 6 “They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD Who brought us up from the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and of pits, Through a land of drought and of the deep darkness [of the shadow of death], Through a land that no man passed through And where no man lived?’ 7 “I brought you into a plentiful land To eat its fruit and [enjoy] its good things. But you came and defiled My land And you made My inheritance repulsive. 8 “[Even] the priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD ?’ And those who deal with the law [given to Moses] did not know Me. The rulers and shepherds also transgressed against Me, And the prophets prophesied by [the authority and in the name of] Baal And walked after [idolatrous] things that did not benefit [them]. 9 “Therefore I will still contend (struggle) with you [by bringing judgment on you],” says the LORD , “And I will contend with your children’s children.” 10 “For cross over to the coasts of Kittim (Cyprus) [to the west] and see, Send also to Kedar (Arabia) [to the east] and carefully observe and consider And see whether there has been such [a thing] as this!

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  The king said to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 “My God has sent His angel and has shut the mouths of the lions so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also before you, O king, I have committed no crime.” [2 Tim 4:17 ] 23 Then the king was greatly pleased and ordered that Daniel be taken out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in and relied on and trusted in his God. 24 The king then gave a command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions, they, their children and their wives; and before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. 25 Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and speakers of every language who were living in all the land: “May peace abound to you! 26 “I issue a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to [reverently] fear and tremble before the God of Daniel, For He is the living God, enduring and steadfast forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. 27 “He rescues and saves and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth— He who has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” 28 So this [man] Daniel prospered and enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Daniel 7 Vision of the Four Beasts 1 I N THE a first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions appeared in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related a summary of it. 2 Daniel said, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea (the nations). 3 “And four great beasts, each different from the other, were coming up out of the sea [in succession]. 4 “The first (the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar) was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind was given to it.

• From Paul and Palestinian Judaism (40th Anniversary Edition) (2017)

  II) Conclusion 233 But they also maintained that the door was always open for penitent sinners. Many Rabbis doubtless had confidence in their own ability to obey the law successfully. Yet they did not rely on that ability (with perhaps a few exceptions), but rather on the grace of God. This reliance on the grace of God, accompanied by a feeling of one's own worthlessness, appears especially on those occasions when the Rabbis felt themselves to be in the direct presence of God: in prayer 113 or at death.11 4 While the recorded personal prayers of the Tannaim are regrettably few, the traditions which do exist, when coupled with later Amoraic prayers, afford a glimpse into the personal life of piety and devotion and self-abnegation before God which characterized at least some of the Rabbis. As valuable as this glimpse is, however, the main point that the Rabbis relied upon the grace of God does not depend upon our examination of Rabbinic prayers but upon their belief in election and atonement, a belief which is well documented from Rabbis of all schools and all periods. The examination of prayers does help us, however, to understand the nature of the material with which we have to deal and the way in which the religious 'tone' may vary with the mode of discourse. 115 I I. Conclusion I have tried to develop two arguments at once: the negative argument that one view is wrong and the positive argument that another view is right. Negatively, I have not intended to argue that there is another view possible besides the view that Rabbinic religion was a religion of legalistic works- righteousness in which a man was saved by fulfilling more commandments than he committed transgressions. 1 I have argued that that view is completely wrong: it proceeds from theological presuppositions and is supported by systematically misunderstanding and misconstruing passages in Rabbinic literature. I do not find such a view in any stratum of Tannaitic literature or to be held by any Rabbi of the Tannaitic period. It has thus been my inten- 113 On the attitude of self-abnegation in prayer, see the statement by R. Judah concerning R. Akiba (T. Berakoth 3.5): 'When R. Akiba prayed with the congregation, he kept his prayer brief for their sake; but when he prayed alone, one would leave him in one corner and find him in another, because of his kneelings and prostrations.' Parallel in Berakoth 31a (given anonymously). 114 These are not the only occasions for the expression of reliance on God, although they are the principal ones which survive in the literature (which is not, it should be noted, a literature of personal piety). But whenever human power flags or fails, the Rabbis note that their only stay is the Father in Heaven (Sotah 9. 15, repeated three times).

• From Paul and Palestinian Judaism (40th Anniversary Edition) (2017)

  God is perfect, but man is sinful and inadequate. The second principal usage which we may note appears in a collection of passages, entirely in the hymnic material, which deal with cleansing, judging and judgment or vindication. In each case, as we shall see, the term tsedaqah can be paralleled with a term meaning 'mercy'. In IQS 11 .3, it is said that God will wipe out the psalmist's transgression through tsidqot. In 11. 14, God will cleanse the psalmist through tsedaqah. In IQH 4.36f., the psalmist says that he leans on God's grace (basadim) and on the multitude of his mercies (rabamim), for God will pardon iniquity and cleanse man of guilt through his tsedaqah. In IQH 11.29f., the psalmist blesses God for his mercy and compassion. He then pleads that his soul may be rejoiced with God's truth and that he might be cleansed through (bet) God's tsedaqah. He continues, Even as I have hoped in Thy goodness, and waited for Thy grace, so hast Thou freed me from my calamities in accordance with Thy forgiveness; and in my distress Thou hast comforted me for I have leaned on Thy mercy. (IQH 11.31f.) Thus we see, especially in the two passages from IQH, that being cleansed by God's tsedaqah is set in a context of thanks for and trust in God's grace, mercy and loving-kindness. Further, in the hymns it is directly said that one is cleansed through God's mercy. Thus IQH 1.31f.: 'By Thy mercies (rabamim) and by Thy great goodness (basadim), Thou hast strengthened' man and cleansed him. Similarly, in IQH 7.29-31 the psalmist says that God cleanses man through his goodness ([ob). When the psalmist mentions being cleansed by the holy spirit, 209 the line is parallel to being 'drawn near' by God's loving-kindness (basadim). In I QS 1 1.14 we read that God will judge ( sh-p-[} the psalmist in or by (bet) tsedaqah. In the Hodayot, however, God's judgment of the members of the sect is said to be by mercy or loving-kindness. Thus IQH 9.34: there is abundance of mercy (rabamim) when you judge me; 6.9: God will judge the remnant in or by his basadim, and the psalmist continues by speaking of God's mercy and pardon. In connection with the idea that one who is in the community is judged by grace, we may compare IQH 5.6, where the 209 IQH 16.IIf.; cf. IQS 3.7; 4.21. The spirit is a 'manifestation of God's grace' (Ringgren, Faith of Qumran, p. 89). 308 The Dead Sea Scrolls [II psalmist says that God has not judged him according to his guilt, and 9. 14f.: the psalmist hopes in God's loving-kindness, for no man can be righteous in God's judgment.