"Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy."
15:11
Judges and officers should strive to be impartial and should never take a bribe. 16:18-19
Look out for your neighbor's animals and protect them from harm. 22:1-4
Be careful when making a roof to ensure that no one falls off the edge. 22:8
Don't return runaway slaves to their masters. Let them live with you in peace and freedom.
23:15-16
Do not oppress the poor, whether they be slaves, neighbors, or strangers.
24:14-15
"It shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow."
Be kind to widows, orphans, fatherless children and strangers. Share whatever you have with them.
24:17-21
"Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." Let the animal eat while it works.
25:4
"Thou shalt have a perfect and just weight."
Be honest when you deal with others. Don't cheat. 25:13-15
"Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor
and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked." Though this seems to be directed at other gods, it is good advice
for humans as well. 82:3-4
"The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence." 115:17
"The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel
troubleth his own flesh." Okay, I don't know about the soul stuff, but I
like the general idea. 11:17
"He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind." A nice thought
and a
great movie. 11:29
"Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that
shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." 17:28
"A fool hath no delight in understanding" and his "mouth is his
destruction." 18:2, 7
"He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame
unto him." 18:13
Be careful how you speak; words can do great damage. 21:23
"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." 22:1
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will
not depart from it." 22:6
"He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his
bread to the poor." 22:9
Don't rob the poor or oppress the afflicted. 22:22
"Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words." 23:9
"Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the
words of knowledge." 23:12
"Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when
she is old." 23:22
Find the truth and hang on to it; Value wisdom, instruction, and understanding 23:23
"Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad
when he stumbleth." 24:17
"Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not
with thy lips." 24:28
"Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the
man according to his work." 24:29
"If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty,
give him water to drink." 25:21
"Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool
than of him." 26:12
"As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed."
26:14
"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may
bring forth." 27:1
"Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and
not thine own lips." 27:2
"Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds." Take care of your animals.
27:23
"A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet." 29:5
"The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked
regardeth not to know it." 29:7
"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in
spirit." 29:23
As
a sailor and birdwatcher, I agree with this proverb that says that the way a ship sails
and an eagle flies are two of the most wonderful things. 30:18-19
"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and
forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more." 31:6-7
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (NIV) 31:8-9
"The place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again."
Good description of the water cycle. 1:7
Wisdom is better than folly, but the same fate awaits us all. 2:13-14
"There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in
his labour." 2:24
"To everything there is a season...." Some nice poetry and a great Byrds song. ("Turn, Turn, Turn" -- written by Pete
Seeger) 3:1-8
Strive to do good in this life. You only get one chance. 3:12
Eat, drink, and enjoy the good of your labor. 3:13
Men and animals both die and their spirits don't survive death. "A man hath no pre-eminence above a beast ... All
goeth unto one place ... Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward
to the earth?" 3:19-21
"Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works."
3:22
"Two are better than one" -- the value of friendship. 4:9-12
"Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king." 4:13
"A fool's voice is known by multitude of words." 5:3
"As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour,
which he may carry away in his hand." 5:15
"It is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun
all the days of his life." 5:18
No one knows what happens after we die and no one can tell another how to live.
6:12
"A good name is better than precious ointment." 7:1
"It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools."
7:5
"The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." 7:8
"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools."
7:9
Don't waste time thinking about "the good old days." 7:10
Don't pay attention to everything people say. 7:21
Always strive "to know, and to search; and to seek out wisdom, and the reasonableness of things."
7:25
There is nothing better for us to do than "to eat, to drink, and to be merry."
8:15
The same death comes to us all, the good and the bad alike. 9:2-3
As long as we are alive there is hope. After that there is nothing. "A
live dog is better than a dead lion." 9:4
Dead people know nothing and receive no reward. 9:5
"Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart."
9:7
"Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest." 9:9
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might," because dead people don't work and they know
nothing 9:10
Human life is subject to indifferent laws and random events -- just like the lives of other animals.
9:11-12
Wisdom, though often ignored and despised, is better than strength. 9:16-17
"And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Well, it's a nice thought, but Joel 3:10
says just the opposite. But what do you expect from a "God of Peace" (Rom.15:33,
Heb.13:20) who calls himself a "man of war"? (Ex.15:3) 2:4
"The liberal deviseth liberal things;
and by liberal things shall he stand." -- A Bible verse for Howard Dean and the US Democratic Party!
32:8
"All flesh is grass."
Since all animals, including humans, survive by eating plants or other animals that have eaten
plants, it is true that "all flesh is grass." 40:6
"They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Well, it's a nice
thought, but Joel 3:10 says just the opposite. But what do you expect from a "God of Peace" (Rom.15:33, Heb.13:20) who calls himself a "man of war"? (Ex.15:3) 4:3
"O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to
love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" 6:8
(Well, it's a nice thought, but there are a few things more that Micah forgot to mention. Like you must
believe certain unlikely things or you will be tormented forever in
hell (Mk.16:16, Jn.3:18, 36); you
must kill witches Ex.22:18, homosexuals
Lev.20:13, those who believe differently than you
Dt.13:6-10, disobedient children
Dt.21:18-21, etc.6:8)
"Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his
brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor;
and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart."
7:9-10
"These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his
neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against
his neighbour; and love no false oath." 8:16-17
Jesus lists the "ten commandments," but his list has only six, and the sixth is not one of the ten. The
commandments given by Jesus are secular, not religious, in nature. 19:18
Jesus quotes Lev.19:18: "Love thy neighbor as
thyself." This is by far the best verse in Leviticus, and one of the best in the entire bible.
22:39
"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me
drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in." 25:35
"All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." 26:52
When Jesus lists the "ten" commandments, he only mentions five -- the humanistic ones that make no mention of
God. He also gives one that is not included in the so-called ten commandments: "defraud not." Just where he got this one is
anyone's guess. 10:19
Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely. 3:14
Love you enemies; do good to those who hate you. 6:27
The Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. 6:31-34
"Love your enemies." Well, it's a nice thought. But it seems strange coming from someone who damns his
enemies to hell. (Mk.16:16) 6:35
"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Well I'm glad Jesus thinks we should be merciful.
But the Old Testament God is a strange role model for mercy! (See 1 Sam.15:2-3 for an
example of the OT God's mercy.) 6:36
Don't judge or condemn others. Forgive those who have offended you. 6:37
Jesus warns against hypocrisy. The Christian right should pay more attention to this verse. 6:41
Jesus tells those who'd like to stone to death an adulteress that whoever among them that is without sin should
"cast the first stone." Good advice -- but it directly contradicts the teachings of the Old Testament
(Lev.20:20). If that
wasn't a good law then why did God make it? Has he since changed his mind? Shouldn't it then be removed (along
with most of the OT) from the bible? 8:7
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another." If this is what it takes to be a Christian, then count
me in. Unfortunately, Christians often take Jesus' commandment to mean that Christians should love other, like
minded, Christians, and to hell with everybody else. 15:12, 17
Pilate asked Jesus a very good question: "What is truth?" 18:38
Don't fight, be humble, and look after the needs of others. 2:3-4
"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
4:8
"Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies." If we follow this advice we would ignore
most of the Bible -- especially the genealogies found in Gen.10,
1 Chr.1-9, Mt.1, and Lk.3. 1:4
Paul says to "refuse ... old wives' fables." What about old husbands' fables? Old Bible fables? 4:7
"We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." 6:7
Help others that are in need; don't just wish them well. This is good advice, though it's unfortunate that James
restricted this help to "brothers". Did he mean by this that you only need to help fellow believers?
2:15-16
James ridicules those who say salvation is by faith alone. He says the devils believe in God. Will their faith
save them? 2:19
"Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It
is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (All we are is dust
in the wind.) 4:14
"For all flesh is as grass."
Life is ephemeral. Enjoy it while you can. 1:24
Avoid evil, malice, hypocrisy, and envy. Don't speak badly about others. 2:1
Be compassionate and courteous. Don't seek revenge when you are harmed by another. Speak kindly of others.
Do good and avoid evil. 3:8-11
Peter says that Christians should be ready to explain why they believe what they do. This is a good verse to
remember when Christians refuse to debate you. 3:15
Be hospitable to one another without grudging. 4:9
Don't murder, steal, do evil things, or interfere needlessly in the lives of others. I wish Christians would follow
Peter's advice here, especially the "busybody" part, and stay out of the beliefs and sex lives of nonchristians.
4:15
Paul's epistles are hard to understand. And that those who try to understand them, as with the
other scriptures, do so "unto their own destruction. 3:16
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