Favourite verses / quotes from the Bible

Sirach 51

Autobiographical Poem on Wisdom

13 

While I was still young, before I went on my travels,

    I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.

14 

Before the temple I asked for her,

    and I will search for her to the last.

15 

From blossom to[m] ripening grape

    my heart delighted in her;

my foot entered upon the straight path;

    from my youth I followed her steps.

16 

I inclined my ear a little and received her,

    and I found for myself much instruction.

17 

I made progress therein;

    to him who gives wisdom I will give glory.

18 

For I resolved to live according to wisdom,[n]

    and I was zealous for the good;

    and I shall never be put to shame.

19 

My soul grappled with wisdom,[o]

    and in my conduct I was strict;[p]

I spread out my hands to the heavens,

    and lamented my ignorance of her.

20 

I directed my soul to her,

    and through purification I found her.

I gained understanding[q] with her from the first,

    therefore I will not be forsaken.

21 

My heart was stirred to seek her,

    therefore I have gained a good possession.

22 

The Lord gave me a tongue as my reward,

    and I will praise him with it.

23 

Draw near to me, you who are untaught,

    and lodge in my school.

24 

Why do you say you are lacking in these things,[r]

    and why are your souls very thirsty?

25 

I opened my mouth and said,

    Get these things[s] for yourselves without money.

26 

Put your neck under the yoke,

    and let your souls receive instruction;

    it is to be found close by.

27 

See with your eyes that I have labored little

    and found for myself much rest.

28 

Get instruction with a large sum of silver,

    and you will gain by it much gold.

29 

May your soul rejoice in his mercy,

    and may you not be put to shame when you praise him.

30 

Do your work before the appointed time,

    and in God’s[t] time he will give you your reward.

"I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." —presidential debate, St. Louis, Missouri, October 8, 2004

also

"They misunderestimated me." —Bentonville, Arkansas, November 6, 2000

Moses at the Burning Bush

3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Mid′ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here am I.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per′izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb′usites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain.”

The Divine Name Revealed

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”[a][b] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord,[c] the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: this is my name for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt; 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per′izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb′usites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 And they will hearken to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, we pray you, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.[d] 20 So I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who sojourns in her house, jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters; thus you shall despoil the Egyptians.”

Footnotes

1. Exodus 3:14 Or I am what I am or I will be what I will be
2. 3.14 The translation is uncertain; it is, therefore, difficult to decide whether this is a refusal to disclose the name or an explanation of the divine title Yahweh revealed immediately afterward.
3. Exodus 3:15 The word Lord when spelled with capital letters, stands for the divine name, YHWH, which is here connected with the verb hayah, to be
4. Exodus 3:19 Gk Vg: Heb no, not by a mighty hand