1. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 5.24, 49.27 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 5.24. וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ חֲנוֹךְ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי־לָקַח אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים׃ 49.27. בִּנְיָמִין זְאֵב יִטְרָף בַּבֹּקֶר יֹאכַל עַד וְלָעֶרֶב יְחַלֵּק שָׁלָל׃ | 5.24. And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him." 49.27. Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth; In the morning he devoureth the prey, And at even he divideth the spoil.’" |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Leviticus, 18, 17 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
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3. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 1.4 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 1.4. לֹא־כֵן הָרְשָׁעִים כִּי אִם־כַּמֹּץ אֲשֶׁר־תִּדְּפֶנּוּ רוּחַ׃ | 1.4. Not so the wicked; but they are like the chaff which the wind driveth away." |
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4. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 14.14 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 14.14. אֶעֱלֶה עַל־בָּמֳתֵי עָב אֶדַּמֶּה לְעֶלְיוֹן׃ | 14.14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.’" |
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5. Hebrew Bible, Ezekiel, 28.2 (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 28.2. בֶּן־אָדָם אֱמֹר לִנְגִיד צֹר כֹּה־אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִה יַעַן גָּבַהּ לִבְּךָ וַתֹּאמֶר אֵל אָנִי מוֹשַׁב אֱלֹהִים יָשַׁבְתִּי בְּלֵב יַמִּים וְאַתָּה אָדָם וְלֹא־אֵל וַתִּתֵּן לִבְּךָ כְּלֵב אֱלֹהִים׃ 28.2. וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃ | 28.2. ’Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thy heart is lifted up, And thou hast said: I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, In the heart of the seas; Yet thou art man, and not God, Though thou didst set thy heart as the heart of God—" |
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6. Herodotus, Histories, 7.8-7.18 (5th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 7.8. After the conquest of Egypt, intending now to take in hand the expedition against Athens, Xerxes held a special assembly of the noblest among the Persians, so he could learn their opinions and declare his will before them all. When they were assembled, Xerxes spoke to them as follows: ,“Men of Persia, I am not bringing in and establishing a new custom, but following one that I have inherited. As I learn from our elders, we have never yet remained at peace ever since Cyrus deposed Astyages and we won this sovereignty from the Medes. It is the will of heaven; and we ourselves win advantage by our many enterprises. No one needs to tell you, who already know them well, which nations Cyrus and Cambyses and Darius my father subdued and added to our realm. ,Ever since I came to this throne, I have considered how I might not fall short of my predecessors in this honor, and not add less power to the Persians; and my considerations persuade me that we may win not only renown, but a land neither less nor worse, and more fertile, than that which we now possess; and we would also gain vengeance and requital. For this cause I have now summoned you together, that I may impart to you what I intend to do. ,It is my intent to bridge the Hellespont and lead my army through Europe to Hellas, so I may punish the Athenians for what they have done to the Persians and to my father. ,You saw that Darius my father was set on making an expedition against these men. But he is dead, and it was not granted him to punish them. On his behalf and that of all the Persians, I will never rest until I have taken Athens and burnt it, for the unprovoked wrong that its people did to my father and me. ,First they came to Sardis with our slave Aristagoras the Milesian and burnt the groves and the temples; next, how they dealt with us when we landed on their shores, when Datis and Artaphrenes were our generals, I suppose you all know. ,For these reasons I am resolved to send an army against them; and I reckon that we will find the following benefits among them: if we subdue those men, and their neighbors who dwell in the land of Pelops the Phrygian, we will make the borders of Persian territory and of the firmament of heaven be the same. ,No land that the sun beholds will border ours, but I will make all into one country, when I have passed over the whole of Europe. ,I learn that this is the situation: no city of men or any human nation which is able to meet us in battle will be left, if those of whom I speak are taken out of our way. Thus the guilty and the innocent will alike bear the yoke of slavery. ,This is how you would best please me: when I declare the time for your coming, every one of you must eagerly appear; and whoever comes with his army best equipped will receive from me such gifts as are reckoned most precious among us. ,Thus it must be done; but so that I not seem to you to have my own way, I lay the matter before you all, and bid whoever wishes to declare his opinion.” So spoke Xerxes and ceased. 7.9. After him Mardonius said: “Master, you surpass not only all Persians that have been but also all that shall be; besides having dealt excellently and truly with all other matters, you will not suffer the Ionians who dwell in Europe to laugh at us, which they have no right to do. ,It would be strange indeed if we who have subdued and made slaves of Sacae and Indians and Ethiopians and Assyrians and many other great nations, for no wrong done to the Persians but of mere desire to add to our power, will not take vengeance on the Greeks for unprovoked wrongs. ,What have we to fear from them? Have they a massive population or abundance of wealth? Their manner of fighting we know, and we know how weak their power is; we have conquered and hold their sons, those who dwell in our land and are called Ionians and Aeolians and Dorians. ,I myself have made trial of these men, when by your father's command I marched against them. I marched as far as Macedonia and almost to Athens itself, yet none came out to meet me in battle. ,Yet the Greeks are accustomed to wage wars, as I learn, and they do it most senselessly in their wrongheadedness and folly. When they have declared war against each other, they come down to the fairest and most level ground that they can find and fight there, so that the victors come off with great harm; of the vanquished I say not so much as a word, for they are utterly destroyed. ,Since they speak the same language, they should end their disputes by means of heralds or messengers, or by any way rather than fighting; if they must make war upon each other, they should each discover where they are in the strongest position and make the attempt there. The Greek custom, then, is not good; and when I marched as far as the land of Macedonia, it had not come into their minds to fight. ,But against you, O king, who shall make war? You will bring the multitudes of Asia, and all your ships. I think there is not so much boldness in Hellas as that; but if time should show me wrong in my judgment, and those men prove foolhardy enough to do battle with us, they would be taught that we are the greatest warriors on earth. Let us leave nothing untried; for nothing happens by itself, and all men's gains are the fruit of adventure.” 7.10. Thus Mardonius smoothed Xerxes' resolution and stopped. The rest of the Persians held their peace, not daring to utter any opinion contrary to what had been put forward; then Artabanus son of Hystaspes, the king's uncle, spoke. Relying on his position, he said, ,“O king, if opposite opinions are not uttered, it is impossible for someone to choose the better; the one which has been spoken must be followed. If they are spoken, the better can be found; just as the purity of gold cannot be determined by itself, but when gold is compared with gold by rubbing, we then determine the better. ,Now I advised Darius, your father and my brother, not to lead his army against the Scythians, who have no cities anywhere to dwell in. But he hoped to subdue the nomadic Scythians and would not obey me; he went on the expedition and returned after losing many gallant men from his army. ,You, O king, are proposing to lead your armies against far better men than the Scythians—men who are said to be excellent warriors by sea and land. It is right that I should show you what danger there is in this. ,You say that you will bridge the Hellespont and march your army through Europe to Hellas. Now suppose you happen to be defeated either by land or by sea, or even both; the men are said to be valiant, and we may well guess that it is so, since the Athenians alone destroyed the great army that followed Datis and Artaphrenes to Attica. ,Suppose they do not succeed in both ways; but if they attack with their ships and prevail in a sea-fight, and then sail to the Hellespont and destroy your bridge, that, O king, is the hour of peril. ,It is from no wisdom of my own that I thus conjecture; it is because I know what disaster once almost overtook us, when your father, making a highway over the Thracian Bosporus and bridging the river Ister, crossed over to attack the Scythians. At that time the Scythians used every means of entreating the Ionians, who had been charged to guard the bridges of the Ister, to destroy the way of passage. ,If Histiaeus the tyrant of Miletus had consented to the opinion of the other tyrants instead of opposing it, the power of Persia would have perished. Yet it is dreadful even in the telling, that one man should hold in his hand all the king's fortunes. ,So do not plan to run the risk of any such danger when there is no need for it. Listen to me instead: for now dismiss this assembly; consider the matter by yourself and, whenever you so please, declare what seems best to you. ,A well-laid plan is always to my mind most profitable; even if it is thwarted later, the plan was no less good, and it is only chance that has baffled the design; but if fortune favor one who has planned poorly, then he has gotten only a prize of chance, and his plan was no less bad. ,You see how the god smites with his thunderbolt creatures of greatness and does not suffer them to display their pride, while little ones do not move him to anger; and you see how it is always on the tallest buildings and trees that his bolts fall; for the god loves to bring low all things of surpassing greatness. Thus a large army is destroyed by a smaller, when the jealous god sends panic or the thunderbolt among them, and they perish unworthily; for the god suffers pride in none but himself. ,Now haste is always the parent of failure, and great damages are likely to arise; but in waiting there is good, and in time this becomes clear, even though it does not seem so in the present. ,This, O king, is my advice to you. But you, Mardonius son of Gobryas, cease your foolish words about the Greeks, for they do not deserve to be maligned. By slandering the Greeks you incite the king to send this expedition; that is the end to which you press with all eagerness. Let it not be so. ,Slander is a terrible business; there are two in it who do wrong and one who suffers wrong. The slanderer wrongs another by accusing an absent man, and the other does wrong in that he is persuaded before he has learned the whole truth; the absent man does not hear what is said of him and suffers wrong in the matter, being maligned by the one and condemned by the other. ,If an army must by all means be sent against these Greeks, hear me now: let the king himself remain in the Persian land, and let us two stake our children's lives upon it; you lead out the army, choosing whatever men you wish and taking as great an army as you desire. ,If the king's fortunes fare as you say, let my sons be slain, and myself with them; but if it turns out as I foretell, let your sons be so treated, and you likewise, if you return. ,But if you are unwilling to submit to this and will at all hazards lead your army overseas to Hellas, then I think that those left behind in this place will hear that Mardonius has done great harm to Persia, and has been torn apart by dogs and birds in the land of Athens or of Lacedaemon, if not even before that on the way there; and that you have learned what kind of men you persuade the king to attack.” 7.11. Thus spoke Artabanus. Xerxes answered angrily, “Artabanus, you are my father's brother; that will save you from receiving the fitting reward of foolish words. But for your cowardly lack of spirit I lay upon you this disgrace, that you will not go with me and my army against Hellas, but will stay here with the women; I myself will accomplish all that I have said, with no help from you. ,May I not be the son of Darius son of Hystaspes son of Arsames son of Ariaramnes son of Teispes son of Cyrus son of Cambyses son of Teispes son of Achaemenes, if I do not have vengeance on the Athenians; I well know that if we remain at peace they will not; they will assuredly invade our country, if we may infer from what they have done already, for they burnt Sardis and marched into Asia. ,It is not possible for either of us to turn back: to do or to suffer is our task, so that what is ours be under the Greeks, or what is theirs under the Persians; there is no middle way in our quarrel. ,Honor then demands that we avenge ourselves for what has been done to us; thus will I learn what is this evil that will befall me when I march against these Greeks—men that even Pelops the Phrygian, the slave of my forefathers, did so utterly subdue that to this day they and their country are called by the name of their conqueror.” 7.12. The discussion went that far; then night came, and Xerxes was pricked by the advice of Artabanus. Thinking it over at night, he saw clearly that to send an army against Hellas was not his affair. He made this second resolve and fell asleep; then (so the Persians say) in the night he saw this vision: It seemed to Xerxes that a tall and handsome man stood over him and said, ,“Are you then changing your mind, Persian, and will not lead the expedition against Hellas, although you have proclaimed the mustering of the army? It is not good for you to change your mind, and there will be no one here to pardon you for it; let your course be along the path you resolved upon yesterday.” 7.13. So the vision spoke, and seemed to Xerxes to vanish away. When day dawned, the king took no account of this dream, and he assembled the Persians whom he had before gathered together and addressed them thus: ,“Persians, forgive me for turning and twisting in my purpose; I am not yet come to the fullness of my wisdom, and I am never free from people who exhort me to do as I said. It is true that when I heard Artabanus' opinion my youthful spirit immediately boiled up, and I burst out with an unseemly and wrongful answer to one older than myself; but now I see my fault and will follow his judgment. ,Be at peace, since I have changed my mind about marching against Hellas.” 7.14. When the Persians heard that, they rejoiced and made obeisance to him. But when night came on, the same vision stood again over Xerxes as he slept, and said, “Son of Darius, have you then plainly renounced your army's march among the Persians, and made my words of no account, as though you had not heard them? Know for certain that, if you do not lead out your army immediately, this will be the outcome of it: as you became great and mighty in a short time, so in a moment will you be brought low again.” 7.15. Greatly frightened by the vision, Xerxes leapt up from his bed, and sent a messenger to summon Artabanus. When he came, Xerxes said, “Artabanus, for a moment I was of unsound mind, and I answered your good advice with foolish words; but after no long time I repented, and saw that it was right for me to follow your advice. ,Yet, though I desire to, I cannot do it; ever since I turned back and repented, a vision keeps coming to haunt my sight, and it will not allow me to do as you advise; just now it has threatened me and gone. ,Now if a god is sending the vision, and it is his full pleasure that there this expedition against Hellas take place, that same dream will hover about you and give you the same command it gives me. I believe that this is most likely to happen, if you take all my apparel and sit wearing it upon my throne, and then lie down to sleep in my bed.” 7.16. Xerxes said this, but Artabanus would not obey the first command, thinking it was not right for him to sit on the royal throne; at last he was compelled and did as he was bid, saying first: ,“O king, I judge it of equal worth whether a man is wise or is willing to obey good advice; to both of these you have attained, but the company of bad men trips you up; just as they say that sea, of all things the most serviceable to men, is hindered from following its nature by the blasts of winds that fall upon it. ,It was not that I heard harsh words from you that stung me so much as that, when two opinions were laid before the Persians, one tending to the increase of pride, the other to its abatement, showing how evil a thing it is to teach the heart continual desire of more than it has, of these two opinions you preferred that one which was more fraught with danger to yourself and to the Persians. ,Now when you have turned to the better opinion, you say that, while intending to abandon the expedition against the Greeks, you are haunted by a dream sent by some god, which forbids you to disband the expedition. ,But this is none of heaven's working, my son. The roving dreams that visit men are of such nature as I shall teach you, since I am many years older than you. Those visions that rove about us in dreams are for the most part the thoughts of the day; and in these recent days we have been very busy with this expedition. ,But if this is not as I determine and it has something divine to it, then you have spoken the conclusion of the matter; let it appear to me just as it has to you, and utter its command. If it really wishes to appear, it should do so to me no more by virtue of my wearing your dress instead of mine, and my sleeping in your bed rather than in my own. ,Whatever it is that appears to you in your sleep, surely it has not come to such folly as to infer from your dress that I am you when it sees me. We now must learn if it will take no account of me and not deign to appear and haunt me, whether I am wearing your robes or my own, but will come to you; if it comes continually, I myself would say that it is something divine. ,If you are determined that this must be done and there is no averting it, and I must lie down to sleep in your bed, so be it; this duty I will fulfill, and let the vision appear also to me. But until then I will keep my present opinion.” 7.17. So spoke Artabanus and did as he was bid, hoping to prove Xerxes' words vain; he put on Xerxes' robes and sat on the king's throne. Then while he slept there came to him in his sleep the same dream that had haunted Xerxes; it stood over him and spoke thus: ,“Are you the one who dissuades Xerxes from marching against Hellas, because you care for him? Neither in the future nor now will you escape with impunity for striving to turn aside what must be. To Xerxes himself it has been declared what will befall him if he disobeys.” 7.18. With this threat (so it seemed to Artabanus) the vision was about to burn his eyes with hot irons. He leapt up with a loud cry, then sat by Xerxes and told him the whole story of what he had seen in his dream, and next he said: ,“O King, since I have seen, as much as a man may, how the greater has often been brought low by the lesser, I forbade you to always give rein to your youthful spirit, knowing how evil a thing it is to have many desires, and remembering the end of Cyrus' expedition against the Massagetae and of Cambyses' against the Ethiopians, and I myself marched with Darius against the Scythians. ,Knowing this, I judged that you had only to remain in peace for all men to deem you fortunate. But since there is some divine motivation, and it seems that the gods mark Hellas for destruction, I myself change and correct my judgment. Now declare the gods' message to the Persians, and bid them obey your first command for all due preparation. Do this, so that nothing on your part be lacking to the fulfillment of the gods' commission.” ,After this was said, they were incited by the vision, and when daylight came Xerxes imparted all this to the Persians. Artabanus now openly encouraged that course which he alone had before openly discouraged. |
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7. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 44.16 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 44.16. Enoch pleased the Lord, and was taken up;he was an example of repentance to all generations. |
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8. Septuagint, Wisdom of Solomon, 4.11 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
| 4.11. He was caught up lest evil change his understanding or guile deceive his soul. |
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9. Dio Chrysostom, Orations, 12.15 (1st cent. CE
| 12.15. But notwithstanding, I declare to that, great as is your number, you have been eager to hear a man who is neither handsome in appearance nor strong, and in age is already past his prime, one who has no disciple, who professes, I may almost say, no art or special knowledge either of the nobler or of the meaner sort, no ability either as a prophet or a sophist, nay, not even as an orator or a flatterer, one who is not even a clever writer, who does not even have a craft deserving of praise or of interest, but who simply â wears his hair long! But if you think it a better and wiser course |
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10. Josephus Flavius, Jewish Antiquities, 20.200 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
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11. Josephus Flavius, Life, 12 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
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12. Mishnah, Sanhedrin, 10.1 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 10.1. All Israel have a portion in the world to come, for it says, “Your people, all of them righteous, shall possess the land for ever; They are the shoot that I planted, my handiwork in which I glory” (Isaiah 60:2. And these are the ones who have no portion in the world to come: He who maintains that resurrection is not a biblical doctrine, that the torah was not divinely revealed, and an epikoros. Rabbi Akiva says: “Even one who reads non-canonical books and one who whispers [a charm] over a wound and says, “I will not bring upon you any of the diseases whichbrought upon the Egyptians: for I the lord am you healer” (Exodus 15:26). Abba Shaul says: “Also one who pronounces the divine name as it is spelled.”" |
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13. Mishnah, Yoma, 3.4 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.4. They spread out a linen sheet between him and the people. He stripped off [his clothes], went down and immersed himself, came up and dried himself. They brought him the golden garments, he put them on and sanctified his hands and feet. They brought him the tamid. He made the required cut and some one else finished it for him. He received the blood and sprinkled it. He went inside to smoke the morning incense and to trim the lamps; And to offer up the head and the limbs and the griddle cakes and the wine." |
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14. New Testament, 1 John, 2.18, 2.22, 3.8-3.10, 4.2-4.3, 5.6-5.10 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 2.18. Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the end times. 2.22. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 3.8. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 3.9. Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God. 3.10. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother. 4.2. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God 4.3. and every spirit who doesn't confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already. 5.6. This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. 5.7. It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 5.8. For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one. 5.9. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God's testimony which he has testified concerning his Son. 5.10. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn't believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. |
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15. New Testament, 1 Corinthians, 1.9-1.17, 1.21-1.23, 2.16, 4.9, 4.15-4.21, 5.1-5.8, 5.13, 6.3, 7.15-7.24, 8.7, 9.12, 9.16, 9.19-9.22, 10.1-10.13, 11.7-11.10, 13.1, 15.1-15.2, 15.26, 15.54-15.55, 16.1-16.4, 16.22 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.9. God is faithful, through whom you were calledinto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. 1.10. Now Ibeg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that youall speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, butthat you be perfected together in the same mind and in the samejudgment. 1.11. For it has been reported to me concerning you, mybrothers, by those who are from Chloe's household, that there arecontentions among you. 1.12. Now I mean this, that each one of yousays, "I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Cephas," and, "Ifollow Christ. 1.13. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? 1.14. I thank God that Ibaptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius 1.15. o that no oneshould say that I had baptized you into my own name. 1.16. (I alsobaptized the household of Stephanas; besides them, I don't know whetherI baptized any other.) 1.17. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but topreach the gospel -- not in wisdom of words, so that the cross ofChrist wouldn't be made void. 1.21. For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdomdidn't know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness ofthe preaching to save those who believe. 1.22. For Jews ask for signs,Greeks seek after wisdom 1.23. but we preach Christ crucified; astumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks 2.16. For who has knownthe mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?" But we haveChrist's mind. 4.9. For,I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like mensentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both toangels and men. 4.15. For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yetnot many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through thegospel. 4.16. I beg you therefore, be imitators of me. 4.17. Becauseof this I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithfulchild in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ,even as I teach everywhere in every assembly. 4.18. Now some arepuffed up, as though I were not coming to you. 4.19. But I will cometo you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the wordof those who are puffed up, but the power. 4.20. For the Kingdom ofGod is not in word, but in power. 4.21. What do you want? Shall I cometo you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness? 5.1. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality amongyou, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among theGentiles, that one has his father's wife. 5.2. You are puffed up, anddidn't rather mourn, that he who had done this deed might be removedfrom among you. 5.3. For I most assuredly, as being absent in body butpresent in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged himwho has done this thing. 5.4. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our LordJesus Christ 5.5. are to deliver such a one to Satan for thedestruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day ofthe Lord Jesus. 5.6. Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeastleavens the whole lump? 5.7. Purge out the old yeast, that you may bea new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, ourPassover, has been sacrificed in our place. 5.8. Therefore let us keepthe feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice andwickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 5.13. But those who are outside, God judges. "Put awaythe wicked man from among yourselves. 6.3. Don't youknow that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain tothis life? 7.15. Yet if the unbeliever departs, let therebe separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in suchcases, but God has called us in peace. 7.16. For how do you know,wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband,whether you will save your wife? 7.17. Only, as the Lord hasdistributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So Icommand in all the assemblies. 7.18. Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not becomeuncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not becircumcised. 7.19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision isnothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 7.20. Let eachman stay in that calling in which he was called. 7.21. Were you calledbeing a bondservant? Don't let that bother you, but if you get anopportunity to become free, use it. 7.22. For he who was called in theLord being a bondservant is the Lord's free man. Likewise he who wascalled being free is Christ's bondservant. 7.23. You were bought witha price. Don't become bondservants of men. 7.24. Brothers, let eachman, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition withGod. 8.7. However, that knowledgeisn't in all men. But some, with consciousness of the idol until now,eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, beingweak, is defiled. 9.12. If others partake of this right overyou, don't we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but webear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel ofChrist. 9.16. For if I preach the gospel, I havenothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me,if I don't preach the gospel. 9.19. For though I was free fromall, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. 9.20. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to thosewho are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those whoare under the law; 9.21. to those who are without law, as without law(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that Imight win those who are without law. 9.22. To the weak I became asweak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men,that I may by all means save some. 10.1. Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fatherswere all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 10.2. andwere all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 10.3. andall ate the same spiritual food; 10.4. and all drank the samespiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them,and the rock was Christ. 10.5. However with most of them, God was notwell pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 10.6. Nowthese things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust afterevil things, as they also lusted. 10.7. Neither be idolaters, as someof them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink,and rose up to play. 10.8. Neither let us commit sexual immorality,as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 10.9. Neither let us test the Lord, as some of them tested, andperished by the serpents. 10.10. Neither grumble, as some of them alsogrumbled, and perished by the destroyer. 10.11. Now all these thingshappened to them by way of example, and they were written for ouradmonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 10.12. Thereforelet him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn't fall. 10.13. No temptation has taken you but such as man can bear. God isfaithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able,but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you maybe able to endure it. 11.7. For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered,because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory ofthe man. 11.8. For man is not from woman, but woman from man; 11.9. for neither was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. 11.10. For this cause the woman ought to have authority on her head,because of the angels. 13.1. If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don'thave love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 15.1. Now I declare to you, brothers, the gospel which I preachedto you, which also you received, in which you also stand 15.2. bywhich also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preachedto you -- unless you believed in vain. 15.26. The lastenemy that will be abolished is death. 15.54. But when this corruptible will have put onincorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then whatis written will happen: "Death is swallowed up in victory. 15.55. Death, where is your sting?Hades, where is your victory? 16.1. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I commandedthe assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise. 16.2. On the first day ofthe week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that nocollections be made when I come. 16.3. When I arrive, I will sendwhoever you approve with letters to carry your gracious gift toJerusalem. 16.4. If it is appropriate for me to go also, they will gowith me. 16.22. Ifany man doesn't love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Come,Lord! |
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16. New Testament, 1 Thessalonians, 1.2-1.3, 1.5-1.6, 1.9, 2.1, 2.5, 2.12-2.13, 3.3-3.4, 3.9-3.13, 4.7, 4.16-4.17, 5.2, 5.23-5.24 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.2. We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers 1.3. remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father. 1.5. and that our gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake. 1.6. You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit 1.9. For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God 2.1. For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn't in vain 2.5. For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness) 2.12. to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. 2.13. For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe. 3.3. that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task. 3.4. For most assuredly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know. 3.9. For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God; 3.10. night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 3.11. Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you; 3.12. and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you 3.13. to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. 4.7. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. 4.16. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first 4.17. then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. 5.2. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. 5.23. May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5.24. Faithful is he who calls you, who will also do it. |
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17. New Testament, 2 Peter, 2.1-2.4, 3.16 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 2.1. But there also arose false prophets among the people, as among you also there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. 2.2. Many will follow their destructive ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. 2.3. In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn't linger, and their destruction will not slumber. 2.4. For if God didn't spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved to judgment; 3.16. as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. |
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18. New Testament, 2 Corinthians, 2.13-2.14, 7.5, 10.1-10.6, 10.8, 10.10, 10.12, 10.18, 11.2-11.6, 11.12-11.15, 11.22, 11.28, 12.11-12.12, 12.19, 13.1 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
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19. New Testament, 2 Thessalonians, 1.11, 2.2, 2.4, 2.14 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.11. To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power; 2.2. not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of Christ had come. 2.4. he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. 2.14. to which he called you through our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
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20. New Testament, 2 Timothy, 1.12-1.13 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.12. For this cause I suffer also these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day. 1.13. Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. |
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21. New Testament, Acts, 8.39, 10.28, 15.1, 18.11, 20.31 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 8.39. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn't see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing. 10.28. He said to them, "You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I shouldn't call any man unholy or unclean. 15.1. Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can't be saved. 18.11. He lived there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 20.31. Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn't cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. |
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22. New Testament, Apocalypse, 12.5, 22.10 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 12.5. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne. 22.10. He said to me, "Don't seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. |
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23. New Testament, Colossians, 1.16, 3.15 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.16. For by him were all things created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him. 3.15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. |
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24. New Testament, Ephesians, 3.9, 4.4 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 3.9. and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ; 4.4. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling; |
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25. New Testament, Galatians, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 1.12-2.14, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19, 1.20, 1.21, 1.22, 1.23, 1.24, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.18, 2.19, 2.20, 2.21, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.19, 3.24, 3.25, 3.28, 4.6, 4.8, 4.9, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, 4.14, 4.15, 4.16, 4.17, 4.18, 4.19, 4.20, 4.21, 4.21-5.1, 4.22, 4.23, 4.24, 4.25, 4.26, 4.27, 4.28, 4.29, 4.30, 4.31, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, 5.15, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18, 5.19, 5.20, 5.21, 5.22, 5.23, 5.24, 6.11, 6.12, 6.13, 6.14, 6.15, 6.16, 6.17, 6.18 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.1. Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead) |
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26. New Testament, Philippians, 2.6-2.7, 2.27, 3.2-3.7, 3.15 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 2.6. who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider it robbery to be equal with God 2.7. but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 2.27. For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. 3.2. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision. 3.3. For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; 3.4. though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: 3.5. circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 3.6. concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. 3.7. However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. 3.15. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. |
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27. New Testament, Romans, 1.21-1.23, 1.25, 3.4, 8.15, 8.26-8.27, 8.29-8.30, 9.3, 9.24-9.26, 11.14, 11.34, 12.2, 12.17-12.21, 13.8-13.10, 14.1-14.5, 16.20 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.21. Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. 1.22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools 1.23. and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. 1.25. who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 3.4. May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, "That you might be justified in your words, And might prevail when you come into judgment. 8.15. For you didn't receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father! 8.26. In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don't know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered. 8.27. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit's mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God. 8.29. For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 8.30. Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified. 9.3. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers' sake, my relatives according to the flesh 9.24. us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? 9.25. As he says also in Hosea, "I will call them 'my people,' which were not my people; And her 'beloved,' who was not beloved. 9.26. It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'sons of the living God.' 11.14. if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. 11.34. For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? 12.2. Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 12.17. Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. 12.18. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. 12.19. Don't seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. 12.20. Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head. 12.21. Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 13.8. Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 13.9. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not give false testimony," "You shall not covet," and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 13.10. Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. 14.1. Now receive one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. 14.2. One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 14.3. Don't let him who eats despise him who doesn't eat. Don't let him who doesn't eat judge him who eats, for God has received him. 14.4. Who are you who judge another's servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand. 14.5. One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. 16.20. And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. |
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28. New Testament, John, 3.1-3.2, 7.50-7.51 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 3.1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 3.2. The same came to him by night, and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him. 7.50. Nicodemus (he who came to him by night, being one of them) said to them 7.51. Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does? |
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29. New Testament, Luke, 1.27, 5.27-5.32, 6.27-6.35, 11.37-11.52 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.27. to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 5.27. After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, "Follow me! 5.28. He left everything, and rose up and followed him. 5.29. Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them. 5.30. Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners? 5.31. Jesus answered them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 5.32. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 6.27. But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you 6.28. bless those who curse you, and pray for those who insult you. 6.29. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don't withhold your coat also. 6.30. Give to everyone who asks you, and don't ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again. 6.31. As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them. 6.32. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 6.33. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 6.34. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. 6.35. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. 11.37. Now as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him. He went in, and sat at the table. 11.38. When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed himself before dinner. 11.39. The Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. 11.40. You foolish ones, didn't he who made the outside make the inside also? 11.41. But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you. 11.42. But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and the love of God. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 11.43. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces. 11.44. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don't know it. 11.45. One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you insult us also. 11.46. He said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won't even lift one finger to help carry those burdens. 11.47. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 11.48. So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs. 11.49. Therefore also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute 11.50. that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 11.51. from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.' Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 11.52. Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn't enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered. |
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30. New Testament, Mark, 2.13-2.17, 7.27, 8.31-8.38, 9.5, 12.28-12.34 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 2.13. He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them. 2.14. As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him. 2.15. It happened, that he was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. 2.16. The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners? 2.17. When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 7.27. But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. 8.31. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 8.32. He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 8.33. But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men. 8.34. He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, "Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 8.35. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 8.36. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? 8.37. For what will a man give in exchange for his life? 8.38. For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 9.5. Peter answered Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let's make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 12.28. One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the greatest of all? 12.29. Jesus answered, "The greatest is, 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: 12.30. you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 12.31. The second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. 12.32. The scribe said to him, "Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he 12.33. and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 12.34. When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."No one dared ask him any question after that. |
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31. New Testament, Matthew, 5.38-5.48, 9.9, 23.1-23.36 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 5.38. You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' 5.39. But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. 5.40. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. 5.41. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 5.42. Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you. 5.43. You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' 5.44. But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you 5.45. that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 5.46. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 5.47. If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 5.48. Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 9.9. As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, "Follow me." He got up and followed him. 23.1. Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples 23.2. saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses' seat. 23.3. All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don't do their works; for they say, and don't do. 23.4. For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. 23.5. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments 23.6. and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues 23.7. the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi, Rabbi' by men. 23.8. But don't you be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. 23.9. Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. 23.10. Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ. 23.11. But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. 23.12. Whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be exalted. 23.13. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 23.14. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don't enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter. 23.15. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of Gehenna as yourselves. 23.16. Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.' 23.17. You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 23.18. 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is a obligated.' 23.19. You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 23.20. He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it. 23.21. He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who is living in it. 23.22. He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it. 23.23. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 23.24. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel! 23.25. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness. 23.26. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside of it may become clean also. 23.27. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 23.28. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 23.29. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous 23.30. and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn't have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' 23.31. Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are sons of those who killed the prophets. 23.32. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 23.33. You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? 23.34. Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city; 23.35. that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. 23.36. Most assuredly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. |
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32. Plutarch, Pelopidas, 21.3 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 21.3. and, still further, the youths who were sacrificed by Themistocles to Dionysus Carnivorous before the sea fight at Salamis Cf. the Themistocles, xiii. 2 f. for the successes which followed these sacrifices proved them acceptable to the gods. Moreover, when Agesilaüs, who was setting out on an expedition from the same place as Agamemnon did, and against the same enemies, was asked by the goddess for his daughter in sacrifice, and had this vision as he lay asleep at Aulis, he was too tender-hearted to give her, Cf. the Agesilaüs, vi. 4 ff. and thereby brought his expedition to an unsuccessful and inglorious ending. |
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33. Suetonius, Augustus, 94.8 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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34. Irenaeus, Refutation of All Heresies, 3.11.7-3.11.9, 3.13.1 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
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35. Lucian, Alexander The False Prophet, 38 (2nd cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 38. It was with his eye on this Italian propaganda, too, that he took a further step. This was the institution of mysteries, with hierophants and torch bearers complete. The ceremonies occupied three successive days. On the first, proclamation was made on the Athenian model to this effect: ‘If there be any atheist or Christian or Epicurean here spying upon our rites, let him depart in haste; and let all such as have faith in the God be initiated and all blessing attend them.’ He led the litany with, ‘Christians, avaunt!’ and the crowd responded, ‘Epicureans, avaunt!’ Then was presented the child bed of Leto and birth of Apollo, the bridal of Coronis, Asclepius born. The second day, the epiphany and nativity of the God Glycon. |
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36. Tertullian, Against Marcion, 4.2-4.3, 5.3.1, 5.3.7, 5.4.8, 5.18.1 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.2. You have now our answer to the Antitheses compendiously indicated by us. I pass on to give a proof of the Gospel - not, to be sure, of Jewry, but of Pontus- having become meanwhile adulterated; and this shall indicate the order by which we proceed. We lay it down as our first position, that the evangelical Testament has apostles for its authors, to whom was assigned by the Lord Himself this office of publishing the gospel. Since, however, there are apostolic men also, they are yet not alone, but appear with apostles and after apostles; because the preaching of disciples might be open to the suspicion of an affectation of glory, if there did not accompany it the authority of the masters, which means that of Christ, for it was that which made the apostles their masters. of the apostles, therefore, John and Matthew first instil faith into us; while of apostolic men, Luke and Mark renew it afterwards. These all start with the same principles of the faith, so far as relates to the one only God the Creator and His Christ, how that He was born of the Virgin, and came to fulfil the law and the prophets. Never mind if there does occur some variation in the order of their narratives, provided that there be agreement in the essential matter of the faith, in which there is disagreement with Marcion. Marcion, on the other hand, you must know, ascribes no author to his Gospel, as if it could not be allowed him to affix a title to that from which it was no crime (in his eyes) to subvert the very body. And here I might now make a stand, and contend that a work ought not to be recognised, which holds not its head erect, which exhibits no consistency, which gives no promise of credibility from the fullness of its title and the just profession of its author. But we prefer to join issue on every point; nor shall we leave unnoticed what may fairly be understood to be on our side. Now, of the authors whom we possess, Marcion seems to have singled out Luke for his mutilating process. Luke, however, was not an apostle, but only an apostolic man; not a master, but a disciple, and so inferior to a master - at least as far subsequent to him as the apostle whom he followed (and that, no doubt, was Paul ) was subsequent to the others; so that, had Marcion even published his Gospel in the name of St. Paul himself, the single authority of the document, destitute of all support from preceding authorities, would not be a sufficient basis for our faith. There would be still wanted that Gospel which St. Paul found in existence, to which he yielded his belief, and with which he so earnestly wished his own to agree, that he actually on that account went up to Jerusalem to know and consult the apostles, lest he should run, or had been running in vain; Galatians 2:2 in other words, that the faith which he had learned, and the gospel which he was preaching, might be in accordance with theirs. Then, at last, having conferred with the (primitive) authors, and having agreed with them touching the rule of faith, they joined their hands in fellowship, and divided their labours thenceforth in the office of preaching the gospel, so that they were to go to the Jews, and St. Paul to the Jews and the Gentiles. Inasmuch, therefore, as the enlightener of St. Luke himself desired the authority of his predecessors for both his own faith and preaching, how much more may not I require for Luke's Gospel that which was necessary for the Gospel of his master. 4.3. In the scheme of Marcion, on the contrary, the mystery of the Christian religion begins from the discipleship of Luke. Since, however, it was on its course previous to that point, it must have had its own authentic materials, by means of which it found its own way down to St. Luke; and by the assistance of the testimony which it bore, Luke himself becomes admissible. Well, but Marcion, finding the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians (wherein he rebukes even apostles ) for not walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, as well as accuses certain false apostles of perverting the gospel of Christ), labours very hard to destroy the character of those Gospels which are published as genuine and under the name of apostles, in order, forsooth, to secure for his own Gospel the credit which he takes away from them. But then, even if he censures Peter and John and James, who were thought to be pillars, it is for a manifest reason. They seemed to be changing their company from respect of persons. And yet as Paul himself became all things to all men, 1 Corinthians 9:22 that he might gain all, it was possible that Peter also might have betaken himself to the same plan of practising somewhat different from what he taught. And, in like manner, if false apostles also crept in, their character too showed itself in their insisting upon circumcision and the Jewish ceremonies. So that it was not on account of their preaching, but of their conversation, that they were marked by St. Paul, who would with equal impartiality have marked them with censure, if they had erred at all with respect to God the Creator or His Christ. Each several case will therefore have to be distinguished. When Marcion complains that apostles are suspected (for their prevarication and dissimulation) of having even depraved the gospel, he thereby accuses Christ, by accusing those whom Christ chose. If, then, the apostles, who are censured simply for inconsistency of walk, composed the Gospel in a pure form, but false apostles interpolated their true record; and if our own copies have been made from these, where will that genuine text of the apostle's writings be found which has not suffered adulteration? Which was it that enlightened Paul, and through him Luke? It is either completely blotted out, as if by some deluge - being obliterated by the inundation of falsifiers - in which case even Marcion does not possess the true Gospel; or else, is that very edition which Marcion alone possesses the true one, that is, of the apostles? How, then, does that agree with ours, which is said not to be (the work) of apostles, but of Luke? Or else, again, if that which Marcion uses is not to be attributed to Luke simply because it does agree with ours (which, of course, is, also adulterated in its title), then it is the work of apostles. Our Gospel, therefore, which is in agreement with it, is equally the work of apostles, but also adulterated in its title. |
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37. Athanasius, Epistula Festalis Xxxix (Fragmentum In Collectione Canonum), 39 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
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38. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, 55b (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 55b. וההיא שעתא אמיה לא הות,אמר א"ר לוי לעולם יצפה אדם לחלום טוב עד כ"ב שנה מנלן מיוסף דכתיב (בראשית לז, ב) אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף בן שבע עשרה שנה וגו' וכתיב (בראשית מא, מו) ויוסף בן שלשים שנה בעמדו לפני פרעה וגו' מן שבסרי עד תלתין כמה הוי תלת סרי ושב דשבעא ותרתי דכפנא הא כ"ב,אמר רב הונא לאדם טוב אין מראין לו חלום טוב ולאדם רע אין מראין לו חלום רע,תניא נמי הכי כל שנותיו של דוד לא ראה חלום טוב וכל שנותיו של אחיתופל לא ראה חלום רע,והכתיב (תהלים צא, י) לא תאונה אליך רעה ואמר רב חסדא אמר רב ירמיה בר אבא שלא יבהילוך לא חלומות רעים ולא הרהורים רעים ונגע לא יקרב באהלך שלא תמצא אשתך ספק נדה בשעה שאתה בא מן הדרך אלא איהו לא חזי ליה אחריני חזו ליה,וכי לא חזא איהו מעליותא הוא והאמר ר' זעירא כל הלן שבעה ימים בלא חלום נקרא רע שנאמר (משלי יט, כג) ושבע ילין בל יפקד רע אל תקרי שבע אלא שבע אלא הכי קאמר דחזא ולא ידע מאי חזא,אמר רב הונא בר אמי אמר ר' פדת א"ר יוחנן הרואה חלום ונפשו עגומה ילך ויפתרנו בפני שלשה יפתרנו והאמר רב חסדא חלמא דלא מפשר כאגרתא דלא מקריא אלא אימא יטיבנו בפני שלשה ליתי תלתא ולימא להו חלמא טבא חזאי ולימרו ליה הנך טבא הוא וטבא ליהוי רחמנא לשוייה לטב שבע זימנין לגזרו עלך מן שמיא דלהוי טבא ויהוי טבא ולימרו ג' הפוכות וג' פדויות ושלש שלומות,שלש הפוכות (תהלים ל, יב) הפכת מספדי למחול לי פתחת שקי ותאזרני שמחה (ירמיהו לא, יג) אז תשמח בתולה במחול ובחורים וזקנים יחדיו והפכתי אבלם לששון וגו' (דברים כג, ו) ולא אבה ה' אלהיך לשמוע אל בלעם ויהפוך וגו',שלש פדויות דכתיב (תהלים נה, יט) פדה בשלום נפשי מקרב לי וגו' (ישעיהו לה, י) ופדויי ה' ישובון וגו' (שמואל א ד, ג) ויאמר העם אל שאול היונתן ימות אשר עשה הישועה וגו',שלש שלומות דכתיב (ישעיהו נז, יט) בורא ניב שפתים שלום שלום לרחוק ולקרוב אמר ה' ורפאתיו (דברי הימים א יב, יט) ורוח לבשה את עמשי וגו' (שמואל א כה, ו) ואמרתם כה לחי ואתה שלום וביתך שלום וגו',אמימר ומר זוטרא ורב אשי הוו יתבי בהדי הדדי אמרי כל חד וחד מינן לימא מלתא דלא שמיע ליה לחבריה פתח חד מינייהו ואמר האי מאן דחזא חלמא ולא ידע מאי חזא ליקום קמי כהני בעידנא דפרסי ידייהו ולימא הכי רבש"ע אני שלך וחלומותי שלך חלום חלמתי ואיני יודע מה הוא בין שחלמתי אני לעצמי ובין שחלמו לי חבירי ובין שחלמתי על אחרים אם טובים הם חזקם ואמצם כחלומותיו של יוסף ואם צריכים רפואה רפאם כמי מרה על ידי משה רבינו וכמרים מצרעתה וכחזקיהו מחליו וכמי יריחו על ידי אלישע וכשם שהפכת קללת בלעם הרשע לברכה כן הפוך כל חלומותי עלי לטובה ומסיים בהדי כהני דעני צבורא אמן ואי לא לימא הכי אדיר במרום שוכן בגבורה אתה שלום ושמך שלום יהי רצון מלפניך שתשים עלינו שלום,פתח אידך ואמר האי מאן דעייל למתא ודחיל מעינא בישא לנקוט זקפא דידא דימיניה בידא דשמאליה וזקפא דידא דשמאליה בידא דימיניה ולימא הכי אנא פלוני בר פלוני מזרעא דיוסף קאתינא דלא שלטא ביה עינא בישא שנאמר (בראשית מט, כב) בן פורת יוסף בן פורת עלי עין וגו' אל תקרי עלי עין אלא עולי עין ר' יוסי בר' חנינא אמר מהכא (בראשית מח, טז) וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ מה דגים שבים מים מכסים עליהם ואין עין רעה שולטת בהם אף זרעו של יוסף אין עין רעה שולטת בהם ואי דחיל מעינא בישא דיליה ליחזי אטרפא דנחיריה דשמאליה,פתח אידך ואמר האי מאן דחליש יומא קמא לא לגלי כי היכי דלא לתרע מזליה מכאן ואילך לגלי כי הא דרבא כי הוה חליש יומא קמא לא מגלי מכאן ואילך א"ל לשמעיה פוק אכריז רבא חלש מאן דרחים לי לבעי עלי רחמי ומאן דסני לי לחדי לי וכתיב (משלי כד, יז) בנפול אויבך אל תשמח ובכשלו אל יגל לבך פן יראה ה' ורע בעיניו והשיב מעליו אפו,שמואל כי הוה חזי חלמא בישא אמר (זכריה י, ב) וחלומות השוא ידברו כי הוה חזי חלמא טבא אמר וכי החלומות השוא ידברו והכתיב (במדבר יב, ו) בחלום אדבר בו,רבא רמי כתיב בחלום אדבר בו וכתיב וחלומות השוא ידברו לא קשיא כאן ע"י מלאך כאן ע"י שד,א"ר ביזנא בר זבדא א"ר עקיבא א"ר פנדא א"ר נחום א"ר בירים משום זקן אחד ומנו ר' בנאה עשרים וארבעה פותרי חלומות היו בירושלים פעם אחת חלמתי חלום והלכתי אצל כולם ומה שפתר לי זה לא פתר לי זה וכולם נתקיימו בי לקיים מה שנאמר כל החלומות הולכים אחר הפה,אטו כל החלומות הולכים אחר הפה קרא הוא אין וכדרבי אלעזר דא"ר אלעזר מנין שכל החלומות הולכין אחר הפה שנאמר (בראשית מא, יג) ויהי כאשר פתר לנו כן היה אמר רבא והוא דמפשר ליה מעין חלמיה שנאמר (בראשית מא, יב) איש כחלומו פתר,(בראשית מ, טז) וירא שר האופים מנא ידע א"ר אלעזר מלמד שכל אחד ואחד הראוהו חלומו ופתרון חלומו של חבירו,א"ר יוחנן השכים ונפל לו פסוק לתוך פיו הרי זו נבואה קטנה,ואמר ר' יוחנן ג' חלומות מתקיימין חלום של שחרית וחלום שחלם לו חבירו וחלום שנפתר בתוך חלום ויש אומר אף חלום שנשנה שנאמר (בראשית מא, לב) ועל השנות החלום וגו',אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן אין מראין לו לאדם אלא מהרהורי לבו שנאמר (דניאל ב, כט) אנת מלכא רעיונך על משכבך סליקו ואיבעית אימא מהכא (דניאל ב, ל) ורעיוני לבבך תנדע אמר רבא תדע דלא מחוו ליה לאינש לא דקלא דדהבא ולא פילא דעייל בקופא דמחטא: | 55b. and eleven stars bowed down to me” (Genesis 37:9), band at that time his mother was no longeralive. According to the interpretation of the dream, the moon symbolizes Joseph’s mother. Even this dream that was ultimately fulfilled contained an element that was not fulfilled.,From the same source, bRabbi Levi said: One should always anticipatefulfillment of a bgood dream up to twenty-two yearsafter the dream. bFrom where do wederive this? bFrom Joseph, as it is writtenin the story of Joseph’s dream: b“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old,was feeding the flock with his brethren” (Genesis 37:2); band it is written: “And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before PharaohKing of Egypt” (Genesis 41:46). bFrom seventeen to thirty how manyyears bare they? Thirteen; andadd bseven years of plenty and two of famine;the total is btwenty-twoand only then was the dream fulfilled when his brothers came and bowed down to him., bRav Huna said: A good person is not shown a good dream and a wicked person is not shown a bad dream;rather, a good person is punished for his relatively few transgressions with bad dreams and a wicked person is rewarded for his relatively few merits with good dreams., bThat was also taughtin a ibaraita /i: bAll ofKing bDavid’s life he never saw a good dream, and all of Ahitophel’s life he never saw a bad dream. /b,The Gemara raises a difficulty: bIs it not written: “No evil shall befall you,neither shall any plague come near your tent” (Psalms 91:10)? bAnd Rav Ḥisda saidthat bRav Yirmeya bar Abba saidin explanation of that verse: This means bthat you will be frightened neither by bad dreams nor by evil thoughts. Neither shall any plague come near your tent,means bthat you will never find your wifewith the buncertainstatus of a bmenstruating woman when you return from a journey.This proves that it is impossible that a righteous person will experience bad dreams throughout his life. bRather,one might say that bhe does not seebad dreams; bothers seebad dreams about him.,The Gemara asks: bAnd when he does not seea dream, bisthat ba virtue? Didn’t Rabbi Zeira say: Anyone who sleeps seven days without a dream is called evil,as it indicates that God does not wish to appear to him even in that indirect manner. Allusion to this is, bas it is stated: “And he that has it shall lie satisfied [ ivesave’a /i], he shall not be visited with evil”(Proverbs 19:23). The Sages said: bDo not readit as bsatisfied [ ivesave’a /i], ratherread it as bseven [ ivesheva /i],which is an allusion to the fact that one who sleeps seven times and does not experience a dream is considered evil. bRather,one must say that David saw dreams band the ibaraita bsays as follows:David certainly bsawdreams, bbut he did not understand what he saw. /b, bRav Huna bar Ami saidthat bRabbi Pedat saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: One who sees a dreamfrom which bhis soul is distraught, should go andhave bit interpreted before three.The Gemara is surprised by this: bInterpreted? Didn’t Rav Ḥisda say: A dream not interpreted is like a letter not read?If one is concerned about a dream, why would he actively promote its fulfillment? bRather, sayas follows: bHe should better it before three.He should bbring threepeople band say to them: I saw a good dream. And theyshould bsay to him: It is good, and let it be good,may bGod make it good.May bthey decree upon you from heaven seven times that it will be good, and it will be good.Afterwards bthey recite threeverses of btransformationfrom bad to good, bthreeverses of bredemption, and threeverses which mention bpeace. /b,The Gemara elaborates: bThree transformations:br b“You transformed my mourning into dancing;br bYou loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness”(Psalms 30:12); br b“Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together;br bfor I will transform their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow”(Jeremiah 31:12); brand: b“Nevertheless the Lord your God would not hearken unto Balaam;br bbut the Lord your God transformed the curse into a blessing unto you”(Deuteronomy 23:6)., bAnd three redemptions, as it is written:br b“He has redeemed my soul in peace so that none came near me;for they were many that strove with me” (Psalms 55:19); br b“The redeemed of the Lord shall return,and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; brthey shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10); brand: b“The people said to Saul: Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvationin Israel? brSo the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not” (I Samuel 14:45)., bAnd threementions of bpeace, as it is written:br b“Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, says the Lord that creates the expression of the lips; and I will heal him”(Isaiah 57:19); br b“Then the spirit clothed Amasai,who was chief of the captains: Yours are we, David, and on your side, you son of Yishai; br bpeace, peace be unto you, and peace be to your helpers”(I Chronicles 12:19); brand: b“Thus you shall say: All hail and peace be both unto you,br band peace be to your house,and peace be unto all that you have” (I Samuel 25:6).,The Gemara relates: bAmeimar and Mar Zutra and Rav Ashi were sitting together. They said: Let each and every one of us say something that the other has not heard. One of them began and said: One who saw a dream and does not know what he saw should stand before the priests when they lift their handsduring the Priestly Blessing band say the following: br bMaster of the Universe, I am Yours and my dreams are Yours,br bI dreamed a dream and I do not know what it is.br bWhether I have dreamed of myself, whether my friends have dreamed of me or whether I have dreamed of others,br bifthe dreams bare good, strengthen them and reinforce them like the dreams of Joseph.br bAnd ifthe dreams brequire healing,br bheal them like thebitter bwaters of Mara by Moses our teacher, and like Miriam from her leprosy,br band like Hezekiah from his illness, and like thebitter bwaters of Jericho by Elisha.br bAnd just as You transformed the curse of Balaam the wicked into a blessing,br bso transform all of my dreams for me for the best.br bAndhe should bcompletehis prayer btogether with the priests so the congregation responds amenboth to the blessing of the priests and to his individual request. bAnd ifhe is bnotable to recite this entire formula, bhe should say:br bMajestic One on high, Who dwells in power,br bYou are peace and Your name is peace.br bMay it be Your will that You bestow upon us peace. /b, bAnother began and said: One who enters a city and fears the evil eyeshould bhold the thumb [ izekafa /i] of his right hand in his left hand and the thumb of his left hand in his right hand and recite the following: I, so-and-so son of so-and-so, come from the descendants of Joseph,over whom bthe evil eye has no dominion, as it is stated: “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a fountain [ ialei ayin /i];its branches run over the wall” (Genesis 49:22). bDo not readit as ialei ayin /i; but rather,read it as iolei ayin /i, who rise above the eyeand the evil eye has no dominion over him. bRabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said:Derive it bfrom here,from what is stated in Jacob’s blessing of Joseph’s sons: b“And let them grow like fish into a multitude in the midst of the earth”(Genesis 48:16): bJust as fish in the sea are covered by water and the evil eye has no dominion over themas they cannot be seen, bso too the offspring of Joseph, the evil eye has no dominion over them. And if he is concerned about his own evil eye,lest it damage others, he should blook at the side of his left nostril. /b, bAnother began and said: One who is sick should not revealit bon the first dayof his illness bso that his luck should not suffer; from there onhe may brevealit. bLike that which Ravadoes bwhen he falls ill; on the first day he does not reveal it, from there on he says to his servant: Go out and announce: Rava is sick. Those who love me will praythat God have bmercy on me and those who hate me will rejoiceover bmydistress. bAnd it is written: “Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles; lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him”(Proverbs 24:17–18). The joy of my enemy over my distress will also assist my healing.,The Gemara relates: bShmuel, when he would see a bad dream,would bsay: “And the dreams speak falsely”(Zechariah 10:2). bWhen he would see a good dream,he would bsay: And do dreams speak falsely? Isn’t it written: “I speak with him in a dream”(Numbers 12:6)?, bRava raised a contradictionbetween these verses: On the one hand, bit is written: “I speak with him in a dream”; andon the other hand, bit is written: “And the dreams speak falsely.”The Gemara resolves this contradiction: This is bnot difficultbecause there are two types of dreams. bHere,the verse, “I speak with him in a dream,” refers to dreams that come bby means of an angel; here,the verse, “And the dreams speak falsely,” refers to dreams that come bby means of a demon. /b,In a long chain of those transmitting this statement, it is said that bRabbi Bizna bar Zavda saidthat bRabbi Akiva saidthat bRabbi Panda saidthat bRav Naḥum saidthat bRabbi Birayim said in the name of one elder, and who is he, Rabbi Bena’a: There were twenty-four interpreters of dreams in Jerusalem. One time, I dreamed a dream and went to each of themto interpret it. bWhat one interpreted for me the other did not interpret for me, and,nevertheless, ball ofthe interpretations bwere realized in me, to fulfill that which is stated: All dreams follow the mouthof the interpreter.,The Gemara asks: bIs that to say that all dreams follow the mouth is a versecited as corroboration? The Gemara responds: bYes, and in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Elazar, as Rabbi Elazar said: From whereis it derived bthat all dreams follow the mouthof the interpreter? bAs it is statedin the story of the dreams of Pharaoh’s two ministers. The butler said to Pharaoh: b“And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was”(Genesis 41:13). bRava said,one must attach a caveat to this: bThis is onlyin a case where bit is interpreted for himin a manner bakin to the dream,where the interpretation is relevant to the dream, bas it is statedin the story of Joseph’s interpretation of the dreams of Pharaoh’s two ministers: b“Each man according to his dream he did interpret”(Genesis 41:12).,With regard to Joseph’s interpretation of these dreams, the Gemara asks, it is written: b“The baker sawthat the interpretation was good” (Genesis 40:16); bfrom where didthe baker bknowthat the interpretation was good? bRabbi Elazar said:This bteaches that eachof them bwas shown his dream and the interpretation of the other’s dream.That is how he knew that it was the correct interpretation.,With regard to the veracity of dreams, bRabbi Yoḥa said: One who awakenedin the morning band aspecific bverse happens into his mouth, it is a minor prophecyand an indication that the content of the verse will be fulfilled., bRabbi Yoḥa also said: Three dreams are fulfilled: A dream of the morning, a dream that one’s fellow dreamed about him, and a dream that is interpreted within a dream. And some say that a dream that is repeatedseveral times is also fulfilled, bas it is stated: “And for that the dream was doubledunto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass” (Genesis 41:32)., bRabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani saidthat bRabbi Yonatan said: A person is shownin his dream bonly the thoughts of his heartwhen he was awake, as evidenced by what Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, bas it is stated: “As for you, O king, your thoughts came upon your bed,what should come to pass hereafter” (Daniel 2:29). bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that it is derived bfrom here,a related verse: b“And that you may know the thoughts of yourheart” (Daniel 2:30). How will you know the thoughts of your heart? By their being revealed to you in a dream. bRava said: Knowthat this is the case, bfor one is neither shown a golden palm tree nor an elephantgoing through bthe eye of a needlein a dream. In other words, dreams only contain images that enter a person’s mind. |
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39. Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, 3.5.3 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
| 3.5.3. But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella. And when those that believed in Christ had come there from Jerusalem, then, as if the royal city of the Jews and the whole land of Judea were entirely destitute of holy men, the judgment of God at length overtook those who had committed such outrages against Christ and his apostles, and totally destroyed that generation of impious men. |
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40. Shenoute, I Am Amazed, 319, 308 (4th cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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41. Anon., Gospel of Mary, 7
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