Son, you'd better do what I say! Get up, run off to my brother Laban in Haran,

"It's better that I give her to you than to another man," Laban replied, "so stay with me."

making their lives bitter through hard labor with mortar, bricks, and all kinds of outdoor labor. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them.

That very night they're to eat the meat, roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Is this not what we told you in Egypt, when we said, "Leave us alone!' and "Let us serve the Egyptians!'? Indeed, it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter. (That is why it's called Marah.)

He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, and ground it into powder. He scattered it on the water and made the Israelis drink it.

The woman is to drink the bitter water that brings a curse and the water that brings a curse is to be considered contaminated.

On the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight, they are to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

People would go out to gather it, then they would grind it in mills or pound it in mortars, and then they would boil it in pots or make cakes out of it that tasted like butter cakes.

"But give this command to the people: "You are to consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow you're going to eat meat, since you've complained where the LORD can hear it, "Who can give us meat to eat? After all, life was better with us in Egypt." Therefore, the LORD is going to give you meat and you'll eat

What's the point in the LORD bringing us to this land? To die by the sword so our wives and children would become war victims? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"

Now, when you made the calf that made you sin, I grabbed it, burned it with fire, crushed it, and ground it thoroughly until it was pulverized to powder. Then I threw the powder into the river that was flowing from the mountain."

The LORD will change the rain on your land to powder and dust. It will come down from the sky until you are exterminated."

Be alert so there is no man, woman, family, or a tribe whose heart is turning away from the LORD your God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Be alert so there will be no root among you that produces poisonous and bitter fruit,

Instead, their vine is from the vines of Sodom and the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous, their clusters bitter.

So the men told her, "Our life for yours even to death if you don't betray this mission of ours. Then when the LORD gives us this land, we'll treat you graciously and faithfully."

"Lord GOD," Joshua asked, "Why have you brought this people across the Jordan River? To hand us over to the Amorites so we'll be destroyed? Wouldn't it have been better for us to be content to settle on the other side of the Jordan?

"What have I accomplished compared to you?" he responded. "Isn't what's left from Ephraim's harvest better than the best vintage of Abiezer?

"Ask all the "lords" of Shechem, "What's better for you? That 70 men, each of them Jerubbaal's sons, rule over you? Or that one man rule over you?' Keep in mind that I'm like your own close relative."

Also ask yourselves: do you have a better case than Zippor's son Balak, king of Moab? Did he ever have a quarrel with Israel or ever win a fight against them?

Her father said, "Because I honestly thought that you hated her deeply, I gave her in marriage to your best man. Isn't her younger sister better than she? Please then, let her be yours instead."

They told him, "Shut up and keep quiet. Come with us and be our spiritual father and priest. It's better for you, isn't it, to be a priest to an entire tribe and family in Israel than to be priest to the home of one man?"

The descendants of Dan answered him, "You had better not talk to us about this, or else these bad guys here will attack you. You will lose your life, along with the lives of your whole household."

Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi, told her, "My daughter, should I not make inquiries about your financial security, so you'll be better off in life?

And he will restore your life for you and will support you in your old age, because your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who has borne him, is better for you than seven sons!"

Elkanah her husband told her, "Hannah, why are you crying and why don't you eat? Why are you upset? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

How much better if the army had eaten freely today of their enemy's spoil that they found, because the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great."

Samuel said, "Does the LORD delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the LORD? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

Samuel told him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.

Let our lord order his servants who attend you to look for a man who is skilled in playing the lyre. And then when an evil spirit from God comes on you, he will play and you will be better."

Whenever an evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the lyre and play it. Relief would come to Saul and he would be better, because the evil spirit would leave him.

David told himself, "One of these days I'll perish by Saul's hand. There is nothing better for me to do than to escape to Philistine territory. Saul will give up searching for me anymore within the borders of Israel, so I'll escape from him."

But the Philistine leaders were angry with him, so they pleaded with him, "Send the man back! Let him return to the place you assigned him. He mustn't go into battle with us. Otherwise, he may become our adversary in the battle! How could there be a better way for this fellow to reconcile himself with his lord? Wouldn't it be with the heads of these men?

David was in great danger because all the people were bitter because of their sons and daughters, and they were talking about stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

In answer to Joab, Absalom replied, "Look, I sent for you, telling you "Come here so I can send you to the king to ask him "What's the point in moving here from Geshur? I would have been better off to have remained there!"' So let me see the king's face, and if I'm guilty of anything, let him execute me!"

Absalom and all of the Israelis replied, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel's!"

All of the men who had accompanied Joab arrived and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They threw up a siege ramp against the city rampart and began to batter the wall to demolish it.

I pulverized them to powder, like the dust of the earth; I crushed them, stomping on them like mud on a street.

The LORD will repay him for his bloodshed because, without my father David's consent he attacked and murdered two men more righteous and better than he, Ner's son Abner, the commander of Israel's army and Jether's son Amasa, commander of Judah's army.

"but I didn't believe it at first! But then I came here and I've seen it for myself! It's amazing! I wasn't told half of what's really great about your wisdom. You're far better in person than what the reports have said about you!

and ran for a day's journey deep into the wilderness. He found a juniper tree, sat down under it, and prayed that he could die. He asked God, "Enough! LORD! Take my life, because I'm not better than my ancestors!"

Ahab addressed Naboth and asked him, "I would like to plant a vegetable garden near my house. Please exchange your vineyard with a better one from me, or if you'd rather have cash, I'll buy it for its full value."

"I asked Naboth the Jezreelite, "Sell me your vineyard for cash, or if you want, I'll give you a better one in its place.' But he refused. He told me, "I won't give you my vineyard!'"

Aren't the Abana and Pharpar rivers in Damascus better than all of the water in Israel? Couldn't I just bathe in them and become clean?" So he turned away and left, filled with anger.

So he left Elisha and returned to his master, who asked him, "What did Elisha tell you?" He replied, "He told me that you would certainly get better."

For the LORD observed Israel's bitter misery, and there was no one left, neither slave nor free, and there was no deliverer for Israel.

and David went out to meet them. He told them, "If you've come in peace to be of help to me, then you'll have my commitment. But if you've come to betray me to my enemies, even though I'm innocent of wrongdoing, then may the God of our ancestors watch and judge."

"but I didn't believe it at first! But then I came here and I've seen it for myself! It's amazing! I wasn't told half of what's really great about your wisdom. You're far better in person than what the reports have said about you!

"This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: "You haven't lived like your father Jehoshaphat and like King Asa of Judah. Instead, you have lived like the kings of Israel by causing Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit cultic sexual immorality just like Ahab's dynasty did! And you've killed your brothers who were better than you your own father's dynasty!

If it seems good to the king, let a royal decree go out from him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Ahasuerus. Let the king give her royal position to another woman who is better than she.

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his garments and clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes. He went into the middle of the city and cried out with a loud and bitter cry.

"Why does God give light to the sufferer or life to the bitter person:

"In addition, I won't keep my opinion to myself; I'll speak from my distressed spirit; I'll complain with my bitter soul.

You've accused me of bitter things; you've caused me to reap the sins of my youth.

Others die with a bitter soul, never having tasted the good life.

"The living God has withheld justice from me; the Almighty has made my life bitter.

Many are asking, "Who will help us to see better days?" LORD, may the light of your favor shine upon us.

Better is the little that the righteous have than the abundance of many wicked people.

His mouth is as smooth as butter, while war is in his heart. His words were as smooth as olive oil, while his sword is drawn.

Because your gracious love is better than life itself, my lips will praise you.

who sharpen their tongues like swords, and aim their bitter words like arrows,

If I say, "I will talk like this," I would betray a generation of your children.

When I chose to be bitter I was emotionally pained.

for a day in your Temple courts is better than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather stand at the entrance of God's house than live in the tent of wickedness.

It is better to take shelter in the LORD than to trust in people.

It is better to take shelter in the LORD than to trust in princes.

Instruction that comes from you is better for me than thousands of gold and silver coins. Yod

How pleasing is what you have to say to me tasting better than honey.

because her profit is better than the profit of silver, and her yield than fine gold.

But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a double-edged sword.

because wisdom is better than precious gems and nothing you desire can compare to it."

My fruit is better than gold, better than even refined gold, and my benefit surpasses the purest silver.

It's better to be unimportant, yet have a servant, than to pretend to be important, but lack food.

Better is a little accompanied by fear of the LORD than abundant wealth with turmoil.

A vegetarian meal served with love is better than a big, thick steak with a plateful of animosity.

A little gain with righteousness is better than great income without justice.

How much better than gaining gold is the acquisition of wisdom, the attainment of wisdom better than silver!

Better to be humble among the poor, than to share what is stolen with the proud.

Whoever controls his temper is better than a warrior, and anyone who has control of his spirit is better than someone who captures a city.

Dry crumbs in peace are better than a full meal with strife.

It's better to meet a mother bear who has lost her cubs than a fool in his stupidity.

A poor man who walks blamelessly is better than a fool who speaks perversely.

Human beings long for grace, and it's better to be poor than a man of deceit.

It's better to live in a corner on the roof than to share a house with a contentious woman.

It's better to live in the wilderness than to live with a contentious and irritable woman.

for it is better that it be told you, "Come up here," than for you to be placed lower in the presence of an official. What you've seen with your own eyes,

Instead, take up the matter with your neighbor, and don't betray another person's confidence.

It's better to live in a corner on the roof than in a house with a contentious woman.

An open rebuke is better than unspoken love.

The person who is full spurns honey, but to a hungry person even the bitter seems sweet.

Never abandon your friend nor your father's friend, and don't go to your brother's house in times of trouble. A neighbor who is near is better than a brother who lives far away.

It's better to be poor and live a blameless life than to be rich but crooked in one's lifestyle.

Just as whipping milk produces butter, and twisting the nose causes bleeding, so also stirring up anger produces contention.

Better than both of them is someone who has not yet been born, because he hasn't experienced evil on earth.

It's better to have one handful of tranquility than to have two handfuls of trouble and to chase after the wind.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.

A poor but wise youth is better than an old but foolish king who will no longer accept correction.

it's better that you don't promise than that you do promise and not follow through.

A man might father a hundred children, and live for many years, so that the length of his life is long but if his life does not overflow with goodness, and he doesn't receive a proper burial, I maintain that stillborn children are better off than he is,