Thematic Bible: Instances of the courage of conviction


Thematic Bible






For I was ashamed to ask of the king, a band of soldiers and horsemen, to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God, is upon all who seek him, for good, But, his power and his anger, are against all who forsake him. So we fasted and sought of our God, concerning this, - and he suffered himself to be entreated by us.


Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered, and said to the king: O Nebuchadnezzar! we are not accounting it needful, concerning this, to answer thee. If it is, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us, - out of the burning furnace of fire, and out of thy hand, O king, he will deliver. But, if not, be it known to thee, O king, - that, thy god, will we not serve, and, the image of gold which thou hast set up, will we not adore.


And it came to pass, on that night, that Yahweh said unto him - Take the young bullock that belongeth to thy father, even the second bullock of seven years, - and throw thou down the altar of Baal, that belongeth to thy father, and, the sacred stem that is by it, shalt thou cut down. Then shalt thou build an altar, unto Yahweh thy God, on the top of this fort, with the pile, - and shalt take the second bullock, and cause it to go up as an ascending-sacrifice, with the wood of the sacred stem which thou shalt cut down. So Gideon took ten men from among his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken unto him, - and so it was that, as he too much feared the house of his father, and the men of the city, to do it by day, he did it by night. read more.
And the men of the city rose up early in the morning, and lo! the altar of Baal, had been overthrown, and, the sacred stem that was by it, had been cut down, and the second bullock had been caused to ascend upon the altar that had been built. So they said, one to another, Who hath done this thing? And they inquired, and made search, and it was said, Gideon son of Joash, hath done this thing. So the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring forth thy son, that he may die, - because he hath overthrown the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the sacred stem that was by it. And Joash said unto all who stood by him - Will, ye, plead for Baal, or will, ye, save him? Whoso pleadeth for him, let him be put to death while it is yet morning, - if, a god, he be let him plead for himself, because one hath overthrown his altar.


And it cared to pass after these things, that God, did prove Abraham, - and he said unto him, Abraham! And he said Behold me! And he said - Take, I pray thee, thy son, thine only one, whom thou lovest, even, Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah and cause him to ascend there as an ascending-sacrifice, on one of the mountains which I shall name unto thee. So Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took his two young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the pieces of wood for an ascending-sacrifice, and mounted and went his way unto the place which God had named to him. read more.
It was, on the third day, that Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men - Tarry by yourselves here with the ass, but I and the young man must go yonder, - that we may bow ourselves down and return unto you. So Abraham took the pieces of wood for the ascending-sacrifice, and laid them on Isaac his son, and took in his own hand the fire and the knife, and they went on their way, both of them together. Then said Isaac unto Abraham his father, then said he; My father! And he said, Behold me, my son, And he said, Behold the fire, and the pieces of wood, - but where is the lamb, for an ascending-sacrifice? And Abraham said, God, will provide for himself the lamb for an ascending-sacrifice, my son! So they went on their way, both of them, together. Then came they into the place which God had named to him, and Abraham built there the altar, and aid in order the pieces of wood, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, above the pieces of wood. And Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife, - to slay his son. Then called out unto him the messenger of Yahweh out of the heavens, and said. Abraham, Abraham! And he said Behold me! Then he said, Do not put forth thy hand unto the young man, neither do to him - anything at all, - for, now, know I that one who reverest God, thou art, when thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only one, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo! a ram, behind, caught in a thicket by his horns, and Abraham went, and took the ram, and caused him to ascend as an ascending-sacrifice instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh, - as to which it is still said to-day, In the mountain of Yahweh, will provision be made.


And Yahweh said unto Abram: Come thou on thy way, Out of thy land and out of the place of thy birth and out of the house of thy father, - Unto the land that I will show thee; That I may make thee into a great nation, And bless thee and make great thy name, And become thou a blessing; That I may bless them who bless thee, But him who maketh light of thee, will I curse, - So shall be, blessed in thee, all the families of the ground. read more.
And Abram came on his way, according to that which Yahweh had spoken unto him, and Lot came with him, - now, Abram, was seventy-five years old, when he came forth out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, with all the goods that they bad gathered and the souls that they had gained in Haran, - and they came forth to go towards the land of Canaan, and came in to the land of Canaan. And Abram passed along throughout the land, as far as the place of Shechem as far as the Teacher's Terebinth, the Canaanite being then in the land. And Yahweh appeared unto Abram, and said: To thy seed, will I give this land, - And he built there an altar, unto Yahweh who appeared unto him. And he moved on from thence towards the hill country, on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, - with Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east, and bulk there an altar to Yahweh, and called on the name of Yahweh. Thus Abram brake up, again and again, towards the South.


And, thus, returned they, answer, to us saying, - We, are servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and are building the house which was built these many years ago, which, a great king of Israel, built and completed.


But, Daniel, when he knew that the writing, was signed, went to his own house, and, the windows being opened to him, in his chamber, toward Jerusalem, three times a day, was he kneeling upon his knees, and praying and giving thanks before his God, in like manner as he had been doing aforetime.