'God' in the Bible

I made my brother Hanani, and Hananiah, the ruler of the tower, responsible for the government of Jerusalem: for he was a man of good faith, fearing God more than most.

And my God put it into my heart to get together the rulers and the chiefs and the people so that they might be listed by families. And I came across a record of the names of those who came up at the first, and in it I saw these words:

And Ezra gave praise to the Lord, the great God. And all the people in answer said, So be it, so be it; lifting up their hands; and with bent heads they gave worship to the Lord, going down on their faces to the earth.

And they gave out the words of the book the law of God, clearly, and gave the sense of it, so that their minds were able to take it in.

And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra, the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were the teachers of the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the Lord your God; let there be no sorrow or weeping; for all the people were weeping on hearing the words of the law.

And the people went out and got them and made themselves tents, every one on the roof of his house, and in the open spaces and in the open squares of the house of God, and in the wide place of the water-doorway, and the wide place of the doorway of Ephraim.

And day by day, from the first day till the last, he was reading from the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast for seven days: and on the eighth day there was a holy meeting, as it is ordered in the law.

And for a fourth part of the day, upright in their places, they were reading from the book of the law of their God; and for a fourth part of the day they were requesting forgiveness and worshipping the Lord their God.

Then Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani took their places on the steps of the Levites, crying in a loud voice to the Lord their God.

Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, Get up and give praise to the Lord your God for ever and ever. Praise be to your great name which is lifted up high over all blessing and praise.

You are the Lord, the God, who took Abram and made him yours, guiding him from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham;

And would not do them, and gave no thought to the wonders you had done among them; but made their necks stiff, and turning away from you, made a captain over themselves to take them back to their prison in Egypt: but you are a God of forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in mercy, and you did not give them up.

Even when they had made for themselves an ox of metal, and said, This is your God who took you up out of Egypt, and had done so much to make you angry;

Even then, in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them completely, or give them up; for you are a God of grace and mercy.

And now, our God, the great, the strong, the God who is to be feared, who keeps faith and mercy, let not all this trouble seem small to you, which has come on us, and on our kings and our rulers and on our priests and our prophets and our fathers and on all your people from the time of the kings of Assyria till this day.

And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the door-keepers, the music-makers, the Nethinim, and all those who had made themselves separate from the peoples of the lands, to keep the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and wisdom;

They were united with their brothers, their rulers, and put themselves under a curse and an oath, to keep their steps in the way of God's law, which was given by Moses, the servant of God, and to keep and do all the orders of the Lord, our Lord, and his decisions and his rules;

And we made rules for ourselves, taxing ourselves a third of a shekel every year for the upkeep of the house of our God;

For the holy bread, and for the regular meal offering and the regular burned offering on the Sabbaths and at the new moon and the fixed feasts, and for the sin-offerings to take away the sin of Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

And we, the priests and the Levites and the people, made selection, by the decision of the Lord, of those who were to take the wood offering into the house of God, by families at the regular times, year by year, to be burned on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is recorded in the law;

As well as the first of our sons and of our cattle, as it is recorded in the law, and the first lambs of our herds and of our flocks, which are to be taken to the house of our God, to the priests who are servants in the house of our God:

And that we would take the first of our rough meal, and our lifted offerings, and the fruit of every sort of tree, and wine and oil, to the priests, to the rooms of the house of our God; and the tenth of the produce of our land to the Levites; for they, the Levites, take a tenth in all the towns of our ploughed land.

And the priest, the son of Aaron, is to be with the Levites, when the Levites take the tenths: and the Levites are to take a tenth of the tenths into the house of our God, to the rooms, into the store-house;

For the children of Israel and the children of Levi are to take the lifted offering of the grain and wine and oil into the rooms where the vessels of the holy place are, together with the priests and the door-keepers and the makers of music: and we will not give up caring for the house of our God.

Seraiah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God,

And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who were responsible for the outside business of the house of God;

And the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi, the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the music-makers, who was over the business of the house of God.

And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, to give blessing and praise as ordered by David, the man of God, watch against watch.

And his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel and Judah, Hanani, with the music-instruments of David, the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was at their head;

So the two bands of those who gave praise took up their positions in the house of God, and I and half of the chiefs with me:

And on that day they made great offerings and were glad; for God had made them glad with great joy; and the women and the children were glad with them: so that the joy of Jerusalem came to the ears of those who were far off.

And they kept the watch of their God, and were responsible for making things clean, and so did the music-makers and the door-keepers, as it was ordered by David and Solomon his son.

For in the days of David and Asaph in the past, there was a master of the music, and songs of blessing and praise to God.

On that day there was a reading from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and they saw that it said in the book that no Ammonite or Moabite might ever come into the meeting of God;

Because they did not give the children of Israel bread and water when they came to them, but got Balaam to put a curse on them: though the curse was turned into a blessing by our God.

Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who had been placed over the rooms of the house of our God, being a friend of Tobiah,

And I came to Jerusalem; and it was clear to me what evil Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in making ready for him a room in the buildings of the house of God.

Then I gave orders, and they made the rooms clean: and I put back in them the vessels of the house of God, with the meal offerings and the perfume.

Then I made protests to the chiefs, and said, Why has the house of God been given up? And I got them together and put them in their places.

Keep me in mind, O my God, in connection with this, and do not let the good which I have done for the house of my God and its worship go from your memory completely.

Did not your fathers do the same, and did not our God send all this evil on us and on this town? but you are causing more wrath to come on Israel by not keeping the Sabbath holy.

And I gave the Levites orders to make themselves clean and come and keep the doors and make the Sabbath holy. Keep this in mind to my credit, O my God, and have mercy on me, for great is your mercy.

And I took up the cause against them, cursing them and giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair; and I made them take an oath by God, saying, You are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? among a number of nations there was no king like him, and he was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel: but even he was made to do evil by strange women.

Are we then without protest to let you do all this great evil, sinning against our God by taking strange women for your wives?

Keep them in mind, O my God, because they have put shame on the priests' name and on the agreement of the priests and the Levites.

And for the wood offering, at fixed times, and for the first fruits. Keep me in mind, O my God, for good.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.

And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all. For, Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil?

And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that Job is a god-fearing man?

And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.

And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil? and he still keeps his righteousness, though you have been moving me to send destruction on him without cause.

And his wife said to him, Are you still keeping your righteousness? Say a curse against God, and put an end to yourself.

And he said to her, You are talking like one of the foolish women. If we take the good God sends us, are we not to take the evil when it comes? In all this Job kept his lips from sin.

That day--let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;

To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?

Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?

Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off?

By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.

May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker?

But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:

Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.

If only I might have an answer to my prayer, and God would give me my desire!

Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?

If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;

So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.

Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?

I will say to God, Do not put me down as a sinner; make clear to me what you have against me.

But if only God would take up the word, opening his lips in argument with you;

It seems that I am to be as one who is a cause of laughing to his neighbour, one who makes his prayer to God and is answered! the upright man who has done no wrong is to be made sport of!

There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.

But I would have talk with the Ruler of all, and my desire is to have an argument with God.

Truly, you make the fear of God without effect, so that the time of quiet worship before God is made less by your outcry.

Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?

Are the comforts of God not enough for you, and the gentle word which was said to you?

So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth?

Because his hand is stretched out against God, and his heart is lifted up against the Ruler of all,

God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.

My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,

So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.

Truly, these are the houses of the sinner, and this is the place of him who has no knowledge of God.

Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.

Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.

Why are you cruel to me, like God, for ever saying evil against me?

And ... without my flesh I will see God;

He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.

God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.

This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.

Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.

Though they said to God, Go away from us, for we have no desire for the knowledge of your ways.

You say, God keeps punishment stored up for his children. Let him send it on the man himself, so that he may have the punishment of it!

Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.

Is it possible for a man to be of profit to God? No, for a man's wisdom is only of profit to himself.

Is not God as high as heaven? and see the stars, how high they are!

And you say, What knowledge has God? is he able to give decisions through the deep dark?

Who said to God, Go away from us; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us?

For then you will have delight in the Ruler of all, and your face will be lifted up to God.

For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit.