'God' in the Bible

Now I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined [at home], and he said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple; for they are coming to kill you--during the night they are coming to kill you."

Then I look and realized God had not sent him; rather, he had spoken the prophecy against me [because] Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to their works, and also Noadiah the prophetess, and the remainder of the prophets who were frightening me.

When our enemies heard of this, all of the nations surrounding us were afraid and {lost their confidence}. They knew that this work had been done with [the help of] our God.

I gave command over Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the citadel. For he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.

Then my God put into my heart to assemble the nobles, the prefects, and the people to be enrolled. I found the book of the genealogy of those who first came back, and I found [this] written upon it:

Then Ezra blessed Yahweh the great God, and all of the people answered, "Amen! Amen!" while lifting their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped Yahweh [with their] noses to the ground.

So they read the book from the law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that they could understand the reading.

Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all of the people, "This day is holy to Yahweh your God. Do not mourn nor weep." For all of the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the house of God, in the public square of the Water Gate, and in the public square of the Gate of Ephraim.

And he read from the scroll of the law of God day by day from the first day up to the last day. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly according to the rule.

They stood up in their place and read from the book of the law of Yahweh their God for a fourth part of the day, and for a fourth they were confessing and worshiping Yahweh their God.

Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani stood on the platform of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to Yahweh their God.

Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, "Stand up, bless Yahweh your God from everlasting until everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name that is being exalted above all blessing and praise!

You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.

They refused to listen and did not remember your wonders that you did among them. They stiffened their neck and in their rebellion {determined} to return to their slavery. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, {slow to anger}, abundant in loyal love, so you did not abandon them.

Even when they made for themselves a molten idol of a calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you out from Egypt,' and committed great blasphemies.

But in your great compassions you did not put an end to them, and you did not abandon them. For you are a gracious and compassionate God.

"And now our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God who keeps [his] covenant and loyal love, do not belittle in your presence all of the hardship that is found in us, our kings, our officials, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all of our people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.

"The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to [observe] the law of God--their wives, their sons, their daughters, and all who know and understand--

[are] helping their brothers, their nobles, and entering into a solemn oath to walk in the law of God which was given by the hand of Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all of the commandments of Yahweh our Lord and his judgments and regulations.

"We put on ourselves the commandment upon us to yearly give a third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

for the rows of bread, the offering of the daily sacrifice, the continual [burnt] sacrifice, the Sabbaths, the new moon festivals, the appointed [festival] times, the holy objects, the sin offerings that make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

And we have cast lots for the contributions of the wood offering of the priests, the Levites, and the people to bring [it] to the house of our God, by our fathers' houses, at designated times, year by year, to burn on the altar of Yahweh our God--as it is written in the law.

And the firstborn of our sons and beasts--as it is written in the law--and the firstborn of our cattle and sheep, to bring to the house of our God [and] to the priests serving in the house of our God.

And we bring the best of our dough, our offerings, the fruit of every tree, new wine, and olive oil to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and [to bring] the tithe of our soil to the Levites, for the Levites [receive] the tithes in all of our rural towns.

And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, will be with the Levites during the tithe the Levites receive. The Levites will bring up a tithe of the tithes for the house of our God to the chambers of the storehouse.

For the {Israelites} and the {Levites} will bring to the storerooms the offering of grain, new wine, and olive oil. These are the objects of the sanctuary and the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and singers. We will not neglect the house of our God."

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

and Shabbethai and Jehozabad, leaders over the work of the Levites outside of the house of God;

The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem [was] Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, from the descendants of Asaph, the singers over the work of the house of God.

And the heads of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brothers opposite them, to praise and to give thanks by the command of David the man of God, section alongside section.

and his brothers Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani with the instruments of the songs of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe [went] before them.

So the two choirs stood in the house of God, and I and half of the prefects with me;

They offered on that day great sacrifices and rejoiced because God brought great joy to them. And the women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

They kept the responsibility of their God and the responsibility of cleansing, and the singers and gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon.

For in the days of David and Asaph from ancient times there was the head of the singers and a song of praise and thanksgiving to God.

On that day the book of Moses was read in the hearing of the people and it was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God

because they did not come to meet the {Israelites} with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them in order to curse them--but our God changed the curse into a blessing.

Before this, Eliashib the priest who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God--the one related to Tobiah--

So I came to Jerusalem. And I came to learn of the wrong that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by making him a room in the courtyard of the house of God.

And I spoke [in order], and they cleansed the chambers. Then I returned the objects of the house of God--the grain offering and the frankincense.

Remember me, my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my loyal acts which I have done in the house of my God and in his service.

Did not your ancestors do this also, and our God brought on us all of this disaster and on this city [too]? Now you are adding fierce wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath!"

And then I told two Levites that they must purify themselves and come to guard the gates in order to consecrate the day of the Sabbath. Remember this also, my God, and take pity on me according to the greatness of your loyal love.

So I quarreled with them and cursed them and beat some of their men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath by God: "Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in this way? And among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Yet the foreign women made even him sin.

Should we listen to you all and do this great evil, acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?"

Remember them, my God, because of their defilements of the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

a contribution of the wood offering at appointed times, and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.

{Then when} the days of the feast had run their course, {Job would send}, and he would sanctify them. Thus he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings [according to] the number of all of them, because Job thought, "Perhaps my children have sinned and {cursed} God in their heart." This is what Job used to do {all the time}.

And it happened {one day} {that} the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came into their midst.

Then Satan answered Yahweh and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing?

While this one was still speaking, {another} came and said, "The fire of God fell from the heavens, and it blazed up against the sheep and goats and against the servants, and it consumed them. But I escaped, [even] I alone, to tell you."

In all this, Job did not sin and did not {charge God with wrongdoing}.

{And then} one day the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came into their midst to present himself before Yahweh.

Then his wife said to him, "Are you still persisting in your blamelessness? {Curse} God and die."

So he said to her, "You speak like one of the foolish women speaks. Indeed, should we receive the good from God, but not receive the evil?" In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.

Let that day become darkness; may God not seek it from above, nor may daylight shine on it.

[Why does he give light] to a man whose way is hidden, and God has fenced him in [all] around?

[Is] not your fear [in God] your confidence? [Is not] your hope even the integrity of your ways?

By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they come to an end.

'Can a human being be more righteous than God, or can a man be more pure than his Maker?

"But I myself will seek God, and to God I would commit my cause.

"Look, happy [is the] human being whom God reproves; and you must not despise the discipline of Shaddai,

for the arrows of Shaddai [are] in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

"{O that} my request may come, and [that] God may grant my hope,

that God would decide that he would crush me, [that] he would let loose his hand and {kill me}.

Does God pervert justice, {or} Shaddai pervert righteousness?

If you yourself would seek God, then you would plead to Shaddai for grace.

So [are] the paths of all who forget God; and [the] hope of [the] godless will perish,

"Look, God will not reject [the] blameless, and he will not uphold the hand of evildoers.

"Truly I know that [it is] so, but how can a human being be just before God?

God will not turn back his anger; beneath him the helpers of Rahab bow.

I will say to God, 'You should not condemn me; let me know why you contend [against] me.

But, {O that} God might speak, and [that] he would open his lips to you,

and [that] he would tell you [the] secrets of wisdom, for {insight has many sides}. And know that God {on your behalf} has forgotten {some of} your guilt.

"Can you find [out] the essence of God, or can you find [out] {the ultimate limits} of Shaddai?

I am a laughingstock to my friends: '[He] calls on God, and he answers him.' A righteous, blameless man [is] a laughingstock.

[The] tents of [the] destroyers are at peace, and [there is] security for those who provoke God, [for those] whom God brings into his hand.

But I would speak to Shaddai, and I desire to argue with God.

"Will you speak falsely for God? And will you speak deceitfully for him?

"{What is worse}, you yourself are doing away with fear, and you are lessening meditation {before} God.

"Are the consolations of God too small for you, a word [spoken] gently with you?

that you turn your spirit against God, and you let [such] words go out of your mouth?

Because he stretched out his hand against God, and he was arrogant to Shaddai;

God delivers me to an evil one, and he casts me into the hands of [the] wicked.

My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God,

and it argues for a mortal with God, and [as] {a human} for his friend.

Surely these [are] the dwellings of [the] godless, and this [is] the dwelling place of him [who] knows not God."

know then that God has wronged me and has surrounded me [with] his net.

Why do you pursue me like God? And are not satisfied with my flesh?

And after my skin has been thus destroyed, but from my flesh I will see God,

He swallows riches, but he vomits them [up]; God drives them out from his stomach.

{When his stomach fills up}, [God] will send {his burning anger} upon him, and he will let [it] rain down upon him as his food.

This [is] a wicked human being's portion from God and the inheritance of his decree from God."

Their houses [are] safe without fear, and the rod of God [is] not upon them.

And they say to God, 'Turn away from us, for we do not desire to know your ways.

'God stores up his iniquity for his children'? [Then] let him repay [it] to him that he may know.

Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he himself judges high ones?