'Good' in the Bible

Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given this time is not good.”

Since the Lord had decreed that Ahithophel’s good advice be undermined in order to bring about Absalom’s ruin, Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel’s advice.”

Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the Lord has delivered him from his enemies.”

Joab replied to him, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but today you aren’t taking good news, because the king’s son is dead.”

He called out and told the king.The king said, “If he’s alone, he bears good news.”As the first runner came closer,

the watchman saw another man running. He called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!”“This one is also bringing good news,” said the king.

The watchman said, “The way the first man runs looks to me like the way Ahimaaz son of Zadok runs.”“This is a good man; he comes with good news,” the king commented.

Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: today the Lord has delivered you from all those rising up against you!”

Please let your servant return so that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham: let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him what seems good to you.”

The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you, and whatever you desire from me I will do for you.”

He was still speaking when Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, suddenly arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are an excellent man, and you must be bringing good news.”

So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

may You hear in heavenand forgive the sin of Your servantsand Your people Israel,so that You may teach them the good waythey should walk in.May You send rain on Your landthat You gave Your people for an inheritance.

“May the Lord be praised! He has given rest to His people Israel according to all He has said. Not one of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses has failed.

For the Lord will strike Israel and the people will shake as a reed shakes in water. He will uproot Israel from this good soil that He gave to their ancestors. He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates because they made their Asherah poles, provoking the Lord.

Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh. The God who answers with fire, He is God.”All the people answered, “That sounds good.”

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can ask Yahweh, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”“The king shouldn’t say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.

So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”

Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Even though our lord can see that the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”

Then you must attack every fortified city and every choice city. You must cut down every good tree and stop up every spring of water. You must ruin every good piece of land with stones.”

They destroyed the cities, and each of them threw stones to cover every good piece of land. They stopped up every spring of water and cut down every good tree. In the end, only the buildings of Kir-hareseth were left. Then men with slings surrounded the city and attacked it.

Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will catch up with us. Let’s go tell the king’s household.”

“Please Lord, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases You.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good,” for he thought: Why not, if there will be peace and security during my lifetime?

They found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, peaceful, and quiet, for some Hamites had lived there previously.

They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news to their idols and their people.

Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is from the Lord our God, let us spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands, that they should gather together with us.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;His faithful love endures forever.

Yahweh, You indeed are God, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

“So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and follow all the commands of the Lord your God so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants forever.

He died at a ripe old age, full of days, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon became king in his place.

The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the Lord:For He is good;His faithful love endures forever.The temple, the Lord’s temple, was filled with a cloud.

may You hear in heavenand forgive the sin of Your servantsand Your people Israel,so that You may teach them the good waythey should walk in.May You send rain on Your landthat You gave Your people for an inheritance.

All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord:For He is good,for His faithful love endures forever.

When Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely. Besides that, conditions were good in Judah.

Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God.

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can ask Yahweh, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”“The king shouldn’t say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.

So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”

However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have decided to seek God.”

“Note that Amariah, the chief priest, is over you in all matters related to the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all matters related to the king, and the Levites are officers in your presence. Be strong; may the Lord be with those who do what is good.”

He was buried in the city of David with the kings because he had done what was good in Israel with respect to God and His temple.

A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—were ritually unclean, yet they had eaten the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah had interceded for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement on behalf of

Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the Lord his God.

They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord: “For He is good; His faithful love to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s house had been laid.

So do not give your daughters to their sons in marriage or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you will be strong, eat the good things of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.”

I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me.They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and they were encouraged to do this good work.

These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

You came down on Mount Sinai,and spoke to them from heaven.You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions,and good statutes and commands.

You sent Your good Spirit to instruct them.You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths,and You gave them water for their thirst.

Remember me for this, my God, and don’t erase the deeds of faithful love I have done for the house of my God and for its services.

On the seventh day, when the king was feeling good from the wine, Ahasuerus commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who personally served him,

Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she didn’t have a father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.

That day Haman left full of joy and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordecai at the King’s Gate, and Mordecai didn’t rise or tremble in fear at his presence, Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.

Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, famous among the Jews, and highly popular with many of his relatives. He continued to seek good for his people and to speak for the welfare of all his descendants.

“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.

Remember that my life is but a breath.My eye will never again see anything good.

My days fly by faster than a runner;they flee without seeing any good.

Is it good for You to oppress,to reject the work of Your hands,and favor the plans of the wicked?

He deprives trusted advisers of speechand takes away the elders’ good judgment.

Should he argue with useless talkor with words that serve no good purpose?

But it was He who filled their houses with good things.The counsel of the wicked is far from me!

But when I hoped for good, evil came;when I looked for light, darkness came.

Let us judge for ourselves what is right;let us decide together what is good.

Many are saying, “Who can show us anything good?”Look on us with favor, Lord.

For the choir director. Davidic.The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”They are corrupt; they do vile deeds.There is no one who does good.

All have turned away;all alike have become corrupt.There is no one who does good,not even one.

I said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord;I have nothing good besides You.”

The Lord is good and upright;therefore He shows sinners the way.

He will live a good life,and his descendants will inherit the land.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Young lions lack food and go hungry,but those who seek the Lordwill not lack any good thing.

Who is the man who delights in life,loving a long life to enjoy what is good?

Turn away from evil and do what is good;seek peace and pursue it.

They repay me evil for good,making me desolate.

The words of his mouth are malicious and deceptive;he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.

Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.He sets himself on a path that is not goodand does not reject evil.

Trust in the Lord and do what is good;dwell in the land and live securely.

Turn away from evil and do what is good,and dwell there forever.

Those who repay evil for goodattack me for pursuing good.

I was speechless and quiet;I kept silent, even from speaking good,and my pain intensified.

In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;build the walls of Jerusalem.

You love evil instead of good,lying instead of speaking truthfully.Selah

I will praise You forever for what You have done.In the presence of Your faithful people,I will put my hope in Your name, for it is good.

For the choir director: on Mahalath. A Davidic Maskil.The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.There is no one who does good.

All have turned away;all alike have become corrupt.There is no one who does good,not even one.

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to You.I will praise Your name, Yahweh,because it is good.

But it is you, a man who is my peer,my companion and good friend!

The Lord gave the command;a great company of women brought the good news:

Answer me, Lord,for Your faithful love is good;in keeping with Your great compassion,turn to me.

BOOK III(Psalms 73–89)A psalm of Asaph. God is indeed good to Israel,to the pure in heart.

But as for me, God’s presence is my good.I have made the Lord God my refuge,so I can tell about all You do.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield.The Lord gives grace and glory;He does not withhold the goodfrom those who live with integrity.

Also, the Lord will provide what is good,and our land will yield its crops.

A psalm. A song for the Sabbath day.It is good to praise Yahweh,to sing praise to Your name, Most High,

For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal;His faithfulness endures through all generations.

When You give it to them,they gather it;when You open Your hand,they are satisfied with good things.

Hallelujah!Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;His faithful love endures forever.

BOOK V(Psalms 107–150)Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;His faithful love endures forever.

For He has satisfied the thirstyand filled the hungry with good things.

They repay me evil for good,and hatred for my love.