'Life' in the Bible

O God, arrogant and insolent men have risen up against me;A band of violent men have sought my life,And they have not set You before them.

The singers as well as the players of flutes will say,“All my springs and sources of joy are in you [Jerusalem, city of God].”

For my soul is full of troubles,And my life draws near the grave (Sheol, the place of the dead).

Remember how fleeting my lifetime is;For what vanity, [for what emptiness, for what futility, for what wisp of smoke] You have created all the sons of men!

Who understands the power of Your anger? [Who connects this brevity of life among us with Your judgment of sin?]And Your wrath, [who connects it] with the [reverent] fear that is due You?

“With a long life I will satisfy himAnd I will let him see My salvation.”

They band themselves together against the life of the righteousAnd condemn the innocent to death.

Who redeems your life from the pit,Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy;

He clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,And it seeped into his inner self like waterAnd like [anointing] oil into his bones.

Let this be the reward of my attackers from the Lord,And of those who speak evil against my life.

For He will stand at the right hand of the needy,To save him from those who judge his soul.

Then I called on the name of the Lord:“O Lord, please save my life!”

For You have rescued my life from death,My eyes from tears,And my feet from stumbling and falling.

Beth.How can a young man keep his way pure?By keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to Your precepts].

I will meditate on Your preceptsAnd [thoughtfully] regard Your ways [the path of life established by Your precepts].

Daleth.My earthly life clings to the dust;Revive and refresh me according to Your word.

My soul dissolves because of grief;Renew and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word.

Turn my eyes away from vanity [all those worldly, meaningless things that distract—let Your priorities be mine],And restore me [with renewed energy] in Your ways.

I long for Your precepts;Renew me through Your righteousness.

This is my comfort in my affliction,That Your word has revived me and given me life.

According to Your steadfast love refresh me and give me life,So that I may keep and obey the testimony of Your mouth.

I will never forget Your precepts,For by them You have revived me and given me life.

I am greatly afflicted;Renew and revive me [giving me life], O Lord, according to Your word.

My life is continually in my hand,Yet I do not forget Your law.

Hear my voice according to Your [steadfast] lovingkindness;O Lord, renew and refresh me according to Your ordinances.

Plead my cause and redeem me;Revive me and give me life according to [the promise of] Your word.

Great are Your tender mercies and steadfast love, O Lord;Revive me and give me life according to Your ordinances.

Consider how I love Your precepts;Revive me and give me life, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.

Too long my soul has had its dwellingWith those who hate peace.

The Lord will protect you from all evil;He will keep your life.

Our soul is greatly filledWith the scoffing of those who are at ease,And with the contempt of the proud [who disregard God’s law].

May the Lord bless you from Zion [His holy mountain],And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life;

It is like the dew of [Mount] HermonComing down on the hills of Zion;For there the Lord has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;And in Your book were all writtenThe days that were appointed for me,When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].

For my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord;In You I take refuge; do not pour out my life nor leave me defenseless.

Look to the right [the point of attack] and see;For there is no one who has regard for me [to act in my favor].Escape has failed me and I have nowhere to run;No one cares about my life.

“Bring my soul out of prison (adversity),So that I may give thanks and praise Your name;The righteous will surround me [in triumph],For You will look after me.”

For the enemy has persecuted me,He has crushed my life down to the ground;He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have been long dead.

Save my life, O Lord, for Your name’s sake;In Your righteousness bring my life out of trouble.

Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord!Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

None who go to her return again,Nor do they regain the paths of life—

For length of days and years of life [worth living]And tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life’s blessings] they will add to you.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.

And they will be life to your soul (your inner self)And a gracious adornment to your neck (your outer self).

Hear, my son, and accept my sayings,And the years of your life will be many.

Take hold of instruction; [actively seek it, grip it firmly and] do not let go.Guard her, for she is your life.

For they are life to those who find them,And healing and health to all their flesh.

Watch over your heart with all diligence,For from it flow the springs of life.

So that she does not think [seriously] about the path of life;Her ways are aimless and unstable; you cannot know where her path leads.

Let your way [in life] be far from her,And do not go near the door of her house [avoid even being near the places of temptation],

Let your fountain (wife) be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity],And rejoice in the wife of your youth.

For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching [of the law] is light,And reproofs (rebukes) for discipline are the way of life,

For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread [to be eaten up],And the immoral woman hunts [with a hook] the precious life [of a man].

But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks common sense and sound judgment and an understanding [of moral principles];He who would destroy his soul does it.

In the twilight, in the evening;In the black and dark night.

Until an arrow pierced his liver [with a mortal wound];Like a bird fluttering straight into the net,He did not know that it would cost him his life.

“For whoever finds me (Wisdom) finds lifeAnd obtains favor and grace from the Lord.

For by me (wisdom from God) your days will be multiplied,And years of life shall be increased.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing,But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.

The wages of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God] is [a worthwhile, meaningful] life,The income of the wicked, punishment.

He who learns from instruction and correction is on the [right] path of life [and for others his example is a path toward wisdom and blessing],But he who ignores and refuses correction goes off course [and for others his example is a path toward sin and ruin].

He who is steadfast in righteousness attains life,But he who pursues evil attains his own death.

The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life,And he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity].

A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal,But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

In the way of righteousness is life,And in its pathway there is no death [but immortality—eternal life].

The one who guards his mouth [thinking before he speaks] protects his life;The one who opens his lips wide [and chatters without thinking] comes to ruin.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,But when desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

The teaching of the wise is a fountain and source of life,So that one may avoid the snares of death.

Do they not go astray who devise evil and wander from the way of righteousness?But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that leads to obedience and worship] is a fountain of life,So that one may avoid the snares of death.

A calm and peaceful and tranquil heart is life and health to the body,But passion and envy are like rottenness to the bones.

A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life,But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit.

The [chosen] path of life leads upward for the wise,That he may keep away from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) below.

The ear that listens to and learns from the life-giving rebuke (reprimand, censure)Will remain among the wise.

In the light of the king’s face is life,And his favor is like a cloud bringing the spring rain.

The highway of the upright turns away and departs from evil;He who guards his way protects his life (soul).

Understanding (spiritual insight) is a [refreshing and boundless] wellspring of life to those who have it,But to give instruction and correction to fools is foolishness.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.

He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul;He who keeps understanding will find good and prosper.

He who keeps and obeys the commandment [of the Lord] keeps (guards) his own life,But he who is careless of his ways and conduct will die.

The fear of the Lord leads to life,So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion;Whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

The soul of the wicked desires evil [like an addictive substance];His neighbor finds no compassion in his eyes.

He who earnestly seeks righteousness and loyaltyFinds life, righteousness, and honor.

The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one’s importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LordIs riches, honor, and life.

For the Lord will plead their caseAnd take the life of those who rob them.

You shall swat him with the reed-like rodAnd rescue his life from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

Through [skillful and godly] wisdom a house [a life, a home, a family] is built,And by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation],

If you [claim ignorance and] say, “See, we did not know this,”Does He not consider it who weighs and examines the hearts and their motives?And does He not know it who guards your life and keeps your soul?And will He not repay [you and] every man according to his works?

Know that [skillful and godly] wisdom is [so very good] for your life and soul;If you find wisdom, then there will be a future and a reward,And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.

Like the cold of snow [brought from the mountains] in the time of harvest,So is a faithful messenger to those who send him;For he refreshes the life of his masters.

The bloodthirsty hate the blameless [because of his integrity],But the upright are concerned for his life.

Whoever is partner with a thief hates his own life;He hears the curse [when swearing an oath to testify], but discloses nothing [and commits perjury by omission].

She comforts, encourages, and does him only good and not evilAll the days of her life.

What advantage does man have from all his workWhich he does under the sun (while earthbound)?

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun caused me only great sorrow; because all is futility and chasing after the wind.

For he will not often consider the [troubled] days of his life, because God keeps him occupied and focused on the joy of his heart [and the tranquility of God indwells him].

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he is not respected and is not given a proper burial [he is not laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,

For who [limited by human wisdom] knows what is good for man during his lifetime, during the few days of his futile life? He spends them like a shadow [staying busy, but achieving nothing of lasting value]. For who can tell a man what will happen after him [to his work, his treasure, his plans] under the sun [after his life is over]?

For wisdom is a protection even as money is a protection,But the [excellent] advantage of knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the lives of its possessors.