'May' in the Bible

May the Lord God of Israel be praised, in the future and forevermore. Then all the people said, "We agree! Praise the Lord!"

So now, O Lord, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality! Do as you promised,

so it may become a reality and you may gain lasting fame, as people say, 'The Lord who commands armies is the God of Israel.' David's dynasty will be established before you,

Now you are willing to bless your servant's dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Lord, have blessed it and it will be blessed from now on into the future."

Messengers came and told David what had happened to the men, so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow again; then you may come back."

David told Joab and the leaders of the army, "Go, count the number of warriors from Beer Sheba to Dan. Then bring back a report to me so I may know how many we have."

Joab replied, "May the Lord make his army a hundred times larger! My master, O king, do not all of them serve my master? Why does my master want to do this? Why bring judgment on Israel?"

David said to Ornan, "Sell me the threshing floor so I can build on it an altar for the Lord -- I'll pay top price -- so that the plague may be removed from the people."

Ornan told David, "You can have it! My master, the king, may do what he wants. Look, I am giving you the oxen for burnt sacrifices, the threshing sledges for wood, and the wheat for an offering. I give it all to you."

"Now, my son, may the Lord be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the Lord your God, just as he announced you would.

Only may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey the law of the Lord your God.

in using gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Get up and begin the work! May the Lord be with you!"

So now, in the sight of all Israel, the Lord's assembly, and in the hearing of our God, I say this: Carefully observe all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may possess this good land and may leave it as a permanent inheritance for your children after you.

Now, Lord God, may your promise to my father David be realized, for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth.

Now, O Lord God of Israel, may the promise you made to your servant David be realized.

Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. May you answer your servant's prayer for this place.

"Now, my God, may you be attentive and responsive to the prayers offered in this place.

Now ascend, O Lord God, to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength! May your priests, O Lord God, experience your deliverance! May your loyal followers rejoice in the prosperity you give!

May the Lord your God be praised because he favored you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his behalf! Because of your God's love for Israel and his lasting commitment to them, he made you king over them so you could make just and right decisions."

But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?"

You will report to Amariah the chief priest in all matters pertaining to the Lord's law, and to Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the family of Judah, in all matters pertaining to the king. The Levites will serve as officials before you. Confidently carry out your duties! May the Lord be with those who do well!"

No one must enter the Lord's temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned service to the Lord.

King Joash disregarded the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada's son. As Zechariah was dying, he said, "May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!"

Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that he may relent from his raging anger.

Messengers delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah. This royal edict read: "O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria.

The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: "May the Lord, who is good, forgive

It read: "This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: 'The Lord God of the heavens has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build for him a temple in Jerusalem in Judah. May the Lord your God energize you who belong to his people, so you may be able to go back there!"

Anyone from his people among you (may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the Lord God of Israel -- he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

so that he may initiate a search of the records of his predecessors and discover in those records that this city is rebellious and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts from long ago. It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed.

"I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the work.

so that they may be offering incense to the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king and his family.

May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation who reaches out to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!"

I have now issued a decree that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel -- even the priests and Levites -- who wishes to do so may go up with you to Jerusalem.

along with all the silver and gold that you may collect throughout all the province of Babylon and the contributions of the people and the priests for the temple of their God which is in Jerusalem.

You may do whatever seems appropriate to you and your colleagues with the rest of the silver and the gold, in keeping with the will of your God.

The rest of the needs for the temple of your God that you may have to supply, you may do so from the royal treasury.

"I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you --

Therefore do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons, and do not take their daughters in marriage for your sons. Do not ever seek their peace or welfare, so that you may be strong and may eat the good of the land and may leave it as an inheritance for your children forever.'

may your ear be attentive and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. I am confessing the sins of the Israelites that we have committed against you -- both I myself and my family have sinned.

I also shook out my garment, and I said, "In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!" All the assembly replied, "So be it!" and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.

The Levites -- Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah -- said, "Stand up and bless the LORD your God!" "May you be blessed, O LORD our God, from age to age. May your glorious name be blessed; may it be lifted up above all blessing and praise.

On that day the book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people. They found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite may ever enter the assembly of God,

If the king is so inclined, let a royal edict go forth from him, and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media that cannot be repealed, that Vashti may not come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king convey her royalty to another who is more deserving than she.

"Don't imagine that because you are part of the king's household you will be the one Jew who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear from another source, while you and your father's household perish. It may very well be that you have achieved royal status for such a time as this!"

He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return there. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!"

Are not my days few? Cease, then, and leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort,

"Refrain from talking with me so that I may speak; then let come to me what may.

Although its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump begins to die in the soil,

Fear the sword yourselves, for wrath brings the punishment by the sword, so that you may know that there is judgment."

Bear with me and I will speak, and after I have spoken you may mock.

You may say, 'God stores up a man's punishment for his children!' Instead let him repay the man himself so that he may know it!

God may let them rest in a feeling of security, but he is constantly watching all their ways.

"May my enemy be like the wicked, my adversary like the unrighteous.

then let my wife turn the millstone for another man, and may other men have sexual relations with her.

I will speak, so that I may find relief; I will open my lips, so that I may answer.

to turn back his life from the place of corruption, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

He causes everyone to stop working, so that all people may know his work.

when I said, 'To here you may come and no farther, here your proud waves will be confined'?

that you may take them to their borders and perceive the pathways to their homes?

Condemn them, O God! May their own schemes be their downfall! Drive them away because of their many acts of insurrection, for they have rebelled against you.

But may all who take shelter in you be happy! May they continually shout for joy! Shelter them so that those who are loyal to you may rejoice!

May all my enemies be humiliated and absolutely terrified! May they turn back and be suddenly humiliated!

may an enemy relentlessly chase me and catch me; may he trample me to death and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. (Selah)

May the evil deeds of the wicked come to an end! But make the innocent secure, O righteous God, you who examine inner thoughts and motives!

Rise up, Lord! Don't let men be defiant! May the nations be judged in your presence!

You defend the fatherless and oppressed, so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them.

May the Lord rain down burning coals and brimstone on the wicked! A whirlwind is what they deserve!

May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts!

But I trust in your faithfulness. May I rejoice because of your deliverance!

I wish the deliverance of Israel would come from Zion! When the Lord restores the well-being of his people, may Jacob rejoice, may Israel be happy!

A psalm of David. Lord, who may be a guest in your home? Who may live on your holy hill?

May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my sheltering rock and my redeemer.

For the music director; a psalm of David. May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble; may the God of Jacob make you secure!

May he send you help from his temple; from Zion may he give you support!

May he take notice of your offerings; may he accept your burnt sacrifice! (Selah)

May he grant your heart's desire; may he bring all your plans to pass!

Then we will shout for joy over your victory; we will rejoice in the name of our God! May the Lord grant all your requests!

Let the oppressed eat and be filled! Let those who seek his help praise the Lord! May you live forever!

Who is allowed to ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?

May he show the humble what is right! May he teach the humble his way!

May integrity and godliness protect me, for I rely on you!

For his anger lasts only a brief moment, and his good favor restores one's life. One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning.

O Lord, do not let me be humiliated, for I call out to you! May evil men be humiliated! May they go wailing to the grave!

May lying lips be silenced -- lips that speak defiantly against the innocent with arrogance and contempt!

May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord, for we wait for you.

May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated! May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed!

May they be like wind-driven chaff, as the Lord's angel attacks them!

May their path be dark and slippery, as the Lord's angel chases them!

When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, and refrained from eating food. (If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!)

May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation!

May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice! May they continually say, "May the Lord be praised, for he wants his servant to be secure."

He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. May many see what God has done, so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord!

O Lord, you do not withhold your compassion from me. May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me!

May those who are trying to snatch away my life be totally embarrassed and ashamed! May those who want to harm me be turned back and ashamed!

May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be humiliated and disgraced!

May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you! May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, "May the Lord be praised!"

I am oppressed and needy! May the Lord pay attention to me! You are my helper and my deliverer! O my God, do not delay!

May the Lord protect him and save his life! May he be blessed in the land! Do not turn him over to his enemies!

He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive: "May men praise you, for you have done well!"

Grant me the ultimate joy of being forgiven! May the bones you crushed rejoice!