'Please' in the Bible

When four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I made to the Lord.

Then someone reported to David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.”“Lord,” David pleaded, “please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”

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.”

However, Ahimaaz son of Zadok persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!”Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to run since you won’t get a reward?”

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.”

a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here and let me speak with him.”

David’s conscience troubled him after he had taken a census of the troops. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I’ve done. Now, Lord, because I’ve been very foolish, please take away Your servant’s guilt.”

David answered Gad, “I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord’s hands because His mercies are great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.”

When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand be against me and my father’s family.”

Now please come and let me advise you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

He replied, “Please speak to King Solomon since he won’t turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.”

One woman said, “Please my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was in the house.

The woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she felt great compassion for her son. “My lord, give her the living baby,” she said, “but please don’t have him killed!”But the other one said, “He will not be mine or yours. Cut him in two!”

Now Lord God of Israel,please confirm what You promisedto Your servant, my father David.

But Pharaoh asked him, “What do you lack here with me for you to want to go back to your own country?”“Nothing,” he replied, “but please let me leave.”

Then the king responded to the man of God, “Plead for the favor of the Lord your God and pray for me so that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God pleaded for the favor of the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it had been at first.

So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.”

As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the Lord and said, “My Lord God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”

Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.”“Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?”

So they dressed with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’”So he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “First, please ask what the Lord’s will is.”

Then the king sent a third captain of 50 with his 50 men. The third captain of 50 went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged him, “Man of God, please let my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your sight.

After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.”So Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit.”

Then the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Since there are 50 strong men here with your servants, please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord has carried him away and put him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.”He answered, “Don’t send them.”

She summoned her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can hurry to the man of God and then come back.”

Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “I know there’s no God in the whole world except in Israel. Therefore, please accept a gift from your servant.”

Naaman responded, “If not, please let your servant be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but Yahweh.

Gehazi said, “It’s all right. My master has sent me to say, ‘I have just now discovered that two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them 75 pounds of silver and two changes of clothes.’”

But Naaman insisted, “Please, accept 150 pounds.” He urged Gehazi and then packed 150 pounds of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes. Naaman gave them to two of his young men who carried them ahead of Gehazi.

The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us.

Please let us go to the Jordan where we can each get a log and can build ourselves a place to live there.”“Go,” he said.

Then one said, “Please come with your servants.”“I’ll come,” he answered.

Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

When the Arameans came against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Please strike this nation with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to Elisha’s word.

But one of his servants responded, “Please, let messengers take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their fate is like the entire Israelite community who will die, so let’s send them and see.”

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak with us in Hebrew within earshot of the people on the wall.”

Now, Lord our God, please save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God—You alone.

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

David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now, please take away Your servant’s guilt, for I’ve been very foolish.”

David answered Gad, “I’m in anguish. Please, let me fall into the Lord’s hands because His mercies are very great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.”

David said to God, “Wasn’t I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? My Lord God, please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s family, but don’t let the plague be against Your people.”

Now, Lord God of Israel, please confirmwhat You promised to Your servant David.

Now, my God,please let Your eyes be openand Your ears attentiveto the prayer of this place.

They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “First, please ask what the Lord’s will is.”

Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples.

Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success today, and have compassion on him in the presence of this man.At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.

Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest.

Its abundant harvest goes to the kingsYou have set over us,because of our sins.They rule over our bodiesand our livestock as they please.We are in great distress.

Call out if you please. Will anyone answer you?Which of the holy ones will you turn to?

But now, please look at me;would I lie to your face?

Please remember that You formed me like clay.Will You now return me to dust?

That will please Yahweh more than an ox,more than a bull with horns and hooves.

Lord, save us!Lord, please grant us success!

Lord, please accept my willing offerings of praise,and teach me Your judgments.

When a man’s ways please the Lord,He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

So now, residents of Jerusalemand men of Judah,please judge between Meand My vineyard.

Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew within earshot of the people who are on the wall.”

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

so My word that comes from My mouthwill not return to Me empty,but it will accomplish what I pleaseand will prosper in what I send it to do.”

“Why have we fasted, but You have not seen?We have denied ourselves, but You haven’t noticed!”“Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast,and oppress all your workers.

Lord, do not be terribly angryor remember our iniquity forever.Please look—all of us are Your people!

What use to Me is frankincense from Shebaor sweet cane from a distant land?Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;your sacrifices do not please Me.

By My great strength and outstretched arm, I made the earth, and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please.

“Then my cousin Hanamel came to the guard’s courtyard as the Lord had said and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.

Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, requesting, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us!”

So now please listen, my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Don’t send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”

“Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.

They please the king with their evil,the princes with their lies.

They will not pour outtheir wine offerings to the Lord,and their sacrifices will not please Him.Their food will be like the bread of mourners;all who eat it become defiled.For their bread will be for their appetites alone;it will not enter the house of the Lord.

When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land, I said, “Lord God, please forgive! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?”

Then I said, “Lord God, please stop! How will Jacob survive since he is so small?”

So they called out to the Lord: “Please, Yahweh, don’t let us perish because of this man’s life, and don’t charge us with innocent blood! For You, Yahweh, have done just as You pleased.”

He prayed to the Lord: “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from sending disaster.

And now, Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old and years gone by.

“Please pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves.

Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

For even the Messiah did not please Himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.

I want you to be without concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord.

But a married man is concerned about the things of the world—how he may please his wife—

and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, so that they may be saved. >

For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart.

Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.

Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but rather God, who examines our hearts.

Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God—as you are doing—do so even more.

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the recruiter.

Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.