33,354 verses contain “The” (in the KJV: 32,434, in the BSB: 26,201) — showing 30,401–30,500
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Nevertheless even those thou sparedst as men, and
didst send
wasps, forerunners of thine host, to destroy
them by little and little.
Not that thou
wast unable to bring
the ungodly under
the hand of
the righteous in battle, or to destroy
them at once with cruel beasts, or with one rough word:
But
executing thy judgments upon
them by little and little, thou gavest
them place of
repentance, not being ignorant that
they were a
naughty generation, and that
their malice was
bred in
them, and that
their cogitation would never be changed.
For it was a
cursed seed from
the beginning; neither
didst thou for fear of any man give
them pardon for those things wherein
they sinned.
For who shall say, What hast thou done? or who shall
withstand thy judgment? or who shall
accuse thee for
the nations that perish, whom thou made? or who shall come to stand against
thee, to be
revenged for
the unrighteous men?
For neither is
there any God but thou that careth for all, to whom thou mightest
shew that thy judgment is not unright.
Neither shall king or
tyrant be able to set his face against
thee for any whom thou hast punished.
Forsomuch
then as thou art righteous
thyself, thou orderest all things righteously: thinking it not agreeable with thy power to
condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished.
For thy power is
the beginning of righteousness, and because thou art
the Lord of all, it maketh
thee to be
gracious unto all.
For when men will not believe that thou art of a full power, thou shewest thy strength, and among them that know it thou makest their boldness manifest.
But by such works hast thou taught thy people that
the just man should be
merciful, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope that thou givest
repentance for sins.
For if thou
didst punish the enemies of thy children, and
the condemned to death, with such
deliberation, giving
them time and place, whereby
they might be delivered from
their malice:
Therefore, whereas thou
dost chasten us, thou scourgest our enemies a thousand times more, to
the intent that, when we judge, we should carefully think of thy goodness, and when we ourselves are judged, we should look for mercy.
Wherefore, whereas men have lived
dissolutely and unrighteously, thou hast
tormented them with
their own abominations.
For
they went
astray very far in
the ways of error, and held
them for gods, which even among
the beasts of
their enemies were
despised, being
deceived, as children of no understanding.
Therefore unto
them, as to children without
the use of reason, thou
didst send a judgment to
mock them.
But
they that would not be reformed by that correction, wherein he
dallied with
them, shall feel a judgment worthy of God.
For, look, for what things
they grudged, when
they were punished, that is, for
them whom
they thought to be gods; now being punished in
them, when
they saw it,
they acknowledged him to be
the true God, whom before
they denied to know: and
therefore came extreme
damnation upon
them.
Surely vain are all men by nature, who are ignorant of God, and could not out of
the good things that are seen know him that is: neither by considering
the works did
they acknowledge
the workmaster;
But deemed either fire, or wind, or
the swift air, or
the circle of
the stars, or
the violent water, or
the lights of heaven, to be
the gods which
govern the world.
With whose beauty if they being delighted took them to be gods; let them know how much better the Lord of them is: for the first author of beauty hath created them.
But if
they were
astonished at
their power and virtue, let
them understand by
them, how much mightier he is that made
them.
For by
the greatness and beauty of
the creatures
proportionably the maker of
them is seen.
For being
conversant in his works
they search him
diligently, and believe
their sight: because
the things are beautiful that are seen.
For if they were able to know so much, that they could aim at the world; how did they not sooner find out the Lord thereof?
But
miserable are
they, and in dead things is
their hope, who call
them gods, which are
the works of men’s hands, gold and silver, to
shew art in, and resemblances of beasts, or a stone good for nothing,
the work of an ancient hand.
Now a
carpenter that felleth timber, after he hath
sawn down a tree meet for
the purpose, and taken off all
the bark skilfully round about, and hath wrought it handsomely, and made a vessel
thereof fit for
the service of man’s life;
And after
spending the refuse of his work to dress his meat, hath filled himself;
And taking
the very refuse among those which served to no use, being a
crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, hath carved it
diligently, when he had nothing else to do, and formed it by
the skill of his understanding, and fashioned it to
the image of a man;
Or made it like some
vile beast, laying it over with
vermilion, and with
paint colouring it red, and covering every spot
therein;
Then maketh he prayer for his goods, for his wife and children, and is not
ashamed to speak to that which hath no life.
Again, one preparing himself to sail, and about to pass through
the raging waves, calleth upon a piece of wood more
rotten than
the vessel that carrieth him.
For
verily desire of gain devised that, and
the workman built it by his skill.
But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way in the sea, and a safe path in the waves;
Nevertheless thou wouldest not that the works of thy wisdom should be idle, and therefore do men commit their lives to a small piece of wood, and passing the rough sea in a weak vessel are saved.
For in the old time also, when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world governed by thy hand escaped in a weak vessel, and left to all ages a seed of generation.
For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.
Therefore even upon
the idols of
the Gentiles shall
there be a
visitation: because in
the creature of God
they are become an
abomination, and stumblingblocks to
the souls of men, and a
snare to
the feet of
the unwise.
For
the devising of idols was
the beginning of spiritual
fornication, and
the invention of
them the corruption of life.
For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever.
For by the vain glory of men they entered into the world, and therefore shall they come shortly to an end.
For a father
afflicted with untimely
mourning, when he hath made an image of his child soon taken away, now honoured him as a god, which was
then a dead man, and delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.
Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law, and
graven images were worshipped by
the commandments of kings.
Whom men could not honour in presence, because
they dwelt far off,
they took
the counterfeit of his
visage from far, and made an express image of a king whom
they honoured, to
the end that by this
their forwardness
they might
flatter him that was absent, as if he were present.
For he,
peradventure willing to please one in authority, forced all his skill to make
the resemblance of
the best fashion.
And so
the multitude,
allured by
the grace of
the work, took him now for a god, which a little before was but honoured.
Moreover this was not enough for
them, that
they erred in
the knowledge of God; but whereas
they lived in
the great war of ignorance, those so great plagues called
they peace.
For whilst
they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret ceremonies, or made revellings of strange rites;
For
the worshipping of idols not to be named is
the beginning,
the cause, and
the end, of all evil.
For
insomuch as
their trust is in idols, which have no life; though
they swear falsely, yet
they look not to be
hurt.
For it is not
the power of
them by whom
they swear: but it is
the just
vengeance of sinners, that punisheth always
the offence of
the ungodly.
For to know
thee is perfect righteousness:
yea, to know thy power is
the root of immortality.
The sight
whereof enticeth fools to
lust after it, and so
they desire
the form of a dead image, that hath no breath.
Both they that make them, they that desire them, and they that worship them, are lovers of evil things, and are worthy to have such things to trust upon.
For
the potter, tempering soft earth, fashioneth every vessel with much labour for our service:
yea, of
the same clay he maketh both
the vessels that serve for clean uses, and likewise also all such as serve to
the contrary: but what is
the use of either sort,
the potter himself is
the judge.
And employing his labours
lewdly, he maketh a vain god of
the same clay, even he which a little before was made of earth himself, and within a little while after returneth to
the same, out when his life which was lent him shall be demanded.
Notwithstanding his care is, not that he shall have much labour, nor that his life is short: but striveth to
excel goldsmiths and silversmiths, and endeavoureth to do like
the workers in brass, and counteth it his glory to make
counterfeit things.
But
they counted our life a
pastime, and our time here a market for gain: for, say
they, we must be getting every way, though it be by evil means.
And all
the enemies of thy people, that hold
them in subjection, are most
foolish, and are more
miserable than very babes.
For they counted all the idols of the heathen to be gods: which neither have the use of eyes to see, nor noses to draw breath, nor ears to hear, nor fingers of hands to handle; and as for their feet, they are slow to go.
For man made them, and he that borrowed his own spirit fashioned them: but no man can make a god like unto himself.
For being
mortal, he worketh a dead thing with wicked hands: for he himself is better than
the things which he worshippeth: whereas he lived once, but
they never.
Yea,
they worshipped those beasts also that are most
hateful: for being compared together, some are worse than others.
Neither are they beautiful, so much as to be desired in respect of beasts: but they went without the praise of God and his blessing.
Therefore by
the like were
they punished
worthily, and by
the multitude of beasts
tormented.
Instead of which punishment, dealing
graciously with thine own people, thou preparedst for
them meat of a strange taste, even quails to
stir up
their appetite:
To
the end that
they, desiring food, might for
the ugly sight of
the beasts sent among
them lothe even that, which
they must needs desire; but
these, suffering
penury for a short space, might be made partakers of a strange taste.
For it was requisite, that upon
them exercising
tyranny should come
penury, which
they could not avoid: but to
these it should only be shewed how
their enemies were
tormented.
For when
the horrible fierceness of beasts came upon
these, and
they perished with
the stings of
crooked serpents, thy wrath
endured not for ever:
But
they were troubled for a small season, that
they might be
admonished, having a sign of salvation, to put
them in
remembrance of
the commandment of thy law.
For he that turned himself toward it was not saved by the thing that he saw, but by thee, that art the Saviour of all.
For
them the bitings of grasshoppers and
flies killed, neither was
there found any remedy for
their life: for
they were worthy to be punished by such.
But thy sons not
the very teeth of
venomous dragons overcame: for thy mercy was ever by
them, and
healed them.
For
they were
pricked, that
they should remember thy words; and were quickly saved, that not falling into deep
forgetfulness,
they might be continually mindful of thy goodness.
For it was neither
herb, nor
mollifying plaister, that restored
them to health: but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things.
For thou hast power of life and death: thou leadest to
the gates of
hell, and bringest up again.
A man indeed killeth through his
malice: and
the spirit, when it is gone forth, returneth not; neither
the soul received up cometh again.
For
the ungodly, that denied to know
thee, were
scourged by
the strength of thine arm: with strange rains, hails, and showers, were
they persecuted, that
they could not avoid, and through fire were
they consumed.
For, which is most to be wondered at, the fire had more force in the water, that quencheth all things: for the world fighteth for the righteous.
For
sometime the flame was
mitigated, that it might not burn up
the beasts that were sent against
the ungodly; but
themselves might see and perceive that
they were
persecuted with
the judgment of God.
And at another time it burneth even in the midst of water above the power of fire, that it might destroy the fruits of an unjust land.
Instead
whereof thou feddest thine own people with angels’ food, and
didst send
them from heaven bread prepared without
their labour, able to content every man’s delight, and agreeing to every taste.
For thy
sustenance declared thy sweetness unto thy children, and serving to
the appetite of
the eater, tempered itself to every man’s liking.
But snow and ice
endured the fire, and melted not, that
they might know that fire burning in
the hail, and
sparkling in
the rain, did destroy
the fruits of
the enemies.
But this again did even
forget his own strength, that
the righteous might be
nourished.
For the creature that serveth thee, who art the Maker increaseth his strength against the unrighteous for their punishment, and abateth his strength for the benefit of such as put their trust in thee.
Therefore even
then was it altered into all fashions, and was
obedient to thy grace, that nourisheth all things, according to
the desire of
them that had need:
That thy children, O Lord, whom thou lovest, might know, that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth man: but that it is thy word, which preserveth them that put their trust in thee.
For that which was not destroyed of
the fire, being warmed with a little
sunbeam, soon melted away:
That it might be known, that we must prevent
the sun to give
thee thanks, and at
the dayspring pray unto
thee.