Official favorite scripture thread!

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
David, a handsome, ruddy-cheeked youth and the youngest son of Jesse, is brought before Saul, the king of Israel, having slain the giant Philistine warrior Goliath with only a stone and sling (1 Sam. 16:14-21).

Jonathan, the eldest son of Saul, is struck with love for David on their first meeting (1 Samuel 18:1), and that same day, makes a covenant with him because he loves him (1 Samuel 18:3). He then removes and offers David the rich garments he is wearing, and shares with him his worldly possessions (1 Samuel 18:4).

The people of Israel openly accept David and sing of his praises, so much so that it draws the jealousy of Saul (1 Samuel 18:5-9). Saul tries repeatedly to kill David, but is each time unsuccessful, and David's reputation only grows with each attempt (1 Samuel 18:24-25).

Upon learning of one of Saul's murder attempts, Jonathan warns David to hide (1 Samuel 19:1-2). David is forced to flee more of Saul's attempts to kill him (1 Samuel 19:1-20:1), and in a moment when they find themselves alone together, David says to Jonathan, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved,' but truly as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is hardly a step between me and death," (1 Samuel 20:3).

"Then Jonathan said to David, 'Whatever you say, I will do for you,'" (1 Samuel 20:4). And "Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, 'May the LORD require it at the hands of David's enemies,'" and "Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him," (1 Samuel 20:16-17).

David agrees to hide, until Jonathan can confront his father and ascertain whether it is safe for David to stay (1 Samuel 20:18-22). When Jonathan approaches his father to plead David's cause, he replies, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?" (1 Samuel 20:30).

Jonathan is so grieved that he does not eat for days (1 Samuel 20:34). He goes to David at his hiding place to tell him that it is unsafe for him and he must leave: "When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times And they kissed each other and wept together, until David exceeded. Jonathan said to David, 'Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.' Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city," (1 Samuel 20:41-42).

Saul continues to pursue David (1 Samuel 21-23:14), David and Jonathan renew their covenant together (1 Samuel 23:15-18), and eventually Saul and David reconcile (1 Samuel 24:16-22). When Jonathan is slain on Mt. Gilboa by the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:2), David laments his death saying, "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women," (2 Samuel 1:26).

Wow. I need to show that to my Christian friends...

Damn, I didn't even read that initially. Interesting.

Somewhere in Matthew ...

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

The steps of a good man are
ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be
utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him with
His hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 (The New King James Version)

Here is one of many...

Isaiah 32:5

5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

And another...

Tao Te Ching 7

The sage stays behind, thus he is ahead.
He is detached, thus at one with all.
Through selfless action, he attains fulfillment.

"The Lord is good, and giveth strength in the day of trouble: and knoweth them that hope in him."
Nahum 1:7

"For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."
Psalms 100:5

Does it have to be from the bible?

No...its favorite scripture.

Originally posted by Alliance
No...its favorite scripture.

Cool. 😄

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Does it have to be from the bible?

I figured I'd post some non-Bible 😉 it needed to be opened up... Title should have been "quote your favorite passage from some religious text"

scripture means all religious texts does it not?

Originally posted by Alliance
scripture means all religious texts does it not?

Most people, when a Christian makes the statement, are unsure of whether or not it means "only Bible." JIA would probably disagree 😉

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Does it have to be from the bible?

* here, i quoted the first post...

Originally posted by docb77
Ok, here's the deal. I think there is something to learn from everyone. I want to know what everyones favorite scriptural verses are. These can be from the Bible, Torah, Book of Mormon, Bagavad gita, Vedas, Koran, etc. Any writings considered sacred are allowed.

* pretty clear, ain't it? 😉

apparently not to some people...

* so it seems...

The Lotus sutra

The Buddhas of future ages,
although they preach hundreds, thousands, millions
a countless number of doctrines,
in truth do so for the sake of the single vehicle.
The Buddhas, most honored of two-legged beings,
know that phenomena have no constantly fixed nature,
that the seed of Buddhahood sprout through causation,
and for this reason they preach the single vehicle.
But that these phenomena are part of an abiding Law,
that the characteristics of the world are constantly abiding--
this they have come to know in the place of practice
and as leaders and teachers they preach expedient means.

Chapter Two: Expedient Means [Hoben]

Since I attained Buddhahood
the number of kalpas that have passed
is an immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands,
millions, trillions, asamkhyas.
Constantly I have preached the Law, teaching, converting
countless millions of living beings,
causing them to enter the Buddha way,
all this for immeasurable kalpas.
In order to save living beings,
as an expedient means I appear to enter nirvana
but in truth I do not pass into extinction.
I am always here preaching the Law.
I am always here,

Chapter Sixteen: The Life Span of the Tathagata [Nyorai Juryo]

Its a bit long but:

1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.

2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.

3. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.

4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law.

5. Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law.

6. Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.

7. No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistance constitutes an offense.

8. The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense.

9. As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's person shall be severely repressed by law.

10. No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law.

11. The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.

12. The security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be intrusted.

13. A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means.

14. All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes.

15. Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration.

16. A society in which the observance of the law is not assured, nor the separation of powers defined, has no constitution at all.

17. Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, and then only on condition that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified.

What's that from? Magna Carta?

Declaration of the Rights of Man

26 August 1789.