WORDS for your PSYCHE - Part I

Old Testament: Books of Kings, Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah

“Praise the Lord, because he is good, And his love is eternal.” (2 Chronicles 5:11-14 / TEV)

1 KINGS

“That night the Lord appeared to him in a dream and asked him, ’What would you like me to give you?’ Solomon answered, ’...give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil.’ The Lord was pleased...and so he said to him, ’Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly, instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies, I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again...And if you obey me and keep my laws and commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.’” (1 Kings 3:5, 6, 9, 10-12 and 14 / TEV)

“Even though the Lord...had appeared to Solomon twice and had commanded him not to worship foreign gods, Solomon did not obey the Lord but turned away from him. So the Lord was angry with Solomon and said to him, ’Because you have deliberately broken your covenant with me and disobeyed my commands, I promise that I will take the kingdom away from you....’” (1 Kings 11:9-11 / TEV)

“And the Lord said to Elijah, ’Leave this place and go east and hide yourself near Cherith Brook, east of the Jordan. The brook will supply you with water to drink, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there.’ Elijah obeyed the Lord’s command, and went and stayed by Cherith Brook. He drank water from the brook, and ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening.” (1 Kings 17:2-6 / TEV)

“’Don’t worry,’ Elijah said to her. ’Go and prepare your meal. But first make a small loaf from what you have and bring it to me, and then prepare the rest for you and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ’The bowl will not run out of flour or the jar run out of oil before that day I, the Lord, send rain.’’ The widow went and did as Elijah had told her, and all of them had enough food for many days. As the Lord has promised Elijah, the bowl did not run out of flour nor did the jar run out of oil.” (1 Kings 17:13-16 / TEV)

“...the widow’s son got sick...and finally died....’Give the boy to me,’ Elijah said...Then Elijah stretched himself out on the boy three times and prayed, ’O Lord my God, restore this child to life!’ The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer; the child started breathing again and revived.” (1 Kings 17:17, 19 and 21-22 / TEV)

“The Lord’s angel returned and woke him up a second time, saying, ’Get up and eat, or the trip will be too much for you.’ Elijah got up, ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to walk for forty days to Sinai, the holy mountain. There he went into a cave to spend the night. Suddenly the Lord spoke to him, ’Elijah, what are you doing here?’” (1 Kings 19:7-9 / TEV)

2 KINGS

“They kept talking as they walked on; then suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind. Elisha saw it….” (2 Kings 2:11-12 / TEV)

“Elisha asked Gehazi, ’What can I do for her then?’ He answered, ’Well, she has no son, and her husband is an old man…’ Elisha said to her, ’By this time next year you will be holding a son in your arms.’ ’Oh!’ she exclaimed. ’Please, sir, don’t lie to me. You are a man of God!’ But, as Elisha has said, at about that time the following year she gave birth to a son.” (2 Kings 4:14 and 16-17 / TEV)

“When Elisha arrived, he went alone into the room and saw the boy lying dead on the bed. He closed the door and prayed to the Lord…As he lay stretched out over the boy, the boy’s body started to get warm. Elisha…again stretched himself over the boy. The boy sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes. Elisha called Gehazi and told him to call the boy’s mother. When she came in, he said to her, ’Here’s your son.’” (2 Kings 4:32-36 / TEV)

1 CHRONICLES

“Adam was the father of Seth, Seth was the father of Enosh…Methuselah was the father of Lamech, who was the father of Noah. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth…. The family line from Shem to Abram is as follows: Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah and Abram (also known as Abraham). Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael…. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob…. Jacob had twelve sons…. Jesse had seven sons: In order of age they were: Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem and David….” (1 Chronicles 1:1, 3-4, 24-27, 28 and 34, and 1 Chronicles 2:1 and 13-15 / TEV)

“Give thanks to the Lord, proclaim his greatness; tell the nations what he has done. Sing praise to the Lord; tell the wonderful things he has done. Be glad that we belong to him; let all who worship him rejoice!” (1 Chronicles 16:8-10 / TEV)

2 CHRONICLES

“Praise the Lord, because he is good, And his love is eternal.” (2 Chronicles 5:13-14 / TEV)

“Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:13-14 / NIV ®)

EZRA

“...there was a man named Ezra. He traced his ancestors back to Aaron, the High Priest...” (Ezra 7:1 / TEV)

“Ezra had devoted his life to studying the Law of the Lord, to practicing it, and to teaching all its laws and regulations to the people of Israel.” (Ezra 7:10 / TEV)

NEHEMIAH

“Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ’Amen! Amen!’ Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” (Nehemiah 8:6 / NIV ®)

“Nehemiah said, ’Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some of those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’” (Nehemiah 8:10 / NIV ®)

“Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” (Nehemiah 9:5-6 / NIV ®)