Category
VERSES ABOUT NATURE
Think about this: God created everything. The earth, the sky, the whole world—it all belongs to Him. He made it all, just like Exodus 20:11 says: "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." He created it all perfectly, and He deserves all the praise for the amazing things He's done.
You know, we should really stand in awe of God and give Him glory. The time is coming when He will judge the world, so let's worship the One who made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and the springs of water.
When you're out enjoying nature – at the beach, in the mountains, or just looking at a beautiful tree – remember who made it all so beautiful and perfect. Let's give God all the glory He deserves.
Those who do what is right take good care of their animals. But the kindest acts of those who do wrong are mean.
Then God said, “Let us make human beings so that they are like us. Let them rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the livestock and all the wild animals. And let them rule over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
He makes grass grow for the cattle and plants for people to take care of. That’s how they get food from the earth.
Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are?
Suppose you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has fallen down under its load. Then do not leave it there. Be sure you help them with it.
Your holiness is as great as the height of the highest mountains. You are as honest as the oceans are deep. Lord, you keep people and animals safe.
But the seventh day is a sabbath to honor the Lord your God. Do not do any work on that day. The same command applies to your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and your animals. It also applies to any outsiders who live in your towns.
Wolves and lambs will eat together. Lions will eat straw like oxen. Serpents will eat nothing but dust. None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone on my holy mountain of Zion,” says the Lord.
You people who don’t want to work, think about the ant! Consider its ways and be wise!It has no commander. It has no leader or ruler.But it stores up its food in summer. It gathers its food at harvest time.
Lord, you have made so many things! How wise you were when you made all of them! The earth is full of your creatures.
At that time I will make a covenant for the good of my people. I will make it with the wild animals and the birds in the sky. It will also be made with the creatures that move along the ground. I will remove bows and swords and other weapons of war from the land. Then my people can lie down in safety.
And shouldn’t I show concern for the great city of Nineveh? It has more than 120,000 people. They can’t tell right from wrong. Nineveh also has a lot of animals.”
Suppose you happen to find a bird’s nest beside the road. It might be in a tree or on the ground. And suppose the mother bird is sitting on her little birds or on the eggs. Then don’t take the mother along with the little ones.You can take the little ones. But make sure you let the mother go. Then things will go well with you. You will live for a long time.
“Do all your work in six days. But do not do any work on the seventh day. Then your oxen and donkeys can rest. The slaves born in your house can be renewed. And so can the outsiders who live among you.
The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden. He put him there to farm its land and take care of it.
Wolves will live with lambs. Leopards will lie down with goats. Calves and lions will eat together. And little children will lead them around.
And so will your livestock and the wild animals that are in your land. Anything the land produces can be eaten.
Who provides food for ravens when their babies cry out to me? They wander around because they do not have anything to eat.
Praise him, all you wild animals and cattle. Praise him, you small creatures and flying birds.
But during the seventh year do not plow your land or use it. Then the poor people among you can get food from it. The wild animals can eat what is left over. Do the same thing with your vineyards and your groves of olive trees.
If you find something that’s already dead, don’t eat it. You can give it to an outsider living in any of your towns. They may eat it. Or you can sell it to someone from another country. But you are a holy nation. The Lord your God has set you apart for himself. Don’t cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Every animal in the forest already belongs to me. And so do the cattle on a thousand hills.I own every bird in the mountains. The insects in the fields belong to me.
He takes care of his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms. He carries them close to his heart. He gently leads those that have little ones.
You made human beings rule over everything your hands created. You put everything under their control.They rule over all flocks and herds and over the wild animals.They rule over the birds in the sky and over the fish in the ocean. They rule over everything that swims in the oceans.
Do not kill a cow and its calf on the same day. Do not kill a female sheep and its lamb on the same day.
He asked them another question. He said, “Suppose one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day. Wouldn’t you pull it out right away?”
Anyone who loves correction loves knowledge. Anyone who hates to be corrected is stupid.
Even wild dogs and owls honor me. That is because I provide water in the desert for my people to drink. I cause streams to flow in the dry and empty land for my chosen ones.
He went to him, poured olive oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey. He brought him to an inn and took care of him.
Here is what is written in the Law of Moses. “Do not stop an ox from eating while it helps separate the grain from the straw.” (Deuteronomy 25:4) Is it oxen that God is concerned about?
I don’t bring charges against you because of your sacrifices. I don’t bring charges because of the burnt offerings you always bring me.I don’t need a bull from your barn. I don’t need goats from your pens.
Surely what happens to animals happens to people too. Death waits for people and animals alike. People die, just as animals do. All of them have the same breath. People don’t have any advantage over animals. Nothing has any meaning.
Owls will make their nests and lay their eggs there. And they will hatch them. They will take care of their little ones under the shadow of their wings. Male and female falcons will also gather there.
He said to them, “What if one of your sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath day? Won’t you take hold of it and lift it out?A person is worth more than sheep! So the Law allows us to do good on the Sabbath day.”
“Job, do you know when mountain goats have their babies? Do you watch when female deer give birth?
He covers the sky with clouds. He supplies the earth with rain. He makes grass grow on the hills.
Cows will eat with bears. Their little ones will lie down together. And lions will eat straw like oxen.
Then your lambs will provide you with clothes. And the money from selling your goats will buy you a field.
“Suppose someone uncovers a pit or digs one and does not cover it. And suppose an ox or donkey falls into it.Then the person who opened the pit must pay the animal’s owner for the loss. The dead animal will belong to the person who opened the pit.
I will take care of them in the best grasslands. They will eat grass on the highest mountains of Israel. There they will lie down in the finest grasslands. They will eat grass in the best places on Israel’s mountains.
Every living thing looks to you for food. You give it to them exactly when they need it.
The Lord God had formed all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He had made all of them out of the ground. He brought them to the man to see what names he would give them. And the name the man gave each living creature became its name.
If I were hungry, I wouldn’t tell you. The world belongs to me. And so does everything in it.
Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. Speak up for the rights of all those who are poor.
Think about the ravens. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t have any barns at all. But God feeds them. You are worth much more than birds!
God blessed them. He said to them, “Have children so that there will be many of you. Fill the earth and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Rule over every living creature that moves along the ground.”
I will leave you out in the desert. All the fish in your streams will be there with you. You will fall down in an open field. You will not be picked up. I will feed you to the wild animals and to the birds in the sky.
None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone on my holy mountain of Zion. The oceans are full of water. In the same way, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
He teaches us more than he teaches the wild animals. He makes us wiser than the birds in the sky.’
But those who trust in the Lord will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weak.
Lord who rules over all, even the sparrow has found a home near your altar. My King and my God, the swallow also has a nest there, where she may have her young.
But God showed concern for Noah. He also showed concern for all the wild animals and livestock that were with Noah in the ark. So God sent a wind to sweep over the earth. And the waters began to go down.
The angel of the Lord spoke to him. He asked him, “Why have you hit your donkey three times? I have come here to oppose you. What you are doing is foolish.The donkey saw me. It turned away from me three times. Suppose it had not turned away. Then I would certainly have killed you by now. But I would have spared the donkey.”
Bring a male and a female of every living thing into the ark. They will be kept alive with you.The sons of God saw that the daughters of human beings were beautiful. So they married any of them they chose.Two of every kind of bird will come to you. Two of every kind of animal will also come to you. And so will two of every kind of creature that moves along the ground. All of them will be kept alive with you.
Suppose you see your neighbor’s donkey or ox that has fallen down on the road. Then don’t act as if you didn’t see it. Help the owner get it up on its feet again.
Do the same with your cattle and sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days. But give them to me on the eighth day.
He covers the sky with clouds. He supplies the earth with rain. He makes grass grow on the hills.He provides food for the cattle. He provides for the young ravens when they cry out.
“Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Many animals live on land. Here are the only ones you can eat.“ ‘Treat as “unclean” every flying insect that walks on all fours.But you can eat some flying insects that walk on all fours. Their legs have joints so they can hop on the ground.Here are the insects you can eat. You can eat all kinds of locusts, katydids, crickets and grasshoppers.Treat as “unclean” every other creature with wings and four legs.“ ‘You will make yourselves “unclean” if you eat these things. If you touch their dead bodies, you will be “unclean” until evening.If a person picks up one of their dead bodies, that person must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening.“ ‘Suppose an animal has hooves that are not separated completely in two. Or suppose an animal does not chew the cud. Then these animals are “unclean” for you. If you touch the dead body of any of them, you will be “unclean.”Many animals walk on all fours. But those that walk on their paws are “unclean” for you. Anyone who touches their dead bodies will be “unclean” until evening.If a person picks up their dead bodies, that person must wash their clothes. They will be “unclean” until evening. These animals are “unclean” for you.“ ‘Many animals move along the ground. Here are the ones that are “unclean” for you. They include weasels, rats and all kinds of large lizards.You can eat any animal that has hooves that are separated completely in two. But it must also chew the cud.
Suppose you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep wandering away. Then don’t act as if you didn’t see it. Instead, make sure you take it back to its owner.
“Four things on earth are small. But they are very wise.The first are ants, which aren’t very strong. But they store up their food in the summer.
You will drink water from the brook. I have directed some ravens to supply you with food there.”
Take seven pairs of every kind of ‘clean’ animal with you. Take a male and a female of each kind. Take one pair of every kind of animal that is not ‘clean.’ Take a male and a female of each kind.The waters continued to rise until they covered the mountains by more than 20 feet.Every living thing that moved on land died. The birds, the livestock and the wild animals died. All of the creatures that fill the earth also died. And so did every human being.Every breathing thing on dry land died.Every living thing on earth was wiped out. People and animals were destroyed. The creatures that move along the ground and the birds in the sky were wiped out. Everything on earth was destroyed. Only Noah and those with him in the ark were left.The waters flooded the earth for 150 days.Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. Take a male and a female of each kind. Then every kind will be kept alive. They can spread out again over the whole earth.
After you arrive in the land, give to the Lord the oldest son of every mother. Every male animal born first to its mother among your livestock belongs to the Lord.
But the seventh day is a sabbath to honor the Lord your God. Do not do any work on that day. The same command applies to your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen, your donkeys and your other animals. It also applies to any outsiders who live in your towns. I want your male and female servants to rest, just as you do.
She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in a manger. That’s because there was no guest room where they could stay.
What are human beings that you think about them? What is a son of man that you take care of him?You have made them a little lower than the angels. You placed on them a crown of glory and honor.You made human beings rule over everything your hands created. You put everything under their control.They rule over all flocks and herds and over the wild animals.They rule over the birds in the sky and over the fish in the ocean. They rule over everything that swims in the oceans.
Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. I have already given you the green plants for food. Now I am giving you everything.“But you must not eat meat that still has blood in it.
He gives those who are thirsty all the water they want. He gives those who are hungry all the good food they can eat.
“Job, do you give horses their strength? Do you put flowing manes on their necks?Do you count the months until the animals have their babies? Do you know the time when they give birth?Do you make them jump like locusts? They terrify others with their proud snorting.They paw the ground wildly. They are filled with joy. They charge at their enemies.They laugh at fear. They are not afraid of anything. They do not run away from swords.Many arrows rattle at their sides. Flashing spears and javelins are also there.They are so excited that they race over the ground. They can’t stand still when trumpets are blown.When they hear the trumpets they snort, ‘Aha!’ They catch the smells of battle far away. They hear the shouts of commanders and the battle cries.
“ ‘Obey my rules. “ ‘Do not let different kinds of animals mate with each other. “ ‘Do not mix two kinds of seeds and then plant them in your field. “ ‘Do not wear clothes that are made out of two kinds of cloth.
“Three things walk as if they were kings. Four things move as kings do.I haven’t learned wisdom. And I don’t know the things the Holy One knows.The first is a lion, which is mighty among the animals. It doesn’t back away from anything.The second is a rooster, which walks proudly. The third is a billy goat. And the fourth is a king, who is secure against any who might oppose him.
Who can know whether the spirit of a person goes up? Who can tell whether the spirit of an animal goes down into the earth?”
God said, “Let the land produce every kind of living creature. Let there be livestock, and creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals.” And that’s exactly what happened.
That is because every creature’s life is its blood. And that is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat any creature’s meat that still has blood in it. Every creature’s life is its blood. Anyone who eats that kind of meat must be separated from the community of Israel.”
But others are not like that. They sacrifice bulls to me, but at the same time they kill people. They offer lambs to me, but they also sacrifice dogs to other gods. They bring grain offerings to me, but they also offer pig’s blood to other gods. They burn incense to me, but they also worship statues of gods. They have chosen to go their own way. They take delight in things I hate.
“But ask the animals what God does. They will teach you. Or ask the birds in the sky. They will tell you.
He makes grass grow for the cattle and plants for people to take care of. That’s how they get food from the earth.There is wine to make people glad. There is olive oil to make their skin glow. And there is bread to make them strong.
“I will create new heavens and a new earth. The things that have happened before will not be remembered. They will not even enter your minds.
“The wings of ostriches flap with joy. But they can’t compare with the wings and feathers of storks.Ostriches lay their eggs on the ground. They let them get warm in the sand.They do not know that something might step on them. A wild animal might walk all over them.Ostriches are mean to their little ones. They treat them as if they did not belong to them. They do not care that their work was useless.I did not provide ostriches with wisdom. I did not give them good sense.But when they spread their feathers to run, they laugh at a horse and its rider.
They were like cattle that are taken down to the plains. They were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord.” That’s how he guided his people. So he made a glorious name for himself.