The Bible, quoted
in its own voices.

He will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great. May the LORD increase you more and more, you and your children. Blessed are you by the LORD, who made heaven and earth. The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but he has given the earth to the children of men. The dead don’t praise the LORD, nor any who go down into silence, but we will bless the LORD, from this time forward and forever more. Praise the LORD!

For the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon. Yet surely I will make you a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited. I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons, and they will cut down your choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’

What profit has he who works in that in which he labors? I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

By David.

Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands to war, and my fingers to battle— my loving kindness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me. LORD, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him? Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away. Part your heavens, LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke. Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them. Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

This saying is faithful, and concerning these things I desire that you insist confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men; but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a one is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some fish of every kind, which, when it was filled, fishermen drew up on the beach. They sat down and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be in the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” “Have you understood all these things?” “Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”

“I commanded Baruch before them, saying, the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Take these deeds, this deed of the purchase which is sealed, and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days.’ For the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Houses and fields and vineyards will yet again be bought in this land.’ Now after I had delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying,

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew. One called to another, and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!” The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Armies!”

He said to me, “Son of man, the Lord GOD says: ‘These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they make it, to offer burnt offerings on it, and to sprinkle blood on it. You shall give to the Levitical priests who are of the offspring of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘a young bull for a sin offering. You shall take of its blood and put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around. You shall cleanse it and make atonement for it that way. You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary.