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Psalms 90:12
Teach us to realize how short our lives are. Then our hearts will become wise.
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Deuteronomy 32:46
Then he said to them,“ Think carefully about all the words I have announced to you today. I want you to command your children to be careful to obey all the words of this law.
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Deuteronomy 32:29
I wish they were wise. Then they would understand what’s coming. They’d realize what would happen to them in the end.
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Malachi 2:2
Listen to it. Honor me with all your heart,” says the Lord who rules over all.“ If you do not, I will send a curse on you. I will turn your blessings into curses. In fact, I have already done that because you have not honored me with all your heart.
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Haggai 1:5
The Lord who rules over all says,“ Think carefully about how you are living.
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Genesis 50:15-17
Now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers were worried. They said,“ Remember all the bad things we did to Joseph? What if he decides to hold those things against us? What if he pays us back for them?”So they sent a message to Joseph. They said,“ Your father gave us directions before he died.He said,‘ Here’s what you must say to Joseph. Tell him,“ I’m asking you to forgive your brothers. Forgive the terrible things they did to you. Forgive them for treating you so badly.” ’ Now then, please forgive our sins. We serve the God of your father.” When their message came to Joseph, he wept.
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Numbers 23:10
Jacob’s people are like the dust of the earth. Can dust be counted? Who can count even a fourth of the Israelites? Let me die as godly people die. Let my death be like theirs!”
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Isaiah 22:12-14
The Lord who rules over all called out to you at that time. The Lord told you to weep and cry. He told you to tear your hair out. And he told you to put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad.Instead, you are enjoying yourselves at wild parties! You are killing cattle and sheep. You are eating their meat and drinking wine. You are saying,“ Let’s eat and drink, because tomorrow we’ll die.”I heard the Lord who rules over all speaking.“ Your sin can never be paid for as long as you live,” says the Lord.
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Amos 6:3-6
You are trying to avoid the time when trouble will come. But you are only bringing closer the Assyrian rule of terror.You lie down on beds that are decorated with ivory. You rest on your couches. You eat the best lambs and the fattest calves.You pluck away on your harps as David did. You play new songs on musical instruments.You drink wine by the bowlful. You use the finest lotions. But Joseph’s people will soon be destroyed. And you aren’t even sad about it.
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Isaiah 5:11-12
How terrible it will be for those who get up early in the morning to start drinking! How terrible for those who stay up late at night until they are drunk with wine!They have harps and lyres at their banquets. They have tambourines, flutes and wine. But they don’t have any concern for the mighty acts of the Lord. They don’t have any respect for what his power has done.
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Genesis 48:1-22
Some time later Joseph was told,“ Your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him.Jacob was told,“ Your son Joseph has come to you.” So Israel became stronger and sat up in bed.Jacob said to Joseph,“ The Mighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan. He blessed me there.He said to me,‘ I am going to give you children. I will make your family very large. I will make you a community of nations. And I will give this land to your children after you. It will belong to them forever.’“ Now then, two sons were born to you in Egypt. It happened before I came to you here. They will be counted as my own sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will belong to me, in the same way that Reuben and Simeon belong to me.Any children born to you after them will belong to you. Any territory they receive will come from the land that will be given to Ephraim and Manasseh.As I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died. It made me very sad. She died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way. We weren’t very far away from Ephrath. So I buried her body there beside the road to Ephrath.” Ephrath was also called Bethlehem.Israel saw Joseph’s sons. He asked,“ Who are they?”“ They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said,“ Bring them to me. I want to give them my blessing.”Israel’s eyes were weak because he was old. He couldn’t see very well. So Joseph brought his sons close to him. His father kissed them and hugged them.Israel said to Joseph,“ I never thought I’d see your face again. But now God has let me see your children too.”Then Joseph lifted his sons off Israel’s knees. Joseph bowed down with his face to the ground.He placed Ephraim on his right, toward Israel’s left hand. He placed Manasseh on his left, toward Israel’s right hand. Then he brought them close to Israel.But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head. He did it even though Ephraim was the younger son. He crossed his arms and put his left hand on Manasseh’s head. He did it even though Manasseh was the older son.Then Israel gave Joseph his blessing. He said,“ May God bless these boys. He is the God of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac. They walked faithfully with him. He is the God who has been my shepherd all my life right up to this day.He is the Angel who has saved me from all harm. May he bless these boys. May they be called by my name. May they also be called by the names of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac. And may the number of them greatly increase on the earth.”Joseph saw his father putting his right hand on Ephraim’s head. And Joseph didn’t like it. So he took hold of his father’s hand to move it over to Manasseh’s head.Joseph said to him,“ No, my father. Here’s my older son. Put your right hand on his head.”But his father wouldn’t do it. He said,“ I know, my son. I know. He too will become a nation. He too will become great. But his younger brother will be greater than he is. His children after him will become a group of nations.”On that day, Jacob gave them his blessing. He said,“ The people of Israel will bless others in your name. They will say,‘ May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ ” So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.Then Israel said to Joseph,“ I’m about to die. But God will be with all of you. He’ll take you back to the land of your fathers.But to you, Joseph, I am giving more land than your brothers. I’m giving you the land I took from the Amorites. I took it with my sword and bow.”
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Hebrews 9:27
People have to die once. After that, God will judge them.
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Genesis 49:2-33
“ Sons of Jacob, come together and listen. Listen to your father Israel.“ Reuben, you are my oldest son. You were my first child. You were the first sign of my strength. You were first in honor. You were first in power.But you are as unsteady as water. So you won’t be first anymore. You had sex with my concubine on my bed. You lay on my couch and made it‘ unclean.’“ Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords have killed a lot of people.I won’t share in their plans. I won’t have anything to do with them. They became angry and killed people. They cut the legs of oxen just for the fun of it.May the Lord put a curse on them because of their terrible anger. I will scatter them in Jacob’s land. I will spread them around in Israel.“ Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your enemies will be brought under your control. Your father’s sons will bow down to you.Judah, you are like a lion’s cub. You return from hunting, my son. Like a lion, you lie down and sleep. You are like a mother lion. Who dares to wake you up?The right to rule will not leave Judah. The ruler’s scepter will not be taken from between his feet. It will be his until the king it belongs to will come. The nations will obey that king.He will tie his donkey to a vine. He will tie his colt to the very best branch. He will wash his clothes in wine. He will wash his robes in the red juice of grapes.His eyes will be darker than wine. His teeth will be whiter than milk.“ Zebulun will live by the seashore. He will become a safe harbor for ships. His border will go out toward Sidon.“ Issachar is like a wild donkey lying down among the sheep pens.He sees how good his resting place is. He sees that his land is pleasant. So he will carry a heavy load on his back. He will obey when he’s forced to work.“ Dan will do what is fair for his people. He will do it as one of the tribes of Israel.Dan will be a snake by the side of the road. He will be a poisonous snake along the path. It bites the horse’s heels so that the rider falls off backward.“ Lord, I look to you to save me.“ Gad will be attacked by a group of robbers. But he will attack them as they run away.“ Asher’s food will be rich and sweet. He will provide food that even a king would enjoy.“ Naphtali is a female deer set free and gives birth to beautiful fawns.“ Joseph is a vine that grows a lot of fruit. It grows close by a spring. Its branches climb over a wall.Mean people shot arrows at him. They shot at him because they were angry.But his bow remained steady. His strong arms moved freely. The hand of the Mighty God of Jacob was with him. The Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, stood by him.Joseph, your father’s God helps you. The Mighty God blesses you. He gives you blessings from the sky above. He gives you blessings from the deep springs below. He blesses you with children and with a mother’s milk.Your father’s blessings are great. They are greater than the blessings from the age- old mountains. They are greater than the gifts from the ancient hills. Let all those blessings rest on the head of Joseph. Let them rest on the head of the one who is prince among his brothers.“ Benjamin is a hungry wolf. In the morning he eats what he has killed. In the evening he shares what he has stolen.”All these are the 12 tribes of Israel. That’s what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each one the blessing that was just right for him.Then Jacob gave directions to his sons. He said,“ I’m about to join the members of my family who have already died. Bury me with them in the cave in the field of Ephron, the Hittite.The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in Canaan. Abraham had bought it as a place where he could bury his wife’s body. He had bought the cave and the field from Ephron, the Hittite.The bodies of Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there. So were the bodies of Isaac and his wife Rebekah. I also buried Leah’s body there.Abraham bought the field and the cave from the Hittites.”When Jacob had finished telling his sons what to do, he pulled his feet up into his bed. Then he took his last breath and died. He joined the members of his family who had already died.
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Philippians 3:19
The only thing they have coming to them is death. Their stomach is their god. They brag about what they should be ashamed of. They think only about earthly things.
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1 Peter 4 3-1 Peter 4 4
You have spent enough time in the past doing what ungodly people choose to do. You lived a wild life. You longed for evil things. You got drunk. You went to wild parties. You worshiped statues of gods, which the Lord hates.Ungodly people are surprised that you no longer join them in what they do. They want you to join them in their wild and wasteful living. So they say bad things about you.
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Matthew 14:6-12
On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased Herod very much.So he promised to give her anything she asked for.Her mother told her what to say. So the girl said to Herod,“ Give me the head of John the Baptist on a big plate.”The king was very upset. But he thought of his promise and his dinner guests. So he told one of his men to give her what she asked for.Herod had John’s head cut off in the prison.His head was brought in on a big plate and given to the girl. She then carried it to her mother.John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
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Job 1:4-5
His sons used to give feasts in their homes on their birthdays. They would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.The time for enjoying good food would end. Then Job would make plans for his children to be made pure and“ clean.” He would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them. He would do it early in the morning. He would think,“ Perhaps my children have sinned. Maybe they have spoken evil things against God in their hearts.” That’s what Job always did for his children when he felt they had sinned.
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Romans 6:21-22
What benefit did you gain from doing the things you are now ashamed of? Those things lead to death!You have been set free from sin. God has made you his slaves. The benefit you gain leads to holy living. And the end result is eternal life.
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Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who are sad. They will be comforted.
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Isaiah 47:7
You said,‘ I am queen forever!’ But you did not think about what you were doing. You did not consider how things might turn out.
