Sansone e le Porte di Gaza

Sansone e le Porte di GazaGiudici 14 a 16 giudici

Sansone abbatte il tempio di Dagon, uccidendo tutti coloro che erano all'interno.

SAMSON sposato la figlia di uno dei Filistei, ma poi suo padre la portò via da lui, e, per vendetta, ha ucciso un gran numero di loro, e distrutto le loro coltivazioni e vigneti.
I Filistei poi uscito nel grande forza contro gli uomini di Giuda, e ha chiesto che Sansone dovrebbe essere data a loro. Gli uomini di conseguenza è venuto a Sansone, e hanno detto che lo deve cedere al nemico.

Così Sansone far loro lo legano con forti corde, e portarlo ai Filistei. Ma in quel momento Dio gli ha dato la forza di scattare le corde a pezzi e, afferrando la mascella d'asino, cadde sui suoi nemici, e ucciso un migliaio di loro.

Dopo questo, Sansone andò a Gaza, una città dei Filistei, e di notte la gente lo chiuse, dicendo tra loro che lo avrebbero ucciso la mattina.

Ma nel mezzo della notte si alzò, buttato giù le porte della città, e, gettando loro sulle spalle, li portò in cima ad una collina nel quartiere. I suoi nemici ora visto che non sono riusciti a vincere con la forza, in modo da corrompere una donna per ottenere da lui il segreto della sua forza.

Sansone ingannato lei e più volte, ma alla fine le ha detto la verità, che se i capelli sono stati tagliati fuori, lui non dovrebbe essere più forte di qualsiasi altro uomo. Così, mentre dormiva, l'ha tagliata, e poi, chiamando i Filistei, lo presero, messo fuori gli occhi, e lo mise a macinare il grano.

Ma come ha lavorato duramente in carcere, Dio ha dato la sua forza di nuovo a lui. Così un giorno, quando i grandi uomini dei Filistei stavano andando ad adorare i loro falso dio Dagon, e avrebbe Sansone fare sport per loro, pregò il ragazzo che lo ha portato a lasciarlo riposare contro i pilastri del palazzo dove erano assemblato.

Allora, pregando Dio che avrebbe ancora una volta gli permetterà di distruggere i suoi nemici, pose in mano i pilastri, e, chinandosi in avanti con tutte le sue forze, tirato giù l'edificio, schiacciando se stesso e migliaia di Filistei. Così è successo che ha ucciso di più nella sua morte che nella vita.

Samson und die Tore von Gaza

Samson und die Tore von GazaRichter 14 bis Richter 16

Samson reißt den Tempel des Dagon, töteten alle, die drinnen waren.

SAMSON heiratete die Tochter eines der Philister; aber später ihr Vater nahm sie von ihm weg, und aus Rache, er große Anzahl von ihnen getötet und vernichtet ihre Ernten und Weinbergen.
Die Philister kamen dann in großer Kraft gegen die Männer von Juda, und verlangte, dass Samson bis zu ihnen gegeben werden. Die Männer kam also Samson, und sagte, sie müssen ihn aufgeben, um den Feind.

So Samson ließ sie binden ihn mit starken Stricken, und bringen ihn zu den Philistern. Aber in diesem Moment Gott gab ihm die Kraft, die Stimmbänder auseinander Snap, und schnappte sich den Kieferknochen eines Esels, fiel er auf seine Feinde und tötete tausend von ihnen.

Danach ging Samson in Gaza, eine Stadt der Philister, und in der Nacht die Menschen schlossen ihn in, sagen sich gegenseitig, dass sie ihn am Morgen zu töten.

Aber in der Mitte der Nacht stand er auf, rissen die Tore der Stadt, und warf sie auf seine Schultern, trug sie auf dem Gipfel eines Hügels in der Nachbarschaft. Seine Feinde sah nun, dass sie nicht überwinden konnte ihn mit Gewalt, so dass sie bestochen eine Frau von ihm bekommen das Geheimnis seiner Stärke.

Samson betrogen sie und sie mehrere Male, aber schließlich ihr die Wahrheit gesagt, dass, wenn sich die Haare abgeschnitten wurden, sei er nicht stärker als jeder andere Mensch. Also, wenn er eingeschlafen war, schnitt sie sie ab, und dann rief der Philister, nahmen sie ihn, stachen ihm die Augen und stellte ihn auf Korn zu mahlen.

Aber als er im Gefängnis gearbeitet, gab Gott seine Kraft wieder zu ihm. Eines Tages, als die großen Männer der Philister gingen, um ihre falschen Gott Dagon verehren, und hätte Samson machen Sport für sie, bat er den Jungen, der ihn in zu lassen, ihm Ruhe führte gegen die Säulen des Gebäudes, wo sie waren montiert.

Dann betete zu Gott, dass er noch einmal damit er seine Feinde zu vernichten, legte er halten der Säulen, und Vorbeugen mit aller Macht, zog das Gebäude hinunter, Zerkleinern sich und Tausende von den Philistern. So kam es, dass er mehr getötet in seinem Tod als im Leben.

Samson and the Gates of Gaza

Samson and the Gates of Gaza Judges 14 to Judges 16

Samson pulls down the temple of Dagon, killing all who were inside. SAMSON MARRIED THE daughter of one of the Philistines; but afterward her father took her away from him, and, in revenge, he killed great numbers of them, and destroyed their crops and vineyards. The Philistines then came out in great force against the men of Judah, and demanded that Samson should be given up to them. The men accordingly came to Samson, and said they must give him up to the enemy. So Samson let them bind him with strong cords, and take him to the Philistines. But at that moment God gave him strength to snap the cords asunder; and, snatching up the jaw-bone of an ass, he fell upon his enemies, and killed a thousand of them. After this, Samson went to Gaza, a city of the Philistines, and at night the people shut him in, saying to each other that they would kill him in the morning. But in the middle of the night he got up, tore down the gates of the city, and, throwing them upon his shoulders, carried them to the top of a hill in the neighborhood. His enemies now saw that they could not overcome him by force, so they bribed a woman to get from him the secret of his strength. Samson deceived both her and them several times, but at last told her the truth, that if his hair were cut off, he should be no stronger than any other man. So, when he was asleep, she cut it off; and then, calling the Philistines, they took him, put out his eyes, and set him to grind corn. But as he toiled in prison, God gave his strength to him again. So one day, when the great men of the Philistines were going to worship their false god Dagon, and would have Samson make sport for them, he begged the boy who led him in to let him rest against the pillars of the building where they were assembled. Then, praying to God that He would once more enable him to destroy his enemies, he laid hold of the pillars, and, bending forward with all his might, pulled the building down, crushing both himself and thousands of the Philistines. Thus it happened that he killed more in his death than in life.

Thoughts on the Misery of Man

The Twenty-Second Chapter

Thoughts on the Misery of Man

WHEREVER you are, wherever you go, you are miserable unless you turn to God. So why be dismayed when things do not happen as you wish and desire? Is there anyone who has everything as he wishes? No—neither I, nor you, nor any man on earth. There is no one in the world, be he Pope or king, who does not suffer trial and anguish.

Who is the better off then? Surely, it is the man who will suffer something for God. Many unstable and weak-minded people say: “See how well that man lives, how rich, how great he is, how powerful and mighty.” But you must lift up your eyes to the riches of heaven and realize that the material goods of which they speak are nothing. These things are uncertain and very burdensome because they are never possessed without anxiety and fear. Man’s happiness does not consist in the possession of abundant goods; a very little is enough.

Living on earth is truly a misery. The more a man desires spiritual life, the more bitter the37present becomes to him, because he understands better and sees more clearly the defects, the corruption of human nature. To eat and drink, to watch and sleep, to rest, to labor, and to be bound by other human necessities is certainly a great misery and affliction to the devout man, who would gladly be released from them and be free from all sin. Truly, the inner man is greatly burdened in this world by the necessities of the body, and for this reason the Prophet prayed that he might be as free from them as possible, when he said: “From my necessities, O Lord, deliver me.”⁷⁷ Ps. 34:17.

But woe to those who know not their own misery, and greater woe to those who love this miserable and corruptible life. Some, indeed, can scarcely procure its necessities either by work or by begging; yet they love it so much that, if they could live here always, they would care nothing for the kingdom of God.

How foolish and faithless of heart are those who are so engrossed in earthly things as to relish nothing but what is carnal! Miserable men indeed, for in the end they will see to their sorrow how cheap and worthless was the thing they loved.

The saints of God and all devout friends of Christ did not look to what pleases the body nor to the things that are popular from time to time. Their whole hope and aim centered on the everlasting38good. Their whole desire pointed upward to the lasting and invisible realm, lest the love of what is visible drag them down to lower things.

Do not lose heart, then, my brother, in pursuing your spiritual life. There is yet time, and your hour is not past. Why delay your purpose? Arise! Begin at once and say: “Now is the time to act, now is the time to fight, now is the proper time to amend.”

When you are troubled and afflicted, that is the time to gain merit. You must pass through water and fire before coming to rest. Unless you do violence to yourself you will not overcome vice.

So long as we live in this fragile body, we can neither be free from sin nor live without weariness and sorrow. Gladly would we rest from all misery, but in losing innocence through sin we also lost true blessedness. Therefore, we must have patience and await the mercy of God until this iniquity passes, until mortality is swallowed up in life.

How great is the frailty of human nature which is ever prone to evil! Today you confess your sins and tomorrow you again commit the sins which you confessed. One moment you resolve to be careful, and yet after an hour you act as though you had made no resolution.

We have cause, therefore, because of our frailty and feebleness, to humble ourselves and never think anything great of ourselves. Through neglect we may quickly lose that which by God’s grace we39have acquired only through long, hard labor. What, eventually, will become of us who so quickly grow lukewarm? Woe to us if we presume to rest in peace and security when actually there is no true holiness in our lives. It would be beneficial for us, like good novices, to be instructed once more in the principles of a good life, to see if there be hope of amendment and greater spiritual progress in the future.

Did Jesus Die in Vain?

Did Jesus Die in Vain?

Did Jesus die in vain?
The Father said: "Not so!"
He found the work to be complete
Which was performed upon the tree;
And gave a royal seat.
Did Jesus die in vain?
The angels did say: "No."
With news of joy they told that morn'
Of Jesus' life and death's door torn.
He's worshiped and adored.
Did Jesus die in vain?
The demons wished it so.
His death was deadly to their cause--
Destroying, smashing, overthrowing all,
Tearing victory from their paws.
Did Jesus die in vain?
His children say: "Oh no!"
His death upon that cruel cross
Redeemed us from our greatest loss
To life. Oh, what a cost!
Did Jesus die in vain?
There are those who yet say "yes."
By ignoring His life, persisting in shame,
Scorning His call, resisting His claim;
For those ones, His death was in vain.

~ Tim Binder ~

Bearing with the Faults of Others

The Sixteenth Chapter


Bearing with the Faults of Others

UNTIL God ordains otherwise, a man ought to bear patiently whatever he cannot correct in himself and in others. Consider it better thus—perhaps to try your patience and to test you, for without such patience and trial your merits are of little account. Nevertheless, under such difficulties you should pray that God will consent to help you bear them calmly.



If, after being admonished once or twice, a person does not amend, do not argue with him but commit the whole matter to God that His will and honor may be furthered in all His servants, for God knows well how to turn evil to good. Try to bear patiently with the defects and infirmities of others, whatever they may be, because you also have many a fault which others must endure.



If you cannot make yourself what you would

22 wish to be, how can you bend others to your will? We want them to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own faults. We wish them to be severely corrected, yet we will not correct ourselves. Their great liberty displeases us, yet we would not be denied what we ask. We would have them bound by laws, yet we will allow ourselves to be restrained in nothing. Hence, it is clear how seldom we think of others as we do of ourselves.



If all were perfect, what should we have to suffer from others for God’s sake? But God has so ordained, that we may learn to bear with one another’s burdens, for there is no man without fault, no man without burden, no man sufficient to himself nor wise enough. Hence we must support one another, console one another, mutually help, counsel, and advise, for the measure of every man’s virtue is best revealed in time of adversity—adversity that does not weaken a man but rather shows what he is.

The Value of Adversity

The Twelfth Chapter

The Value of Adversity

IT IS good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men.

When a man of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil thoughts, he realizes clearly that his greatest need is God, without Whom he can do no good. Saddened by his miseries and sufferings, he laments and prays. He wearies of living longer and wishes for death that he might be dissolved and be with Christ. Then he understands fully that perfect security and complete peace cannot be found on earth.