But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks,

but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

“Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds.

But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.

God Promises Deliverance

But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

And the Lord turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.

And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

“Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.

he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried.

Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat!

and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many,

and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds,

However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.

Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”

But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force.

And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong.

Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the Lord.

“You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess,

and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.

You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it.

And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.

Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”

Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left,

For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day.

When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.

And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped.

And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.

and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.”

When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith.

So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.

But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower.

Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,

but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.”

And he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” And in three days they could not solve the riddle.

And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.”

Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.

But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.

There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself.

And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?

And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.

And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions.

Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Abner Joins David

There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.

Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.

And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward.

David Defeats the Philistines

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.

And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence.

He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.

David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

“I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man,

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.

And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that the Spirit of the Lord has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.”

And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war.

though Judah became strong among his brothers and a chief came from him, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph),

The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.

And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David.

David's Mighty Men

Now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.

David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains:

And some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.

And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you.

Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.”

Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.

I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.’

Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”

Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.

He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.

And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

Egypt Plunders Jerusalem

When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

So King Rehoboam grew strong in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”

But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.”

The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.

In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

Uzziah's Pride and Punishment

But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.

Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’

Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.”

They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.

The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong.

Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.

His strong steps are shortened, and his own schemes throw him down.

Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open; they go out and do not return to them.

On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold.

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.

Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

All my bones shall say, “O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?”

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.

the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel.

Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine.

the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.

But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!

Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah

You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand.

You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins.

But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.

And the Lord made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes.

with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me!

he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers.

In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.

A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.

A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you.

the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,

Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;

She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.

Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he.

Wisdom Better Than Folly

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.

in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed,

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord.

And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.

Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink,

Fear God, Wait for the Lord

For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying:

In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.

Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you

Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: “I have neither labored nor given birth, I have neither reared young men nor brought up young women.”

He has stretched out his hand over the sea; he has shaken the kingdoms; the Lord has given command concerning Canaan to destroy its strongholds.

Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste.

No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you.

For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,

You Keep Him in Perfect Peace

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.

The Redemption of Israel

In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand.

These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.

Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord God of hosts against the whole land.

And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, all that fight against her and her stronghold and distress her, shall be like a dream, a vision of the night.

Astonish yourselves and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink!

Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!

Thorns shall grow over its strongholds, nettles and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals, an abode for ostriches.

Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.

Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.

He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

“Come,” they say, “let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.”

And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord.

O Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit.

O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me.

I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath.

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.

You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror.

“Come down from your glory, and sit on the parched ground, O inhabitant of Dibon! For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you; he has destroyed your strongholds.

the cities shall be taken and the strongholds seized. The heart of the warriors of Moab shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains;

And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.”

Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.

“Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon; make the watch strong; set up watchmen; prepare the ambushes; for the Lord has both planned and done what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

The warriors of Babylon have ceased fighting; they remain in their strongholds; their strength has failed; they have become women; her dwellings are on fire; her bars are broken.

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the Lord.

The Lord has swallowed up without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought down to the ground in dishonor the kingdom and its rulers.

The Lord has become like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel; he has swallowed up all its palaces; he has laid in ruins its strongholds, and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.

The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me.

I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the strong, and their holy places shall be profaned.

“Say, Thus says the Lord God: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots.

Its strong stems became rulers' scepters; it towered aloft among the thick boughs; it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches.

But the vine was plucked up in fury, cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; they were stripped off and withered. As for its strong stem, fire consumed it.

And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.

Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.

“As for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters,

And I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the multitude of Thebes.

“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bound up, to heal it by binding it with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword.

Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken, and I will make the sword fall from his hand.

Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence.

I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.

And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.

The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.

The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth,

it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

“And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.

“Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority.

And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people.

Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time.

He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.

For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; so I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour her strongholds.

The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.

So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.

So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds.

So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.”

So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.”

So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds, with shouting on the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;

So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;

So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.”

“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life;

Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst.”

“They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”

Therefore thus says the Lord God: “An adversary shall surround the land and bring down your defenses from you, and your strongholds shall be plundered.”

who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares the Lord, the God of hosts: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”

If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be the preacher for this people!

He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore;

and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore.

and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds;

they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you.

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts,

the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong.

When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”

Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the Lord.

Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.

But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;

but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.

And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.

but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them.

The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.

And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.

And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

The Example of Christ

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.

If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin.

Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Final Instructions

Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.

The Whole Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,

Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.

so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.

I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.