2461 verses about Righteousness

O most accursed tyrant, and enemy of heavenly justice, and cruel-hearted, I am no murderer, nor sacrilegious man, whom you thus ill-usest; but a defender of the Divine law.

And although the framework of his bones was now destroyed the high-minded and Abrahamic youth did not groan.

But, as though transformed by fire into immortality, he nobly endured the rackings, saying

Imitate me, O kindred, nor ever desert your station, nor abjure my brotherhood in courage: fight the holy and honorable fight of religion;

Thinkest you not, most cruel of all tyrants, that you are now tortured more than I, finding your overweening conception of tyranny conquered by our perseverance in behalf of our religion?

For I lighten my suffering by the pleasures which are connected with virtue.

We, O accursed tyrant, suffer this for the sake of Divine education and virtue.

By the blessed death of my kindred, and the eternal punishment of the tyrant, and the glorious life of the pious, I will not repudiate the noble brotherhood.

I intend not, O tyrant, to get excused from the torment which is in behalf of virtue.

O you hater of virtue and of men, what have we done that you thus revel in our blood?

But this is worthy of honors, not torments;

A great favor you bestow upon us, O tyrant, by enabling us to manifest our adherence to the law by means of nobler sufferings.

And he, while tormented, said, O period good and holy, in which, for the sake of religion, we kindred have been called to the contest of pain, and have not been conquered.

Armed with upright virtue, I also shall depart with my kindred.

I, too, bearing with me a great avenger, O deviser of tortures, and enemy of the truly pious.

For is not your inability to overrule our reasoning, and to compel us to eat the unclean, your destruction?

For the guards not of a tyrant but of a divine law are our defenders: through this we keep our reasoning unconquered.

But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion towards God.

But you shall groan according to your deserts for having slain without cause the champions of virtue.

If then, the seven kindred despised troubles even to death, it is confessed on all sides that righteous reasoning is absolute master over the passions.

so that seven-towered right-reasoning of the young men, securing the harbour of religion, conquered the intermperance of passions.

For having arranged a holy choir of piety, they encouraged one another, saying,

Let us not be cowards in the manifestation of piety.

For being educated in the same law, and practising the same virtues, and reared up in a just course of life, they increased this harmony with each other.

For a like ardour for what is right and honorable increased their fellow-feeling towards each other.

For just as hands and feet are moved sympathetically with the directions of the soul, so those holy youths agreed to death for religion’s sake, as through the immortal soul of religion.

For they were both just and temperate, and manly, and high-minded, and fond of their kindred, and so fond of their mother that even to death they obeyed her by observing the law.

Nor, should I die, shall I have a son to bury me. But with such a lament as this the holy and God-fearing mother bewailed none of them.

For it were disgraceful that this old man should endure pains for the sake of righteousness, and that you who are younger should be afraid of the tortures.

And the righteous Daniel was cast to the lions; and Ananias, and Azarias, and Misael, were slung out into a furnace of fire; yet they endured through God.

For it is unreasonable that they who know religion should not stand up against troubles.

Not so gracious does the moon appear with the stars in heaven, as you are established honorable before God, and fixed in the firmament with your sons who you did illuminate with religion to the stars.

For it was truly a divine contest which was carried through by them.

For at that time virtue presided over the contest, approving the victory through endurance, namely, immortality, eternal life.

And reverence for God conquered, and crowned her own athletes.

Who did not admire those champions of true legislation? who were not astonied?

For Moses says, And all the saints are under your hands.

O Israelitish children, descendants of the seed of Abraham, obey this law, and in every way be religious.

When those persons giving up their bodies to pains for the sake of religion, were not only admired by men, but were deemed worthy of a divine portion.

He chanted to you David, the hymn-writer, who says, Many are the afflictions of the just.

He declared the proverbs of Solomon, who says, He is a tree of life to all those who do His will.

Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.

For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.” Isaiah 40:3

But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”

But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:11

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.

Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21

But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.

Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does,

so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?

Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?

You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.

“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

“Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.

How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.

By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.

A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.

Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’

“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.

When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ Hosea 6:6 for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

“Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword.

He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.

Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.

Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.

But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ Hosea 6:6 you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless.

“Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked from among the righteous,

He said to him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not offer false testimony.’

The young man said to him, “All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?”

Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.

He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ Isaiah 56:7 but you have made it a den of robbers!” Jeremiah 7:11

Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you.