Ruth 1:13

“Have pity on me. Have pity on me, you my friends; for the hand of God has touched me.

Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.

But Yahweh’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders.

Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his hand from you, from your gods, and from your land.

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. My spirit drinks up their poison. The terrors of God set themselves in array against me.

For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped in the heat of summer.

Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”

But now it has come to you, and you faint. It touches you, and you are troubled.

Behold, my terror will not make you afraid, neither will my pressure be heavy on you.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.

For your arrows have pierced me, your hand presses hard on me.

Your arrows are sharp. The nations fall under you, with arrows in the heart of the king’s enemies.

Therefore he swore to them that he would overthrow them in the wilderness,

I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.

But Pharaoh will not listen to you, so I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

Moreover Yahweh’s hand was against them, to destroy them from the middle of the camp, until they were consumed.

The children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was very distressed.

Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Haven’t I commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from that which the young men have drawn.”

They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath.” They carried the ark of the God of Israel there.

It was so, that after they had carried it there, Yahweh’s hand was against the city with a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city, both small and great, so that tumors broke out on them.

They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there.

They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don’t send it empty; but by all means return a trespass offering to him. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.”

Behold, if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It was a chance that happened to us.”

So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped coming within the border of Israel. Yahweh’s hand was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in tombs, and in pits.

The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged of my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food.

David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.

But stretch out your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.”

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.

even that it would please God to crush me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

“To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

that he would maintain the right of a man with God, of a son of man with his neighbor!

“Even today my complaint is rebellious. His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.

Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom. God may refute him, not man;’

Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am faint. Yahweh, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face.

Remove your scourge away from me. I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

But God will shoot at them. They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.

Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

Your wrath lies heavily on me. You have afflicted me with all your waves.

Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say,

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

You will see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones will flourish like the tender grass. Yahweh’s hand will be known among his servants; and he will have indignation against his enemies.

For who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn you? Who will come to ask of your welfare?

if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.

For I have set my face on this city for evil, and not for good,” says Yahweh. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.” ’

“Therefore Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah.

Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until they are all gone.

He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

Their appearance is blacker than a coal. They are not known in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones. It is withered. It has become like a stick.

Our skin is black like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.

“I will set my glory among the nations. Then all the nations will see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.

Therefore Yahweh says: “Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.

What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?

Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;

For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.

Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body.