The Hebrew Bible

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

1. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid.

   Said to Joshua as he takes over from Moses and faces a land he has never seen. Courage is commanded, which means it can be chosen. Step forward even while the fear is still there.

   Joshua 1:9, our translation from the Hebrew

2. Wherever you go, God goes with you.

   The reason given for courage is company, not certainty. You will not walk into any place alone. Go where you need to go.

   Joshua 1:9, our translation from the Hebrew

3. I set before you life and death. Choose life.

   Moses puts the choice plainly, as if laying two roads in front of you. Every day offers small versions of the same choice. Pick what leads to life, for you and those after you.

   Deuteronomy 30:19, our translation from the Hebrew

4. The Lord will fight for you. You only need to be still.

   Moses says this with the sea in front and an army behind. Sometimes the bravest thing is to stop panicking and stand. Do your part, then let go of what is not yours to do.

   Exodus 14:14, our translation from the Hebrew

5. They will rise on wings like eagles.

   Isaiah promises renewed strength to those who wait on God. The Hebrew word for wait also means to hope with tension, like a stretched cord. Hope lifts you higher than effort alone.

   Isaiah 40:31, our translation from the Hebrew

6. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

   The order matters: soaring, then running, then walking. Ordinary days are mostly walking, and that needs strength too. Keep a steady pace when the flying feeling is gone.

   Isaiah 40:31, our translation from the Hebrew

7. Do not fear, for I am with you.

   A short sentence with a reason attached. Fear loses its grip when you know you are not alone. Repeat it in the dark.

   Isaiah 41:10, our translation from the Hebrew

8. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.

   The promise is not that you will avoid deep water but that you will not be alone in it. Rivers will not sweep you away. Wade in with company.

   Isaiah 43:2, our translation from the Hebrew

9. Walk through fire and you will not be burned.

   Water and fire, the two great dangers of the ancient world, both named and both answered. Trials come, but they do not get the final say. Walk through, not around.

   Isaiah 43:2, our translation from the Hebrew

10. Arise, shine, for your light has come.

    Spoken to a city in ruins, as if the sun were already up. Two commands: get up and shine. The dawn has come; act like it.

    Isaiah 60:1, our translation from the Hebrew

11. Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with your God.

    Micah sums up what is asked of a person in three phrases. Fairness in what you do, kindness in what you love, humility in how you walk. That is the whole job.

    Micah 6:8, our translation from the Hebrew

12. The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing.

    David, once a shepherd himself, imagines being the sheep. A good shepherd provides, guides and protects. Trust that you have what you need for today.

    Psalm 23:1, our translation from the Hebrew

13. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

    The psalm does not skip the dark valley; it walks through it. Courage comes from company: you are with me. Keep walking in the shadow.

    Psalm 23:4, our translation from the Hebrew

14. The Lord is my light. Whom shall I fear?

    If light and rescue are on your side, fear loses its object. The question is meant to be answered: no one. Say it out loud when you are afraid.

    Psalm 27:1, our translation from the Hebrew

15. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

    The Hebrew pictures weeping as an overnight guest who must leave at dawn. Grief is real, but it is not permanent. Hold on until morning.

    Psalm 30:5, our translation from the Hebrew

16. We will not fear, though the mountains slide into the sea.

    The worst picture imaginable: the earth giving way and mountains sinking under the waves. Even then, fear is not required. When everything shakes, stand on what does not.

    Psalm 46:2, our translation from the Hebrew

17. Be still, and know that I am God.

    The Hebrew verb means let go, stop striving. Knowing comes in the stillness, not the scramble. Stop, breathe and remember who is in charge.

    Psalm 46:10, our translation from the Hebrew

18. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a wise heart.

    Attributed to Moses, the psalm treats the shortness of life as a teacher. Counting your days makes them count. Live today as one of a limited number.

    Psalm 90:12, our translation from the Hebrew

19. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice in it.

    Not some better day later, but this one. Today was made on purpose. Find the reason to be glad in it.

    Psalm 118:24, our translation from the Hebrew

20. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

    An ancient lamp lit only a few steps ahead. That is enough to walk by. You need light for the next step, not the whole road.

    Psalm 119:105, our translation from the Hebrew

21. I lift my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?

    A pilgrim's song, sung on the way up to Jerusalem. The answer comes in the next line: from the maker of heaven and earth. Look up when you need help.

    Psalm 121:1, our translation from the Hebrew

22. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

    Heartbreak can feel like abandonment. The psalm says it is the opposite: the broken are the ones held closest. You are not far away when you are hurting.

    Psalm 34:18, our translation from the Hebrew

23. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

    A psalm about being known completely, from the womb onward. Awe at how you were made is not vanity but thanks. Treat yourself as something carefully crafted.

    Psalm 139:14, our translation from the Hebrew

24. Trust with all your heart, and he will make your paths straight.

    The proverb asks you not to lean only on your own understanding. Trust is not giving up thinking; it is not making yourself the only reference point. Acknowledge God in every road and the road straightens.

    Proverbs 3:5-6, our translation from the Hebrew

25. Guard your heart above all else. Life flows from it.

    The heart in Hebrew is the center of thought and will, not only feeling. What you let in shapes everything that comes out. Protect it like a spring.

    Proverbs 4:23, our translation from the Hebrew

26. Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.

    Friends who push back make you sharper. Comfortable company keeps you dull. Keep people near you who challenge you.

    Proverbs 27:17, our translation from the Hebrew

27. Pride goes before a fall.

    The Hebrew says pride goes before shattering, and a lofty spirit before stumbling. Arrogance stops you seeing the edge. Stay humble and watch your step.

    Proverbs 16:18, our translation from the Hebrew

28. A gentle answer turns away anger.

    Harsh words stir up anger; soft ones calm it. You can choose which fire to feed. Lower your voice and see what happens.

    Proverbs 15:1, our translation from the Hebrew

29. The righteous fall seven times and rise again.

    Good people fall too, often. What marks them is that they get back up. Count your recoveries, not your falls.

    Proverbs 24:16, our translation from the Hebrew

30. Go to the ant. Watch her ways and be wise.

    The ant has no boss and still gathers in summer for winter. Small, steady work adds up. Do today's small task without being told.

    Proverbs 6:6, our translation from the Hebrew

31. The righteous are bold as a lion.

    The first half says the guilty run when no one is chasing. A clear conscience makes for steady nerves. Live straight and you will have nothing to run from.

    Proverbs 28:1, our translation from the Hebrew

32. Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the days to come.

    From the closing poem of Proverbs about a capable woman. She does not fear the future because she has prepared for it. Wear strength, and you can laugh at tomorrow.

    Proverbs 31:25, our translation from the Hebrew

33. For everything there is a season.

    The Teacher goes on to list them: to be born and to die, to plant and to uproot, to weep and to laugh. No season lasts forever. Know which one you are in.

    Ecclesiastes 3:1, our translation from the Hebrew

34. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your strength.

    The Teacher's reason is blunt: there is no work in the grave. Life is the window for effort. Give the task in front of you everything you have.

    Ecclesiastes 9:10, our translation from the Hebrew

35. Two are better than one. If one falls, the other lifts him up.

    A plain argument for friendship: someone to help you up. Going alone looks free until you fall. Find your partner and be one.

    Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, our translation from the Hebrew

36. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

    One can be overpowered, two can stand, three hold tight. Strength comes from being bound together. Build bonds that can take strain.

    Ecclesiastes 4:12, our translation from the Hebrew

37. Watch the wind and you will never sow.

    The farmer who waits for perfect weather never plants and never reaps. Conditions are never ideal. Start now.

    Ecclesiastes 11:4, our translation from the Hebrew

38. Cast your bread upon the waters. After many days you will find it.

    Probably a picture of generous trade or giving sent out over the sea. What you send out freely tends to come back. Be generous without counting.

    Ecclesiastes 11:1, our translation from the Hebrew

39. His mercies are new every morning.

    Written in the ruins of Jerusalem, in the darkest book of the Bible. Even there, the poet finds that each morning brings fresh mercy. Yesterday's failures do not use up today's grace.

    Lamentations 3:22-23, our translation from the Hebrew

40. Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit.

    Said to a leader rebuilding a ruined temple with almost no resources. Some work is not won by force. Do your part, and trust the rest to a greater strength.

    Zechariah 4:6, our translation from the Hebrew

41. The joy of the Lord is your strength.

    Said to people weeping as they heard the law read after years of exile. Nehemiah tells them to feast and share instead. Joy is not a distraction from strength; it is a source of it.

    Nehemiah 8:10, our translation from the Hebrew

42. Where you go, I will go.

    Ruth, a foreigner and a widow, refuses to leave her mother-in-law. Loyalty here is a choice made in hard times, not a feeling. Stay with the people who need you.

    Ruth 1:16, our translation from the Hebrew