Bibliotherapy

Do not make friends with an angry person and do not associate with a quick-tempered person, lest you learn his ways and bring nooses on your soul. Proverbs 22:24,25

Whoever associates with the wise will be wise, but whoever associates with fools will become corrupt. Sinners are pursued by evil, but the righteous are rewarded with good. The good man leaves an inheritance [and] to his grandchildren, but the wealth of the sinner is reserved for the righteous. Proverbs 13:21-23

He who is faithful in little things is faithful in much, but he who is unfaithful in little things is also unfaithful in much. Luke 16:10
If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:18-19

This I have said to you, that you may have peace in Me. In the world you will have sorrow; but take heart: I have conquered the world. John 16:33

For it is pleasing to God if someone, thinking of God, endures sorrows, suffering unjustly. For what is the praise when you are beaten for wrongdoings? But if, while doing good and suffering, endure, this is pleasing to God. 1 Peter 2:19-20

In the heart, in which the Kingdom of God has settled, although the enemies are trying to sow evil, bringing sinful thoughts; but these thoughts, not finding any sympathy in a person, do not bear any fruit. Abba Isaiah (d. 370)

Silently surrendering ourselves to mockery, to ridicule, we receive the power to forgive. Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh (1914 – 2003)

I saw all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of the spirit! The crooked cannot become straight, and what is not, cannot be counted. I spoke to my heart like this: Behold, I have been exalted and gained wisdom more than all who were before me over Jerusalem, and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know folly and stupidity: I learned that this also is vexation of the spirit; because in much wisdom there is much sorrow; and whoever increases knowledge, increases sorrow. Ecclesiastes 1:14-18

Whoever desires to present to the Lord a clean body and a pure heart must maintain a lack of anger and temperance; because without these two virtues all our labor will be useless. Ladder, Word 26:140

Love is unfeigned; abhor evil, cling to good; be brotherly affection one to another with tenderness; warn one another in respect; do not weaken in zeal; ignite in spirit; Serve the Lord; take comfort in hope; patient in sorrow, constant in prayer; take part in the needs of the saints; be jealous of strangeness. Romans 12:9-13

Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of one mind among yourselves; do not be arrogant, but follow the humble; don’t dream about yourself; do not repay evil for evil to anyone, but seek good before all men. If possible on your part, be at peace with all people. Romans 12:15-18

Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud, does not act outrageously, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything. Love never ceases, although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Go and learn what it means to “I want mercy, not sacrifice”? For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matthew 9:13

Do not give holy things to dogs, and do not cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample it under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:6

Or make the tree good and its fruit good; or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33

Confess your faults to each other and pray for each other to be healed: the fervent prayer of the righteous can do much. James 5:16

Woe to you when all people speak well of you. For this is what their fathers did to the false prophets. Luke 6:26

In order to preserve peace of mind… in every way one should avoid condemning others… In order to get rid of condemnation, one must listen to oneself, not accept extraneous thoughts from anyone and be dead to everything. Seraphim of Sarov (1754 – 1833)

The wicked one runs when no one is chasing [him]; but the righteous is bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:1
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because there is torment in fear; whoever fears is not perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Whoever knows how to do good and does not do it, to him it is a sin. James 4:17

Watch, watch, pray; for you do not know when that time will come. It is as if someone, going on a journey and leaving his house, gave authority to his servants, and to each his own business, and ordered the gatekeeper to watch. So stay awake; for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrow, or in the morning; So that, coming suddenly, he would not find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: watch. Mark 13:33-37

The mother of fornication is overeating; the mother of despondency is vanity; sadness and anger are born from the three main passions [overeating; avarice; vanity, or love of glory]; and the mother of pride is vanity. Ladder, Word 26:39

Then Jesus said to him: Return your sword to its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword… Matthew 26:52
Vanity of vanities, said the Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity! Ecclesiastes 1:2

Whoever digs a hole will fall into it, and whoever destroys the fence, the snake will bite him. Ecclesiastes 10:8

and said, Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The Lord gave, the Lord took; may the name of the Lord be blessed! Job 1:21

Judge not, lest you be judged, St. Matthew 7:1

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you; St. Matthew 7:7

So in everything you want people to do to you, so do you to them, for this is the law and the prophets. St. Matthew 7:12

Behold, I am sending you like sheep among wolves: therefore be wise like serpents and simple like doves.St. Matthew 10:16

Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, and say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you; St. Gospel of Matthew 17:20

Or, how can you say to your brother: brother! let me take the speck out of your eye, when you yourself don’t see the log in your eye? Hypocrite! first take the log out of your eye, and then you will see how to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. St. Gospel of Luke 6:42

For there is nothing secret that would not be made manifest, nor hidden that would not be made known and would not be revealed. St. Gospel of Luke 8:17

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. St. Gospel of John 8:32

Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud, does not behave violently, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything. (First Epistle of St. Apostle Paul to the Corinthians

Let no rotten word come out of your mouth, but only good for edification in faith, so that it brings grace to those who hear. The Epistle to the Ephesians of the Holy Apostle Paul

And not only this, but we also boast of sorrows, knowing that from sorrow comes patience, from patience comes experience, from experience comes hope. To the Romans the letter of St. Ap. Paul

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing. The first epistle of St. Ap. Paul to the Corinthians

The wise inherit glory, but the foolish inherit disgrace. Book of proverbs. III, 35

Do not speak into the ears of a fool, for he will despise your reasonable words. Book of proverbs. XXIII, 9

Better a piece of dry bread, and peace with it, than a house full of slaughtered cattle, with contention. Book of proverbs. XVII, 1

Don’t be too strict, and don’t make yourself too wise; why would you ruin yourself? Book of Ecclesiastes. VII, 16

He who builds his house with other people’s money is the same as he who collects stones for his grave. Book of Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach. Sir. XXI, 9

As long as you are alive and the breath is in you, do not replace yourself with anyone; for it is better for children to ask you than for you to look into the hands of your sons. Book of Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach. Sir. XXXIII, 21-22)

Do not be hasty in your spirit to anger, for anger nestles in the heart of fools. Book of Ecclesiastes. VII, 9

There is much sorrow in much wisdom, and whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow. Book of Ecclesiastes. I, 18

Not the agile get a successful run, not the brave – victory, not the wise – bread, and not the prudent – wealth, and not the skilled – goodwill, but time and chance for all of them. Book of Ecclesiastes. IX, 11

Do no evil, and evil will not befall you; move away from unrighteousness, and it will turn away from you. (The Book of Wisdom of Jesus, the son of Sirach. VII, 1,2

Don’t be intrusive lest you be pushed away, and don’t move too far away lest you be forgotten. Book of Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach. XIII, 13

Do not do secret things in front of someone else, for you do not know what he will do. Do not open your heart to every person, lest he thank you badly. Book of Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach. VIII, 21.22

Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will support you. He will never let the righteous waver. Psalter. LIV, 23

We are considered deceivers, but we are faithful; we are unknown, but we are recognized; we are reckoned dead, but behold, we are alive; we are punished, but we do not die; we are grieved, but we always rejoice; we are poor, but we enrich many; we have nothing, but we have everything. Second Epistle to the Corinthians. VI, 8-10
Generation passes and generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hurries to its place where it rises … All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea does not overflow: to the place where the rivers flow, they return to flow again … What was, that will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun … There is no memory of the former; and of what will be, there will be no memory for those who will come after. Book of Ecclesiastes. I, 4-11

By your patience save your souls. Holy Gospel of Luke. XXI, 19

He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, lifted and tossed by the wind. Conciliar Epistle of the Holy Apostle James. I, 6

The main thing is wisdom: get wisdom, and with all your possessions get understanding. Appreciate her highly, and she will exalt you; she will glorify you if you cling to her; He will put a beautiful wreath on your head, he will bring you a magnificent crown. Proverbs of Solomon, 4, 7-9

A good name is better than great wealth, and good fame is better than silver and gold. Etc. 22:1