a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”

but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them.

Then our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with shouts of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”

They scoff at kings and make rulers an object of scorn. They laugh at every fortress and build up siege ramps to seize it.

Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.

Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come.

A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.

And the couriers traveled from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun; but the people scorned and mocked them.

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”

And they laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead.

“Go away,” He told them. “The girl is not dead, but asleep.” And they laughed at Him.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

The righteous will see and fear; they will mock the evildoer, saying,

And they laughed at Him. After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child.

Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it. . . .

Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’ Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.” But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”

When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it? My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good. They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha. It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests. Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, and the soldiers took Him away. . . .

Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright. The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy. The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow. . . .

Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife. A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers. A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts. A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue. He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished. . . .

The fear of the LORD leads to life, that one may rest content, without visitation from harm. The slacker buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth. Strike a mocker, and the simple will beware; rebuke the discerning man, and he will gain knowledge. He who assaults his father or evicts his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace. If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge. . . .

‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”

For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.