'May' in the Bible

And those conducting Paul, brought him unto Athens, and having received a command unto Silas and Timotheus that with all speed they may come unto him, they departed;

And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears. We wish therefore to know what these things may mean.

that they may seek God; if indeed they might feel after him and find him, although he is not far from each one of us:

So not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin—the very one all of Asia and the world adore.”

So then, because these things may not be doubted, it would be better for you to be quiet, and do nothing unwise.

For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.

for Paul decided to sail past Ephesus, that there may not be to him a loss of time in Asia, for he hasted, if it were possible for him, on the day of the Pentecost to be at Jerusalem.

But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

When he could not be persuaded otherwise, we remained silent except to say, "May the Lord's will be done."

and there went also of the disciples from Caesarea with us, bringing with them him with whom we may lodge, a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an aged disciple.

Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

Then the chief captain, having come nigh, took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and was inquiring who he may be, and what it is he hath been doing,

And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

And Paul said, Brother, I had no idea that he was the high priest: for it has been said, You may not say evil about the ruler of your people.

And there came a great cry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part having arisen, were striving, saying, 'No evil do we find in this man; and if a spirit spake to him, or a messenger, we may not fight against God;'

and a great dissension having come, the chief captain having been afraid lest Paul may be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiery, having gone down, to take him by force out of the midst of them, and to bring him to the castle.

And day having come, certain of the Jews having made a concourse, did anathematize themselves, saying neither to eat nor to drink till they may kill Paul;

now, therefore, ye, signify ye to the chief captain, with the sanhedrim, that to-morrow he may bring him down unto you, as being about to know more exactly the things concerning him; and we, before his coming nigh, are ready to put him to death.'

and having called near a certain two of the centurions, he said, 'Make ready soldiers two hundred, that they may go on unto Caesarea, and horsemen seventy, and spearmen two hundred, from the third hour of the night;

And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

I will hear thee -- said he -- when thine accusers also may have come;' he also commanded him to be kept in the praetorium of Herod.

and that I may not be further tedious to thee, I pray thee to hear us concisely in thy gentleness;

By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him."

And having heard these things, Felix delayed them -- having known more exactly of the things concerning the way -- saying, 'When Lysias the chief captain may come down, I will know fully the things concerning you;'

As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became afraid and said, "For the present you may go. When I get a chance, I will send for you again."

and at the same time also hoping that money shall be given to him by Paul, that he may release him, therefore, also sending for him the oftener, he was conversing with him;

asking favour against him, that he may send for him to Jerusalem, making an ambush to put him to death in the way.

"So," he said, "let your leaders go down there with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, they may bring charges against him."

For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

unto whom I answered, that it is not a custom of Romans to make a favour of any man to die, before that he who is accused may have the accusers face to face, and may receive place of defence in regard to the charge laid against him.

And Agrippa said to Festus, I have a desire to give the man a hearing myself. Tomorrow, he said, you may give him a hearing.

I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write.

Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.

knowing me before from the first, (if they may be willing to testify,) that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee;

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

And Paul [replied], "I pray to God, whether in a short time or in a long time, not only you but also all those who are listening to me today may become such [people] as I also am, except for these bonds!"

which having taken up, they were using helps, undergirding the ship, and fearing lest they may fall on the quicksand, having let down the mast -- so were borne on.

and fearing lest on rough places we may fall, out of the stern having cast four anchors, they were wishing day to come.

When the people who lived there saw the snake hanging from his hand, they told one another, "This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but Justice won't let him live."

For this people's minds have become stupid, and their ears can barely hear, and they have shut their eyes so that they may never see with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn and let me heal them."'

To: Everyone in Rome, loved by God and called to be holy. May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours!

always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often intended to come to you (and was prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit even among you, just as I already have among the rest of the Gentiles.

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:

For, when nations that have not a law, by nature may do the things of the law, these not having a law -- to themselves are a law;

You who give teaching to others, do you give it to yourself? you who say that a man may not take what is not his, do you take what is not yours?

You who say that a man may not be untrue to his wife, are you true to yours? you who are a hater of images, do you do wrong to the house of God?

If, therefore the uncircumcision the righteousness of the law may keep, shall not his uncircumcision for circumcision be reckoned?

The true Jew is not one who is only so publicly, and circumcision is not that which may be seen in the flesh:

Absolutely not! God must be true, even if everyone is a liar, as it is written:That You may be justified in Your wordsand triumph when You judge.

But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)?

May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

And they may have righteousness put to their credit, freely, by his grace, through the salvation which is in Christ Jesus:

with a view to demonstrating, at the present time, His righteousness, that He may be shown to be righteous Himself, and the giver of righteousness to those who believe in Jesus.

For this reason, then, a man may get righteousness by faith without the works of the law.

Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

What, then, may we say that Abraham, our father after the flesh, has got?

happy the man to whom the Lord may not reckon sin.'

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also.

This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all

Now the law came in so that the transgression may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more,

that even as the sin did reign in the death, so also the grace may reign, through righteousness, to life age-during, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.

For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,

For sin may not have rule over you: because you are not under law, but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!

for the married woman to the living husband hath been bound by law, and if the husband may die, she hath been free from the law of the husband;

so, then, the husband being alive, an adulteress she shall be called if she may become another man's; and if the husband may die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, having become another man's.

Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God.

But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law.

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

And, in like manner also, the Spirit doth help our weaknesses; for, what we may pray for, as it behoveth us, we have not known, but the Spirit himself doth make intercession for us with groanings unutterable,

What may we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!

For the Scripture tells Pharaoh:I raised you up for this reasonso that I may display My power in youand that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

You may ask me, "Then why does God still find fault with anybody? For who can resist his will?"

But, O man, who are you, to make answer against God? May the thing which is made say to him who made it, Why did you make me so?

And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, 'If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved;

What then may we say? That the nations who did not go after righteousness have got righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:

Brethren, my heart's desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved.

and how shall they preach, if they may not be sent? according as it hath been written, 'How beautiful the feet of those proclaiming good tidings of peace, of those proclaiming good tidings of the good things!'

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

And those also, if they may not remain in unbelief, shall be graffed in, for God is able again to graff them in;

For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret -- that ye may not be wise in your own conceits -- that hardness in part to Israel hath happened till the fulness of the nations may come in;

and this to them is the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.'

Because God's selection and his mercies may not be changed.