Parallel Passages

Luke 1:30-33

“And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.'”

Genesis 18:10-14

“The LORD said, 'I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.' Sarah laughed... The LORD said, 'Is anything too hard for the LORD?'”

Quran 19:17-21

“Then We sent to her Our Spirit, and he appeared to her as a well-proportioned man. She said, 'Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you.' He said, 'I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you news of a pure boy.'”

Bhagavata Purana 10.3

“When the time came for the Lord to appear, the directions became clear, the stars shone brightly, and divine music filled the air. Devaki saw the Supreme Lord appear before her with four arms, bearing conch, disc, mace, and lotus.”

Genesis 2:15

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. The earth and all its fullness belong to the Lord, and He has entrusted it to human stewardship.”

Psalm 24:1

“The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.”

Quran 7:31

“Children of Adam, take your adornment at every place of worship and eat and drink, but do not be wasteful. Indeed, He does not like those who are wasteful. Say, 'Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants?'”

Bhagavad Gita 3:14

“All living beings subsist on food, and food is produced by rain. Rain is produced by performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of prescribed duties. Know that all sacrifices spring from actions, and all actions ultimately produce food.”

Matthew 25:35-40

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me. Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Deuteronomy 15:11

“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”

Quran 2:177

“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but righteousness is with one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets and gives wealth, despite love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask, and for freeing slaves.”

Bhagavad Gita 16:1-3

“One who gives in charity, controls anger, and is forgiving is blessed. The divine gift is charity, and the demonic gift is meanness. What is given as charity must be given in good faith to a worthy person at the right place and time.”

Matthew 6:2-4

“When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets... But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

Deuteronomy 15:11

“For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, 'You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor.'”

Quran 2:261

“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains.”

Bhagavad Gita 17:20

“Charity given to a worthy person simply because it is right to give, without expectation of return, at the proper time and place, is sattvic.”

Proverbs 31:8-9; 1 Timothy 6:17-18

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves... Share generously with those in need.”

Leviticus 25:35-36; Maimonides' Eight Levels of Charity

“Help a fellow believer in difficulty... Lend money without interest... Support until self-sufficient.”

Quran 2:177; 9:60

“It is not righteousness that you turn your faces East or West, but righteousness is to believe in Allah and give of your wealth to kinfolk, orphans, and the needy.”

Dhammasangani 189

“Generosity (dana) is the highest practice, bringing merit and spiritual advancement.”

1 John 4:7-8

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

Leviticus 19:33-34

“Do not mistreat a foreigner... Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”

Quran 4:36-37

“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents give kindness... and to the needy, the orphan, and the traveler.”

Metta Sutta

“May all beings be happy. May they be in safety, may they be in good health, may they find peace.”

Genesis 9:8-17

“Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 'As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you. I will establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood.'”

Exodus 19:5-6

“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

Quran 7:172 (primordial covenant)

“And remember when your Lord drew forth from the children of Adam their descendants and made them testify concerning themselves, saying, 'Am I not your Lord?' They said, 'Yes, we testify.' This is lest you say on the Day of Judgment, 'We were unaware of this.'”

Avesta (Ahura Mazda's compact with humanity)

“Ahura Mazda makes a covenant with humanity: follow the path of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and you shall attain eternal happiness in the Infinite Light. Transgress these laws and suffer darkness eternal.”

Genesis 1:1-3

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light.'”

Quran 21:30

“Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one unit of creation, then We parted them? And We made from water every living thing.”

Rig Veda 10.129

“In the beginning there was neither existence nor non-existence. The One alone existed without a second. In that One the universe lay folded up, and it was stirred into life by the power of heat.”

Tao Te Ching 1

“The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.”

John 1:1-3

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him.”

Genesis 1:3

“And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.”

Quran 36:82

“His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, 'Be,' and it is.”

Rig Veda 10.129

“In the beginning there was neither existence nor non-existence. Then there was neither death nor immortality. That One breathed, windless, by its own power.”

Genesis 1:1-2

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

Quran 21:30

“Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one unit of creation, then We parted them? And We made from water every living thing.”

Rig Veda 10:129

“In the beginning there was neither existence nor non-existence. The One alone existed without a second. In that One the universe lay folded up, and it was stirred into life by the power of heat.”

Enuma Elish

“When on high the heaven had not been named, firm ground below had not been called by name, when primordial Apsu, their begetter, and Mummu-Tiamat, she who bore them all, had mixed their waters in a single mass, no reed hut had sprung up, no marsh land had appeared.”

John 11:25-26

“Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.'”

Quran 2:286

“Our Lord, take us not to account if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, lay not upon us a burden as thou didst lay upon those before us. Our Lord, burden us not with what we have not the strength to bear.”

Bhagavad Gita 2:20

“As a person sheds worn-out garments and wears new ones, likewise, at the time of death the soul casts off its worn-out body and attains a new one.”

Dhammapada 1-2

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”

Descent of Inanna

“The Queen of Heaven, Inanna, descended to the Great Below, to the house of her sister Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Dead. At each gate she was stripped of her garments and symbols of power. When she reached the throne room, she was judged and slain, hung upon a hook as a corpse. But by the power of her office and the tears of her faithful, she was restored to life.”

1 Peter 3:18-20

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah.”

Ovid Metamorphoses X

“Orpheus descended into the depths of Hades, his lyre playing mournful melodies that even the dead could not resist. The shades wept at his song, and Hades himself was moved to compassion. He granted Orpheus the return of his beloved Eurydice, with only one condition: he must not look back until reaching the world above.”

Homeric Hymn to Demeter

“Persephone was taken by Hades to his dark kingdom beneath the earth. But Demeter's grief caused the world above to wither and die. By divine decree, Persephone returns to the upper world for part of the year, bringing spring renewal, while she must spend the remaining months in the underworld, bringing winter's sleep.”

Luke 15:11-24 (Prodigal Son)

“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.' But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him.'”

Psalm 51:1-4

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”

Quran 39:53

“Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'”

Bhagavad Gita 9:30-31

“Even if one commits the most abominable action, if they engage in my devotional service they shall be considered saintly because they are properly situated in their determination. Quickly they become righteous and attain lasting peace.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Quran 2:165

“Among the people are those who take equals [to Allah], other than Allah, whom they love as they [should] love Allah. But those who have believed are stronger in their love for Allah.”

Bhagavad Gita 12:13-14

“He who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from attachment and ego, balanced in pleasure and pain, and forgiving, is dear to Me.”

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.”

Exodus 34:6-7

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

Exodus 3:14

“God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.'”

Quran 59:22-24

“He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Most Merciful... the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Grantor of Security.”

Vishnu Sahasranama

“The thousand names of Vishnu describe the infinite attributes of the Supreme: the Sustainer, the Indweller, the Controller, the Unchanging.”

Exodus 3:14; John 1:1-3

“I AM who I AM... In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Exodus 3:13-15; Deuteronomy 6:4

“The Lord said to Moses: I AM... Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One (Echad).”

Quran 112:1-4; 59:22-24

“Say: He is Allah, One, Allah, the Eternal... There is nothing like Him... He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”

Dhammapada 183-185

“There is no transcendent being who rules the world... all things arise from the conditioning of the mind.”

Matthew 5:21-22

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder'... But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.”

Exodus 20:13

“You shall not murder.”

Quran 5:32

“Whoever kills a soul — it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one — it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.”

Mahabharata 13.117.37-38

“Ahimsa (non-violence) is the highest dharma. Ahimsa is the highest self-control. Ahimsa is the greatest gift.”

Genesis 28:12-15

“He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: 'I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.'”

Genesis 37:5-7

“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, 'Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.'”

Quran 17:1

“Exalted is the one who took his servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings we have blessed, to show him of our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”

Anguttara Nikaya 5:196

“Before his enlightenment, the Buddha had a series of auspicious dreams. In one dream, the great earth became level, and a tremendous light appeared throughout the world. These visions prepared him for the ultimate awakening.”

Matthew 24:3-51; Revelation 19-21

“As it was in the days of Noah... the Son of Man will come... I am coming soon; my reward is with me.”

Daniel 12:1-3; Maimonides' Thirteen Principles

“At that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered... many will awake to everlasting life.”

Quran 75:1-40; 81:1-29

“I swear by the Day of Resurrection... when the sun will be rolled up and the stars will scatter.”

Bhagavad Gita 4.7-8; Brahma Samhita

“Creation and destruction occur eternally in endless cycles... At the end of each day of Brahma, creation dissolves.”

Exodus 14:13-14

“And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.'”

Galatians 5:1

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Quran 26:52-56

“And We inspired Moses, 'Travel by night with My servants; indeed, you will be pursued.' Then Pharaoh sent among the cities gatherers, saying, 'Indeed, those are but a small company, and indeed, they are enraging us.'”

Bhagavad Gita 4:7-8

“Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and a rise of unrighteousness, O Arjuna, then I manifest Myself. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of dharma, I appear in every age.”