That's the idea behind the Isaiah Project, from the biblical admonition to beat swords into plowshares.

But the mayor was not mollified and gave them his own salty take on the biblical admonition about the humbling of the exalted.

Sometimes he remembered the biblical admonition: The sins ye do by two and two ye pay for one by one.

Sometimes, he seems to have reversed the biblical admonition as interpreted by Dr. King so that it becomes "Be ye therefore soft-minded and tough-hearted."

When some readers' letters contained biblical admonitions about casting the first stone, Mr. Satullo said, he was reminded of some of his own musings on forgiveness.

"Look in the Book of James," he said, using the biblical admonition to feed the hungry to rail against Mr. Bush's proposed cuts in food stamps.

The ceremony was much smaller this year, and Bishop Joseph Zen delivered a mildly worded message reminding protesters to follow the biblical admonition to turn the other cheek if struck.

"That is the biblical admonition."

"Safety-minded parents keep household poisons, plastic bags, and matches out of reach," she also writes, and "I wrestle nearly every day with the biblical admonition to forgive and love my enemies."