Deuteronomy 24 Cross References - ISV

¹ Various Laws“If a man chooses to enter into marriage with a woman, but she finds herself displeasing to him because he has found something objectionable about her, he must draw up divorce papers, hand them to her, and then send her out of his house. ² If she goes out from his house, becomes the wife of another man, ³ and this second husband dislikes her, he, also, must draw up divorce papers, hand them to her, and then send her away from his house. Should the second husband die, ⁴ her first husband who married her and divorced her earlier must not remarry her, because she was defiled, since this is detestable to the LORD. Don’t defile the land that the LORD your God is about to give you as a possession.
⁵ “When a man is newly married, he must not be sent out to war or have a related duty placed on him. Let him stay home for one year and be happy with his wife whom he has married.
⁶ “Don’t take a pair of millstones, especially the upper millstone, as collateral for a loan, because this means taking a man’s livelihood.
⁷ “If a man is found kidnapping his relative, a fellow Israeli, and mistreats or sells him, that kidnapper must die. By doing this, you will remove this evil from among you.
⁸ “In cases of leprosy, be very careful to observe exactly what the Levitical priests instructed you. Carefully follow what I have commanded them. ⁹ Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam along the way as you were coming out of Egypt.”
¹⁰ Respecting the Poor“When you loan something to your neighbor, don’t enter his house to seize what he offered as collateral. ¹¹ Stay outside and let the man to whom you made the loan bring it out to you. ¹² If he is a poor man, don’t go to sleep with his collateral in your possession. ¹³ Be sure to return his garment to him at sunset so that he may sleep with it, and he will bless you. It will be a righteous deed in the presence of the LORD your God. ¹⁴ Don’t take advantage of a hired person who is poor and needy, whether he’s your fellow citizen or a foreigner who lives in your city. ¹⁵ Pay his wages that same day before the sun sets, because he is poor and his livelihood depends on it. Otherwise, he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will incur guilt.”
¹⁶ Practicing Justice“Fathers must not be put to death on account of their children’s sin; nor shall children die on account of their fathers’ sin. Each person is to be put to death for his own sin.
¹⁷ “Don’t deny justice to a foreigner or to an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment as collateral for a loan. ¹⁸ Remember to observe this because you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I am commanding you to do this.
¹⁹ “When you are reaping in the field, and you overlook a sheaf, don’t return to get it. Let it remain for the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow, in order that the LORD your God may bless everything you undertake. ²⁰ When you harvest the olives from your trees, don’t go back to the branches a second time. What remains is for the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow. ²¹ When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, don’t go back a second time. What remains are for the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow. ²² Remember to do this because you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I’m commanding you to do this.”

¹⁰ If he takes another woman for himself, he may not withhold from the first her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.

¹⁵ Preferential Treatment Prohibited“If a man has two wives where one is loved but the other is unloved, and both of them bear him sons, but the firstborn is the son of the unloved wife,

¹³ Integrity in Marriage“Suppose a man marries a wife but after having sexual relations with her, he despises her,

¹⁹ fine him 100 shekels of silver, and then give them to the young lady’s father, because he had defamed a virgin of Israel. She is to remain his wife and he can’t divorce her as long as he lives.

²⁹ then the man who raped her must give 50 shekels of silver to the girl’s father. Furthermore, he must marry her. Because he had violated her, he is to not divorce her as long as he lives.

³ and this second husband dislikes her, he, also, must draw up divorce papers, hand them to her, and then send her away from his house. Should the second husband die,

¹ A Call to Return to God This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Look! It’s because of your sins that you were sold, and because of your transgressions that your mother was sent away.

⁸ I saw that even though I had sent unfaithful Israel away for all her adulteries and had given her a divorce decree, her treacherous sister Judah didn’t fear, and she, too, committed adultery.

¹⁶ “Indeed, the LORD God of Israel says that he hates divorce, along with the one who conceals his violence by outward appearances,” says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. “So guard yourselves carefully, and don’t be unfaithful.”

¹⁹ Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to disgrace her, decided to divorce her secretly.

³¹ Teaching about Divorce
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.’ ³² But I say to you, any man who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

⁷ They asked him, “Why, then, did Moses order us ‘to give a certificate of divorce and divorce her’?”
⁸ He told them, “It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not this way. ⁹ I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to divorce her.”
⁵ But Jesus told them, “It was because of your hardness of heart that he wrote this command for you. ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷ That’s why ‘a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So they’re no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore, what God has joined together, man must never separate.”
¹⁰ Back in the house, the disciples asked him about this again. ¹¹ So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. ¹² And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

¹⁸ Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”

¹¹ But if she does leave him, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. Likewise, a husband must not abandon his wife.
¹² I (not the Lord) say to the rest of you: If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she is willing to live with him, he must not abandon her.

⁷ “They are not to marry a prostitute or a woman who has been dishonored or who was divorced from her husband, because the priest is holy to his God.

¹⁴ He is not to marry a widow or one who has been divorced, has been defiled, or has been a prostitute. Instead, he is to take a virgin from among his people as his wife.

¹³ If the priest’s daughter is a widow, or is divorced and childless, so that she has to return to her father’s house as in her younger days, she may eat her father’s food, but no resident alien may eat it.

⁹ Vows by Widows or the Divorced“Everything that a widow or a divorced woman pledges herself to fulfill are to be binding on her.

²² They are not to marry a widow or a divorced woman. Instead, they are to marry virgins from the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.”

³² But I say to you, any man who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

¹¹ So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.

¹⁵ But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him go. In such cases the brother or sister is not under obligation. God has called you to live in peace.

²⁴ “You are not to defile yourselves by doing any of these things, since all of these nations that I’m casting out before you have defiled themselves this way. ²⁵ The land has been defiled, so I brought the punishment of its iniquity to it. As a result, the land is vomiting out its inhabitants.
²⁶ “Therefore, keep my statutes and ordinances. You are not to do any of these detestable things—this applies to the native born and the resident alien who lives among you— ²⁷ because the inhabitants of the land did all of these detestable things and by doing so defiled the land before you. ²⁸ So you are not to let the land vomit you up because of your uncleanness as it is vomiting the nations that were here before you.

¹⁷ Isn’t the evil that happened at Peor enough for us, from which we have yet to be completely cleansed even to this point, and because of which a plague came upon the community of the LORD? ¹⁸ Now then, are you turning away from following the LORD today? If you rebel against the LORD today, by tomorrow he will be angry with the entire community of Israel.

¹ God Contemplates Divorcing Israel “When a man divorces his wife, she leaves him and becomes another man’s wife, will the first husband return to her again? The land would be deeply polluted, would it not? Since you have committed fornication with many lovers, would you now return to me?” declares the LORD.

²⁴ (Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and they will become one flesh.)

⁷ And is there a man here who is engaged to a woman and has not yet married her? Let him go back home. Otherwise, he may die in battle and another man marry her.’

¹⁸ Let your fountain be blessed and enjoy the wife of your youth.

⁹ Find joy in living with your wife whom you love every day of your pointless life that God gave you on earth, because this is your life assignment and your work to do on earth.

⁴ He answered them, “Haven’t you read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female’ ⁵ and said, ‘That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must never separate.”

⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷ That’s why ‘a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So they’re no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore, what God has joined together, man must never separate.”

¹⁰ To married people I give this command (not really I, but the Lord): A wife must not leave her husband. ¹¹ But if she does leave him, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. Likewise, a husband must not abandon his wife.
¹² I (not the Lord) say to the rest of you: If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she is willing to live with him, he must not abandon her. ¹³ And if a woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he is willing to live with her, she must not abandon him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified because of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him go. In such cases the brother or sister is not under obligation. God has called you to live in peace.

²⁹ This is what I mean, brothers: The time is short. From now on, those who have wives should live as though they had none,

²⁸ In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one has ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, as the Messiah does the church.

⁴ They should encourage the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sensible and pure, to manage their households, to be kind, and to submit themselves to their husbands. Otherwise, the word of God may be discredited.

³⁰ “So when I go back to your servant, my father, and the young man isn’t with us, since he’s constantly living life focused on his son,

²⁶ If you take your neighbor’s coat as collateral, you are to return it to him by sunset, ²⁷ for it’s his only covering; it’s his outer garment, for what else can he sleep in? And when he cries out to me, I’ll hear him, for I am gracious.

¹⁹ Preservation of Fruit Trees“When you attack a city and have to fight against it for many days, don’t destroy its trees by cutting them down with an ax. You may eat from them, but you must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human beings, that you would come and attack them?

¹⁵ Then he told them, “Be careful to guard yourselves against every kind of greed, because a person’s life doesn’t consist of the amount of possessions he has.”

²² The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters will never be heard within you again. No artisan of any trade will ever be found within you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard within you again.

¹⁶ “Whoever kidnaps a person, whether he has sold him or whether the victim is still in his possession, is certainly to be put to death.

¹ Laws Concerning Theft of Personal Property“If a man steals an ox or sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he is to repay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.
² “If a thief is found while breaking into a house, and is struck down and dies, it is not a capital crime in that case, ³ but if the sun has risen on him, then it is a capital crime in that case. A thief shall certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he is to be sold for his theft. ⁴ If what was stolen is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox, a donkey or a sheep, he is to repay double.

¹⁹ do to him just as he intended to do to his relative. By doing this you will purge evil from your midst.

¹³ Greece, Tubal, and Meshech bartered with you, exchanging slaves and bronze vessels for your wares.

¹⁰ for those involved in sexual immorality, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for false witnesses, and for whatever else goes against the healthy teaching

¹³ cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and slaves (that is, human souls)—

¹ Diagnosing Skin DiseasesThe LORD said this to Moses and Aaron: ² “When a person has a swelling or a scab in the skin on his body that turns white in appearance and appears to be more extensive than skin deep, he is to be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons among the priests. ³ The priest is to examine the skin rash on the body. If the hair on the skin rash has turned white and its appearance is deeper than the skin of his body, it’s an infectious skin disease. When the priest has examined it, then he is to declare him unclean.
⁴ “If the light spot in the skin of his body is white but the appearance of the skin rash isn’t deeper than the skin of his body and its hair has not become white, then the priest is to isolate the one who is infected for seven days. ⁵ On the seventh day, the priest is to examine him again. If, in his opinion, the skin rash remained the same and it did not spread, then he is to isolate him for another seven days.
⁶ “On the next seventh day, the priest is to examine him again. If the skin rash didn’t become dull and it didn’t spread in the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him clean: it’s a scab. He is to wash his clothes and be clean. ⁷ But if the scab did spread in the skin after he presented himself to the priest for cleansing, then he is to show himself a second time to the priest. ⁸ When the priest examines him and determines that the scab did, in fact, spread in his skin, then the priest is to pronounce him unclean, since it’s an infectious skin disease.”
⁹ Infectious Skin Diseases“When a person has a skin rash that’s infectious, he is to be brought to the priest. ¹⁰ The priest is to examine it. If it is, indeed, a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white, and yet it sustains live flesh on the swelling, ¹¹ it’s a festering skin disease in his body. The priest is to declare him unclean. The man need not be confined, since he’s already unclean. ¹² If the infectious skin disease spreads in the skin so that it covers his entire body from head to foot (as the priest examines it), ¹³ when the priest’s examination reveals that the infectious skin disease has covered his entire body, then he is to declare him clean, even though he still has the skin infection. He has turned entirely white, so he’s clean. ¹⁴ But if, one day, infected flesh appears again in him, he is unclean. ¹⁵ The priest is to examine the infected flesh and declare him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; it’s an infectious skin disease. ¹⁶ If the raw flesh recurs and turns white, then he is to go to the priest. ¹⁷ When the priest examines him and finds that the skin rash has indeed turned white, then the priest is to declare the one with the skin rash clean, and he will be clean.”
¹⁸ On Boils“When someone is infected with a boil, but after it’s healed, ¹⁹ in place of the boil there remains a white swelling or a bright, white-reddish spot, he is to present himself to the priest. ²⁰ When the priest undertakes his examination and finds that it appears more extensive than skin deep and that its hair has turned white, then the priest is to declare him unclean, since an infectious skin disease has flourished in the boil. ²¹ If the priest undertakes an examination, but there’s no white hair in it and it’s not more extensive than skin deep, but it’s dull, then the priest is to isolate him for seven days. ²² But if the infection has spread in the skin, then the priest is to declare him unclean. It’s a skin rash. ²³ If the scab remains in place and doesn’t spread, then it’s the scab from the boil. The priest is to declare him clean.”
²⁴ Burn Scars“When a person has a burn scar in the skin that turns bright, white-reddish, or white, ²⁵ if the priest examines it and indeed the hair has turned white with a white spot appearing more extensive than skin deep, it’s an infectious skin disease with a burn scar that has spread. The priest is to declare him unclean. It’s an infectious skin disease. ²⁶ But if the priest examines it and discovers that there’s no bright area or white hair, or if he discovers that it’s not more extensive than skin deep and it’s dull, then the priest is to isolate him for seven days. ²⁷ When the priest examines it on the seventh day and finds that it has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest is to declare him unclean. It’s an infectious skin disease. ²⁸ But if the bright spot remains in place, doesn’t spread in the skin, and it’s dull, it’s the swelling of the burned area. The priest is to declare him clean, since it’s the scar from a burn.”
²⁹ Rashes“Now when a man or a woman has a skin rash on the head or the man develops a skin rash under his beard, ³⁰ if when the priest examines the skin rash and indeed it appears more extensive than skin deep, and it’s accompanied by fine, yellowish hair, then the priest is to declare him unclean. The scales on the head or the beard are an infectious skin disease. ³¹ But when the priest examines the scales of the skin rash and it doesn’t appear more extensive than skin deep and there’s no black hair in it, then the priest is to isolate him for seven days. ³² When the priest examines the skin rash on the seventh day and finds that indeed the scab did not spread, there’s no yellowish hair on it, and the scales don’t appear more extensive than skin deep, ³³ then he is to be shaven, but the scab is not to be shaved off. The priest is to isolate him a second time for seven days. ³⁴ The priest is to examine the scab on the seventh day. If, indeed, the scab hasn’t spread on the skin and it doesn’t appear more extensive than skin deep, then the priest is to declare him clean. He is to wash his garments and be clean.
³⁵ “But if the scales spread on the skin after his cleansing, ³⁶ and the priest examines it and finds the scale to have spread on the skin, the priest need not look for yellowish hair, since he is clean. ³⁷ If, in his opinion, the scab remained the same and a black hair grew in it, then the scab has healed. He’s clean. The priest is to declare him clean. ³⁸ If a man or a woman has a light or whitish spot in the skin of their body, ³⁹ when the priest examines it and finds that there is a light or dull white patch of skin on the body, it’s a harmless skin eruption that has spread on the skin. The person is clean.”
⁴⁰ Baldness vs. Head Rashes“When a man’s head becomes bare, he’s bald, but he’s clean. ⁴¹ When his head becomes bare on the side corner of his face, he has a bald forehead, but he’s clean. ⁴² But when in the baldness of his head or his forehead there develops a skin rash that’s white or reddish, it’s an infectious skin disease that has spread to his bald head or forehead. ⁴³ When the priest examines it and finds that the swelling of the skin rash is white or reddish on his bald head or forehead, similar in appearance to an infectious disease in the skin of the body, ⁴⁴ he’s a man with an infectious skin disease. He’s unclean. The priest is to declare him unclean on account of the skin rash in his head. ⁴⁵ The person with the infectious skin disease is to tear his garments and loosen his hair. He is to cover his mustache and shout out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ ⁴⁶ The whole time that the skin rash infects him, he will be unclean. He is to live by himself in a home outside the encampment.”

⁵⁷ But if it recurs on the clothing (whether woven or knitted material) or on any article made of leather, it’s a breakout, so incinerate it with fire wherever the contagion is found.

² “This is the law concerning those who have infectious skin diseases, after they have been cleansed:

⁹ On the seventh day, he is to shave the hair on his head, chin, back, and eyebrows. After he has shaved all his hair, washed his clothes, and bathed himself with water, then he will be clean.”
¹⁰ Reconsecration after Infections“On the eighth day, he is to take two lambs without defect, a one year old ewe lamb without defect, one third of a measure of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering, and one log of oil.

⁴ Then Jesus told him, “See to it that you don’t speak to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.”

⁴⁴ He told the man, “Be sure that you don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.”

¹⁴ Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as proof to the authorities.”

¹⁴ When Jesus saw them, he told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” While they were going, they were made clean.

² “Command the Israelis to send outside the encampment every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is ritually defiled by contact with a corpse.

¹⁰ but when the cloud ascended from the tent, Miriam had become leprous, as white as snow! Aaron turned toward Miriam, and she had leprosy!
¹¹ Aaron begged Moses, “I pray my lord, please don’t hold this sin against us, since we’ve acted foolishly and sinned in doing so. ¹² Please don’t let her be like one of the living dead, who is born with a congenital skin disease.”
¹³ So Moses prayed to the LORD: “O LORD, please heal her.”
¹⁴ But the LORD told Moses, “If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn’t she be humiliated? She is to be placed in isolation for seven days. After that, she may be brought in.” ¹⁵ So Miriam was isolated outside the camp for seven days and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in.

³ The Arameans FleeNow there happened to be four lepers who were at that very moment at the entrance to the city gate. As they were talking with one another, they said, “Why are we sitting here waiting to die?

²⁰ So Azariah the chief priest and all the priests stared at Uzziah, who was infected with leprosy in his forehead! They all rushed at him and hurried him out of the Temple. Uzziah was in a hurry to get out anyway, because the LORD had struck him.
²¹ King Uzziah remained a leper until the day he died. Because he was a leper, he lived in a separate residence and remained disqualified to enter the LORD’s Temple. His son Jotham served in the royal palace, judging the people of the land.

³² Remember Lot’s wife!

⁶ Now their experiences serve as examples for us so that we won’t set our hearts on evil as they did.

¹¹ These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down as a warning for us in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained.

²⁷ for it’s his only covering; it’s his outer garment, for what else can he sleep in? And when he cries out to me, I’ll hear him, for I am gracious.

⁸ Instead, be sure to open your hand to him and lend him enough to lessen his need.

¹⁷ “Don’t deny justice to a foreigner or to an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment as collateral for a loan.

⁶ “After all, you’ve taken collateral from your relatives for no reason; you stripped the naked of their clothing.

³ They drive away the orphan’s donkey; they take the ox of the widow as security for a loan;

⁹ “The fatherless are torn from the breast; the poor are taken away as security for a loan.

⁶ Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

²⁵ It will be credited as righteousness for us, if we’re careful to obey the entire Law in the presence of the LORD our God, as he commanded.’”

⁹ Be careful not to think this wicked thought to yourselves: ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is drawing near,’ and you show ill will toward your poor relative and not give to him. He may then call to the LORD on account of you, and you will be guilty of sin. ¹⁰ You must certainly give to him and not feel regret for doing so. Because of this, the LORD your God will bless all your works and everything you do.

¹⁵ Pay his wages that same day before the sun sets, because he is poor and his livelihood depends on it. Otherwise, he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will incur guilt.”

⁷ They spend the night naked, without clothing, with no covering against the cold. ⁸ They are wet from mountain rains; without shelter, they cling to a rock.

¹¹ Job Remembers His Acts of Kindness“When people heard me speak, they blessed me; when people saw me, they approved me, ¹² because I delivered the poor who were crying for help, along with orphans who had no one to help them. ¹³ Those who were about to die blessed me, and I made widows sing for joy.

¹⁶ No Injustice on the Poor“If I refused to grant the desire of the poor or exhausted the eyes of the widow, ¹⁷ if I ate my meals by myself without feeding orphans, ¹⁸ (even a poor man had grown up with me as if I were his father, and even though I had guided the widow from the time I was born), ¹⁹ if I’ve observed someone who is about to die for lack of clothes or if I have no clothing to give to the poor, ²⁰ if he hadn’t thanked me from the bottom of his heart, if he had not been warmed by wool from my sheep,

³⁰ But Phinehas intervened and prayed so that the plague was restrained. ³¹ And it was credited to him as a righteous act, from generation to generation—to eternity.

⁹ He gives generously to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.

⁸ God’s Reward“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will spring up quickly; and your vindication will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will guard your back.

⁷ if he doesn’t oppress anyone, but instead returns the debtor’s security for his debt, if he doesn’t rob anyone, but instead shares his food with the hungry and gives clothes to those who are naked,

¹² oppresses the afflicted and the poor, robs others, doesn’t return security for a debt, looks to idols, does detestable things,

¹⁶ doesn’t oppress anyone, doesn’t take possession of a debtor’s pledge, or doesn’t steal, but instead shares his food with the hungry, gives clothes to those who are naked,

¹⁵ returning what has been placed as collateral for a loan, paying back what he has taken, following the regulations that promote life, and committing no iniquity, he will certainly live, and not die.

²⁷ Therefore, your majesty, may my advice be acceptable to you: Stop your sinning, do what’s right, and put a stop to your wickedness by showing kindness to the oppressed. Perhaps your tranquility will continue.”

⁸ They lay down beside every altar, on garments pledged as collateral, drinking wine paid for through fines imposed by the temple of their gods.

¹³ Because your service in giving proves your love, you will be glorifying God as you obey what your confession of the Messiah’s gospel demands, since you are generous in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And so in their prayers for you they will long for you because of God’s exceptional grace that was shown to you.

²⁶ “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set while you are still angry,

¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, for he often took care of me and was not ashamed that I was a prisoner. ¹⁷ Instead, when he arrived in Rome he searched diligently for me and found me. ¹⁸ May the Lord grant that he finds mercy on the day he comes again. You know very well how much he assisted me in Ephesus.

²⁷ A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

¹³ For the one who has shown no mercy will be judged without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
¹⁴ Faith is Shown by ActionsWhat good does it do, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but does not prove it with actions? This kind of faith cannot save him, can it? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or sister does not have any clothes or daily food ¹⁶ and one of you tells them, “Go in peace! Stay warm and eat heartily.” If you do not provide for their bodily needs, what good does it do? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not prove itself with actions, is dead.
¹⁸ But someone may say, “You have faith, and I have actions.” Show me your faith without any actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! Even the demons believe that and tremble with fear. ²⁰ Do you want proof, you foolish person, that faith without actions is worthless? ²¹ Our ancestor Abraham was justified by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar, wasn’t he? ²² You see that his faith worked together with what he did, and by his actions his faith was made complete. ²³ And so the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” And so he was called God’s friend.

³⁵ Treatment of Poor Israelis“If your relative becomes so poor that he is indebted to you, then you are to support him. You are to let him live with you just like the resident alien and the traveler. ³⁶ You are not to take interest or profit from him. Instead, you are to fear your God and let your relative live with you. ³⁷ You are not to loan him money with interest or sell him your food at a profit. ³⁸ I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.
³⁹ “If your brother with you becomes so poor that he sells himself to you, you are not to make him serve like a bond slave. ⁴⁰ Instead, he is to serve with you like a hired servant or a traveler who lives with you, until the year of jubilee. ⁴¹ Then he and his children with him may leave to return to his family and his ancestor’s inheritance. ⁴² Since they’re my servants whom I’ve brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves. ⁴³ You are not to rule over them with harshness. You are to fear your God.”

¹² Releasing Slaves“When a fellow Hebrew male or female slave is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you are to set them free. ¹³ But when you set them free, don’t send them away empty-handed. ¹⁴ Provide for them liberally from your flock, threshing floor, and wine vat. As the LORD your God has blessed you, so give to them. ¹⁵ Don’t ever forget that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, yet the LORD your God redeemed you. Therefore, I’m giving you these commands today.
¹⁶ “Should that slave say to you, ‘I won’t leave you,’ because he loves you and your household, and it was good for him to be with you, ¹⁷ then take an awl and pierce through his earlobe into the door. Then he will be your slave forever. You are to do the same for your female slaves. ¹⁸ Don’t view this as a hardship for yourself when you set him free, for he will have served you for six years—twice the time of a paid worker. Then the LORD will bless you in all that you do.”

¹⁰ They wander around naked, without clothes; hungry, though they carry sheaves of grain. ¹¹ They press oil between the olive groves owned by the wicked; they suffer from thirst, even while treading the winepress.

¹³ No Abuse of Servants“If I’ve refused to help my male and female servants when they complain against me, ¹⁴ what will I do when God stands up to act? When he asks the questions, how will I answer him? ¹⁵ The one who made me in the womb made them, too, didn’t he? Didn’t the same one prepare each of us in the womb?”

³¹ Whoever oppresses the poor defies their Creator, but whoever is kind to the needy honors them.

¹⁶ Whoever oppresses the poor to enrich himself and whoever gives gifts to the wealthy will yield only loss.

⁷ They’ve treated mothers and fathers among you with contempt. They’ve oppressed the foreigner among you. They’ve maltreated the orphan and the widow among you.

⁷ moving quickly to rub the face of the needy in the dirt. Corrupting the ways of the humble, a man and his father go to the same woman, deliberately defiling my holy name.

¹ Judgment on the Women of Israel “Listen to this message, you fat cows from Bashan, who live on the Samaritan mountains, who oppress the poor, who rob the needy, and who constantly ask your husbands for one more drink!”

⁴ “Hear this, you who are swallowing up the needy, who intend to make the poor of the land fail,

⁵ The Judgment of God“I’ll come near to you for judgment. I’ll be a witness, quick to speak against sorcerers, against adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who defraud the laborer of his wage, against those who defraud the widow and the orphan, against those who deprive the alien of justice, and against those who don’t fear me,” says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

⁷ Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they provide, because the worker deserves his pay. Don’t move from house to house.

²³ If you do mistreat them, they’ll certainly cry out to me, and I’ll immediately hear their cry. ²⁴ And I’ll be angry and will kill you with swords, and your wives will become widows and your children orphans.

¹³ “You are not to oppress your neighbor or rob him.
“The wages of a hired laborer are not to remain in your possession until morning.

⁹ Be careful not to think this wicked thought to yourselves: ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is drawing near,’ and you show ill will toward your poor relative and not give to him. He may then call to the LORD on account of you, and you will be guilty of sin.

³⁸ No Abuse of the Land“If my land were to cry out against me or if all its furrows wept as one,

²⁸ As a result, the cries of the poor have reached him and he has heard the cry of the afflicted.

⁹ “They cry out because they have many oppressors; they cry for help because the powerful are abusing them.

⁴ The one who has innocent hands and a pure heart; the person who does not delight in what is false and does not swear an oath deceitfully.

¹ Davidic
A Prayer for Help and Forgiveness I will lift up my soul to you, LORD.

⁴ Your servant rejoices, because, Lord, I set my hope on you.

²⁷ Wisdom in ActionDo not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. ²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back. I will pay you tomorrow,” when you have cash with you.

²² Don’t rob the poor person because he is poor, and don’t crush the helpless in court, ²³ for the LORD will plead their case and ruin the lives of those who ruin them.

¹⁰ Don’t move ancient boundaries or invade fields belonging to orphans; ¹¹ for strong is their Redeemer who will take up their case against you.

⁷ For the vineyard of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden in which he delights. He looked for justice, but saw only bloodshed; he searched for righteousness, but heard only an outcry!

¹³ An Oracle against Jehoiakim“How terrible for him who builds his house without righteousness, and its upper rooms without justice, who makes his neighbor work for nothing, and does not pay him his wage.

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his manager, ‘Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’

¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Never murder.’ ‘Never commit adultery.’ ‘Never steal.’ ‘Never give false testimony.’ ‘Never cheat.’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’”

⁴ Look! The wages that you kept back from the workers who harvested your fields are shouting out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

⁵ Later on, as soon as he was in firm control of his kingdom, he executed the servants who had murdered his father the king, ⁶ but he did not execute the children of the murderers, in keeping with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, as the LORD had commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death because of their children’s sin; nor are children to die because of their fathers’ sin, for each person is to be put to death for his own sin.”

⁴ but he did not execute their children in obedience to what is written in the Law, the writings of Moses, where the LORD commanded, “Fathers are not to die because of what their children do, nor are children to die because of what their fathers do, but each person is to die for his own sins.”

²⁹ “In those days people will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, but the children’s teeth have been set on edge.’ ³⁰ Instead, each person will die for his own iniquity. Everyone who eats sour grapes will have his own teeth set on edge.”

²⁰ The soul who sins dies. The son won’t bear the punishment of his father’s sin and the father won’t bear the punishment of his son’s sin. The righteous deeds of that righteous person will be attributed to him, while the wicked deeds of the wicked person will be charged against him.

²¹ “You are not to wrong or oppress an alien, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
²² “You are not to mistreat any widow or orphan.

² You are not to follow the majority in doing wrong, and you are not to testify in a lawsuit so as to follow the majority and pervert justice.

⁶ “You are not to pervert justice for the poor among you in their lawsuits.

⁹ You are not to oppress the resident alien, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.”

¹⁷ When you hold a hearing, don’t be partial in judgment toward the least important or toward the great. Never fear men, because judgment belongs to God. If the matter is difficult for you, bring it to me for a hearing.’

¹⁷ For the LORD your God is the God of all gods, the LORD of all lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who does not show favoritism or take bribes. ¹⁸ He executes justice for the orphan and the widows, loves the foreigner, and gives them food and clothing.”

¹⁹ You must not twist justice, show favoritism, or take bribes, because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the speech of the righteous.

⁶ “Don’t take a pair of millstones, especially the upper millstone, as collateral for a loan, because this means taking a man’s livelihood.

¹³ Be sure to return his garment to him at sunset so that he may sleep with it, and he will bless you. It will be a righteous deed in the presence of the LORD your God.

¹⁹ “‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice due the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow.’“Then all the people are to respond by saying, ‘Amen!’

³ Here I am. Testify against me in the LORD’s presence and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken? Who have I cheated? Who have I oppressed? Who bribed me to look the other way? I’ll restore it to you.”
⁴ They said, “You haven’t cheated us or oppressed us, and you haven’t taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

⁸ The land belongs to the powerful, and the privileged thrive in it. ⁹ You sent away widows empty-handed, and broke the outstretched arms of orphans.

¹¹ Job Remembers His Acts of Kindness“When people heard me speak, they blessed me; when people saw me, they approved me, ¹² because I delivered the poor who were crying for help, along with orphans who had no one to help them. ¹³ Those who were about to die blessed me, and I made widows sing for joy. ¹⁴ I put on righteousness like clothing; my just decisions were like a robe and a turban. ¹⁵ I served as eyes for the blind and feet for the lame. ¹⁶ I was a father to the needy; I diligently inquired into the case of those I didn’t know. ¹⁷ I broke the fangs of the wicked, and made him drop the prey.”

¹ A Psalm of Asaph
Asking God for Justice God takes his stand in the divine assembly; among the divine beings he renders judgment: ² “How long will you judge partially by showing favor on the wicked? Interlude ³ “Defend the poor and the fatherless. Vindicate the afflicted and the poor. ⁴ Rescue the poor and the needy, delivering them from the power of the wicked. ⁵ They neither know nor understand; they walk about in the dark while all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

³ How long will the wicked, LORD, how long will the wicked continue to triumph? ⁴ When they speak, they spew arrogance. Everyone who practices iniquity brags about it. ⁵ LORD, they have crushed your people, afflicting your heritage. ⁶ The wicked kill widows and foreigners; they murder orphans.

²⁰ Will destructive national leaders, who plan wicked things through misuse of the Law, be allied with you? ²¹ They gather together against the righteous, condemning the innocent to death.

⁵ Otherwise, they may drink and forget what has been ordained, perverting justice for all the oppressed.

⁸ The Use and Abuse of WealthDon’t be surprised when you see the poor oppressed and the violent perverting both justice and verdicts in a province, for one high official watches another, and there are ones higher still over them.

²³ Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. All of them are lovers of bribes and are runners after gifts. They don’t bring justice to orphans, and the widow’s case never comes up for review in their court.”

¹⁵ How dare you crush my people as you grind down the face of the poor?” declares the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies.

¹⁵ The one who walks righteously and has spoken sincere words, who rejects gain from extortion and waves his hand, rejecting bribes, who blocks his ears from hearing plots of murder and shuts his eyes against seeing evil—

²⁸ and have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They don’t argue the case of the orphan to secure justice. They don’t defend the rights of the poor.

³ This is what the LORD says: “Uphold justice and righteousness. Deliver from their oppressor those who have been robbed. Don’t mistreat or do violence to the alien, the orphan, or the widow, or shed the blood of innocent people in this place.

²⁹ The people of the land were vigorously oppressive and took possession of plunder by violence. They’ve afflicted the poor and the needy and unjustly treated the foreigner.

⁷ Those of you who are making justice taste bitter, and who have thrown righteousness to the ground: ⁸ Seek the one who fashions the Pleiades and Orion, who turns the deep darkness into morning, who darkens day into night, who calls out to the waters of the sea, pouring them out onto the surface of the earth— the LORD is his name. ⁹ It is he who is raining sudden destruction upon the strong like lightning, so that ruin comes upon the fortress. ¹⁰ They have hated those who are presenting their cases in court, detesting the one who speaks truthfully. ¹¹ ‘Therefore, since you trample the poor continuously, taxing his grain, building houses of stone in which you won’t live and planting fine vineyards from which you won’t drink— ¹² and because I know that your transgressions are many, and your sins are numerous as you oppose the righteous, taking bribes as a ransom, and turning away the poor in court—

¹ God’s Warning to His People “Woe to those who are crafting iniquity, planning evil well into the night! When morning’s light comes, they carry out their plans because they have the power to do so. ² They covet fields and seize them; they covet houses, and grab them, too. They harass the valiant man, along with his household, an individual and his estate.

³ And speaking of evil, they practice it eagerly—with both hands! Both leader and judge demand a bribe, the famous confess their perverted desires, and they scheme together.

¹⁰ You are not to wrong the widow, orphans, the foreigner, or the poor, and you are not to plan evil against each other.

¹⁴ Even some soldiers were asking him, “And what should we do?”
He told them, “Never extort money from anyone by threats or blackmail, and be satisfied with your pay.”

⁶ But you have humiliated the man who is poor. Are not rich people the ones who oppress you and drag you into court?

¹⁵ You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, but the LORD your God brought you out from there with great power and a show of force. Therefore, the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.ה

¹⁵ Don’t ever forget that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, yet the LORD your God redeemed you. Therefore, I’m giving you these commands today.

¹² Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, so keep and observe these statutes.”

²² Remember to do this because you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I’m commanding you to do this.”

⁹ Harvesting and Gleaning“When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to completely finish harvesting the corners of the field—that is, you are not to pick what remains after you have reaped your harvest. ¹⁰ You are not to gather your vineyard or pick up the fallen grapes of your vineyard. Leave something for the poor and the resident alien who lives among you. I am the LORD your God.”

²² Furthermore, when you harvest the produce of your land, you are not to harvest all the way to the corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and resident alien. I am the LORD your God.”

²⁹ so the descendants of Levi—who have no tribal allotment as you do—foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your cities may come, eat, and be satisfied. That way, the LORD your God shall bless you in everything you do.”

¹⁰ You must certainly give to him and not feel regret for doing so. Because of this, the LORD your God will bless all your works and everything you do.

²⁰ When you harvest the olives from your trees, don’t go back to the branches a second time. What remains is for the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow. ²¹ When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, don’t go back a second time. What remains are for the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow.

¹³ Then declare in the presence of the LORD your God: ‘I’ve removed the holy offering from my house and given it to the descendants of Levi, to the foreigners, to the orphans, and to the widows just as you have commanded me. I haven’t violated or forgotten your commands.

¹⁶ One other thing—drop some handfuls deliberately, leaving them for her so she can gather it. And don’t bother her.”

¹⁶ No Injustice on the Poor“If I refused to grant the desire of the poor or exhausted the eyes of the widow, ¹⁷ if I ate my meals by myself without feeding orphans, ¹⁸ (even a poor man had grown up with me as if I were his father, and even though I had guided the widow from the time I was born), ¹⁹ if I’ve observed someone who is about to die for lack of clothes or if I have no clothing to give to the poor, ²⁰ if he hadn’t thanked me from the bottom of his heart, if he had not been warmed by wool from my sheep, ²¹ if I’ve raised my hand against an orphan when I thought I would against him in court, ²² then let my arm fall from its socket; and may my arm be torn off at the shoulder.

¹² The LORD blessed Job during the latter part of his life more than the former, since he owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys.

¹ To the Director: A Davidic Psalm.
When Things Go Wrong Blessed is the one who is considerate of the destitute; the LORD will deliver him when the times are evil. ² The LORD will protect him and keep him alive; he will be blessed in the land; and he will not be handed over to the desires of his enemies. ³ The LORD will uphold him even on his sickbed; you will transform his bed of illness into health.

²⁴ Those who give freely gain even more; others hold back what they owe, becoming even poorer. ²⁵ A generous person will prosper, and anyone who gives water will receive a flood in return.

²¹ Whoever despises his neighbor sins, but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy.

¹⁷ Whoever is kind to the poor is lending to the LORD— the benefit of his gift will return to him in abundance.

⁸ But those who are decent plan noble things, and by noble deeds they stand.”

⁷ Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him with clothing, and not to raise yourself up from your own flesh and blood?”
⁸ God’s Reward“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will spring up quickly; and your vindication will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will guard your back. ⁹ Then you’ll call, and the LORD will answer; you’ll cry for help, and he’ll respond, ‘Here I am.’ “If you do away with the yoke among you, and pointing fingers and malicious talk; ¹⁰ if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the needs of afflicted souls, then your light will rise in darkness, and your night will be like noonday. ¹¹ And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in parched places, and they will strengthen your bones; and you’ll be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.

³⁵ Rather, love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind even to ungrateful and evil people.

³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap, because you’ll be evaluated by the same standard with which you evaluate others.”

¹³ Instead, when you give a banquet, make it your habit to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴ Then you will be blessed because they can’t repay you. And you will be repaid when the righteous are resurrected.”

⁶ Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you must give what you have decided in your heart, not with regret or under compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.

¹⁷ Whoever has earthly possessions and notices a brother in need and yet withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God be present in him? ¹⁸ Little children, we must stop expressing love merely by our words and manner of speech; we must love also in action and in truth. ¹⁹ This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be able to keep ourselves strong in his presence.

¹⁰ You are not to gather your vineyard or pick up the fallen grapes of your vineyard. Leave something for the poor and the resident alien who lives among you. I am the LORD your God.”

¹⁹ “When you are reaping in the field, and you overlook a sheaf, don’t return to get it. Let it remain for the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow, in order that the LORD your God may bless everything you undertake.

¹⁴ but the seventh day is a Sabbath for the LORD your God. You are not to do any work—neither you, your children, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys, nor any of your livestock—as well as any of the foreigners who live among you, so that your male and female servants may rest as you do. ¹⁵ You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, but the LORD your God brought you out from there with great power and a show of force. Therefore, the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.ה

⁸ But the LORD loved you and kept his oath that he made to your ancestors. The LORD brought you out with great power from slavery, from the control of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

¹⁸ Remember to observe this because you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I am commanding you to do this.

¹ Deliverance for Zion “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD! Look to the rock from which you were cut, to the quarry from which you were hewn.

⁸ I am not commanding you but testing the genuineness of your love by the enthusiasm of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Although he was rich, for your sakes he became poor, so that you, through his poverty, might become rich.

¹ So be imitators of God, as his dear children. ² Live lovingly, just as the Messiah also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God.

¹⁰ This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love one another.