WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY ABOUT HOW THE POOR ARE TO BE TREATED
Exodus 23:6
“Do
not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.
but
during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among
your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do
the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.
Do
not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen.
Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.
“‘When
you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field
or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and
for the foreigner residing among you. I am theLord your
God.’”
“‘If
one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of
their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have
sold.
“‘If
any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to
support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger,
so they can continue to live among you.
“‘If
any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves
to you, do not make them work as slaves.
If anyone making the vow is too poor to pay the
specified amount, the person being dedicated is to be presented to the priest,
who will set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.
If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in
any of the towns of the land the Lord your
God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them.
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.
If
the neighbor is poor, do not go to sleep with their pledge in your
possession.
Do
not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether
that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.
Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they
are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to
the Lord against you,
and you will be guilty of sin.
So
the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
His
children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back
his wealth.
For
he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has
seized houses he did not build.
They
thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the
land into hiding.
When
daylight is gone, the murderer rises up, kills the poor and
needy, and in the night steals forth like a thief.
because
I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who
had none to assist them.
Have
I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
“If
I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the
widow grow weary,
They
caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he
heard the cry of the needy.
“Because
the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,”
says the Lord. “I will
protect them from those who malign them.”
You
evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge.
who
lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept
a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
The poor will
eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will
praise him— may your hearts live forever!
This poor man
called, and the Lord heard
him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
My
whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, Lord? You rescue the poor from those too
strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
The
wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and
needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
Do
not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and
needy praise your name.
Defend
the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and
the oppressed.
For
he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and
the needy and the brokenhearted.
They
have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness
endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor.
He
raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash
heap;
I
will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will
satisfy with food.
I
know that the Lord secures
justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
A
person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond
to threatening rebukes.
An
unplowed field produces food for the poor, but injustice sweeps it
away.
The poor are
shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.
Whoever
oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever
is kind to the needy honors God.
Whoever
mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats
over disaster will not go unpunished.
The poor plead
for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
Better
the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are
perverse.
Wealth
attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person
deserts them.
The poor are
shunned by all their relatives— how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading, they are nowhere to be
found.
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what
they have done.
Whoever
shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and
not be answered.
The
generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.
One
who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and one who
gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
Do
not exploit the poor because they are poor and
do not crush the needy in court,
A
ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that
leaves no crops.
Better
the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are
perverse.
Whoever
increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor amasses
it for another, who will be kind to the poor.
The
rich are wise in their own eyes; one who is poor and discerning
sees how deluded they are.
Those
who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close
their eyes to them receive many curses.
The
righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no
such concern.
The poor and
the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives
sight to the eyes of both.
those
whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from
the earth and the needy from among mankind.
Speak
up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
She
opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Better
a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no
longer knows how to heed a warning.
If
you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights
denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a
higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
Ecclesiastes 9:11
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding , nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Ecclesiastes 9:11
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding , nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
So
I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But thepoor man’s wisdom
is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
The Lord enters into judgment against
the elders and leaders of his people: “It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
the plunder from the poor is in your houses.
What
do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
to
deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the
oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.
but
with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions
for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the
rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
The poorest
of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in
safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.
You
have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their
distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of
the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall
Feet
trample it down— the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor.
Scoundrels
use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with
lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.
“The poor and
needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with
thirst. But I the Lord will
answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
Is
it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer
with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from
your own flesh and blood?
On
your clothes is found the lifeblood of the innocent poor, though
you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in spite of all this
I
thought, “These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do
not know the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
and
have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek
justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the
just cause of the poor.
He
defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went
well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.
He
withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest
or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.
In
you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a
profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.
And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.
The
people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress
the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them
justice.
They
trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground
and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so
profane my holy name.
[ Israel
Has Not Returned to God ] Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount
Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy
and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!”
You
levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them;
though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
For
I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who
oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of
justice in the courts.
Hear
this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of
the land,
buying
the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals,
selling even the sweepings with the wheat.
Do
not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.
Do not plot evil against each other.
Jesus
answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to
the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow
me.”
The poor you
will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
Jesus
looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell
everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
But
a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,
worth only a few cents.
Calling
his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow
has put more into the treasury than all the others.
The poor you
will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you
will not always have me.
But
now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and
everything will be clean for you.
Sell
your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for
yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail,
where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
When
Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything
you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven. Then come, follow me.”
But
Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half
of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of
anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
He
also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
“Truly
I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than
all the others.
He
did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was
a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put
into it.
You
will always have the poor among you, but you will not always
have me.”
Since
Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what
was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.
In
Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was
always doing good and helping the poor.
Cornelius
stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your
prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial
offering before God.
and
said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to
the poor.
“After
an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for
the poor and to present offerings.
For
Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among
the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.
If
I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to
hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
sorrowful,
yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing,
and yet possessing everything.
For
you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for
your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become
rich.
As
it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”
Galatians 2:9b
All
they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the
very thing I had been eager to do all along.
Suppose
a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man
in filthy old clothes also comes in.
If
you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a
good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there”
or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”
Listen,
my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in
the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he
promised those who love him?
But
you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting
you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
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