Generosity to the Poor

⁷ “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the ^[a]gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, ^(A)you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, ⁸ but ^(B)you shall ^[b]open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. ⁹ Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your ^(C)eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and ^(D)he cry out to the Lord against you, and ^(E)it become sin among you. ¹⁰ You shall surely give to him, and ^(F)your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because ^(G)for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. ¹¹ For ^(H)the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall ^[c]open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’

⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and ^(A)had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and ^[a]sold their possessions and goods, and ^(B)divided^[b] them among all, as anyone had need.

Sharing in All Things

³² Now the multitude of those who believed ^(A)were of one heart and one soul; ^(B)neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. ³³ And with ^(C)great power the apostles gave ^(D)witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And ^(E)great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; ^(F)for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, ^35 (G)and laid them at the apostles’ feet; ^(H)and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

³⁶ And ^[a]Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of ^[b]Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, ^37 (I)having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Relief to Judea

²⁷ And in these days ^(A)prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ Then one of them, named ^(B)Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of ^(C)Claudius Caesar. ²⁹ Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send ^(D)relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. ^30 (E)This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

¹⁷ But ^(A)whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

¹⁸ My little children, ^(B)let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.