¹¹ Now hear me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brethren, ^(A)for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.”

¹³ For ^(A)judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown ^(B)no ^(C)mercy. ^(D)Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Concluding Moral Directions

13 Let ^(A)brotherly love continue. ^2 (B)Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing ^(C)some have unwittingly entertained angels. ^3 (D)Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

² For with what ^[a]judgment you judge, you will be judged; ^(A)and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

¹⁴ “At the end of ^(A)seven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother, who ^[a]has been sold to him; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you.” But your fathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear. ¹⁵ Then you ^[b]recently turned and did what was right in My sight—every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor; and you ^(B)made a covenant before Me ^(C)in the house which is called by My name.

¹⁴ Please, let the leaders of our entire assembly stand; and let all those in our cities who have taken pagan wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of their cities, until ^(A)the fierce wrath of our God is turned away from us in this matter.”

⁸ And the children of Israel carried away captive of their ^(A)brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much ^[a]spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.