29 And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

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29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment(A) or inheritance(B) of their own) and the foreigners,(C) the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied,(D) and so that the Lord your God may bless(E) you in all the work of your hands.

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10 You shall surely give to him, and (A)your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because (B)for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.

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10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;(A) then because of this the Lord your God will bless(B) you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

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27 You shall not [a]forsake the (A)Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 14:27 neglect

27 And do not neglect the Levites(A) living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.(B)

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17 (A)He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he has given.

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17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,(A)
    and he will reward them for what they have done.(B)

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10 (A)Bring all the tithes into the (B)storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the (C)windows of heaven
And (D)pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.

11 “And I will rebuke (E)the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;

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10 Bring the whole tithe(A) into the storehouse,(B) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates(C) of heaven and pour out(D) so much blessing(E) that there will not be room enough to store it.(F) 11 I will prevent pests from devouring(G) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,(H)” says the Lord Almighty.

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11 (A)You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide.

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11 And rejoice(A) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name(B)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites(C) in your towns, and the foreigners,(D) the fatherless and the widows living among you.(E)

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The Cheerful Giver

(A)But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [a]bountifully will also reap [b]bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, (B)not grudgingly or of [c]necessity; for (C)God loves a cheerful giver. (D)And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written:

(E)“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”

10 Now [d]may He who (F)supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, [e]supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your (G)righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, (H)which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
  2. 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
  3. 2 Corinthians 9:7 compulsion
  4. 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU omits may
  5. 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU will supply

Generosity Encouraged

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.(A) Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,(B) not reluctantly or under compulsion,(C) for God loves a cheerful giver.(D) And God is able(E) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,(F) you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts(G) to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”[a](H)

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food(I) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.(J) 11 You will be enriched(K) in every way so that you can be generous(L) on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:9 Psalm 112:9

Is it not (A)to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are [a]cast out;
(B)When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from (C)your own flesh?
(D)Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
(E)The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.

“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The [b]pointing of the finger, and (F)speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your [c]darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you
(G)Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of [d]Streets to Dwell In.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:7 wandering
  2. Isaiah 58:9 Lit. sending out of
  3. Isaiah 58:10 Or gloom
  4. Isaiah 58:12 Lit. Paths

Is it not to share your food with the hungry(A)
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(B)
when you see the naked, to clothe(C) them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(D)
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(E)
    and your healing(F) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a](G) will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(H)
Then you will call,(I) and the Lord will answer;(J)
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger(K) and malicious talk,(L)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(M)
then your light(N) will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.(O)
11 The Lord will guide(P) you always;
    he will satisfy your needs(Q) in a sun-scorched land(R)
    and will strengthen(S) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(T)
    like a spring(U) whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins(V)
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;(W)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,(X)
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One

24 There is one who (A)scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.

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24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
    another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

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(A)Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 (B)So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

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Honor the Lord with your wealth,
    with the firstfruits(A) of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled(B) to overflowing,
    and your vats will brim over with new wine.(C)

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The Blessing and Suffering of the Godly

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

41 Blessed is he who considers the [a]poor;
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:1 helpless or powerless

Psalm 41[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(A) are those who have regard for the weak;(B)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.

16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to (A)fail,
17 Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it
18 (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided [a]the widow);
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
20 If his [b]heart has not (B)blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have raised my hand (C)against the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;
22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 31:18 Lit. her
  2. Job 31:20 Lit. loins

16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor(A)
    or let the eyes of the widow(B) grow weary,(C)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless(D)
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow(E)
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,(F)
    or the needy(G) without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me(H)
    for warming them with the fleece(I) from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(J)
    knowing that I had influence in court,(K)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.(L)

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12 “When you have finished laying aside all the (A)tithe of your increase in the third year—(B)the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God: ‘I have removed the [a]holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, (C)nor have I forgotten them.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 26:13 hallowed things

12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth(A) of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe,(B) you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. 13 Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.(C)

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