“Do not deny justice(A) to your poor people in their lawsuits.

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“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers,(A) adulterers(B) and perjurers,(C) against those who defraud laborers of their wages,(D) who oppress the widows(E) and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners(F) among you of justice, but do not fear(G) me,” says the Lord Almighty.

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Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:(A) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world(B) to be rich in faith(C) and to inherit the kingdom(D) he promised those who love him?(E) But you have dishonored the poor.(F) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?(G)

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28     and have grown fat(A) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
    they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(B)
    they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(C)

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10 Woe(A) to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,(B)
to deprive(C) the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,(D)
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.(E)

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Riches Are Meaningless

If you see the poor oppressed(A) 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.

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19 “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner,(A) the fatherless or the widow.”(B)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

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19 Do not pervert justice(A) or show partiality.(B) Do not accept a bribe,(C) for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent.

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15 “‘Do not pervert justice;(A) do not show partiality(B) to the poor or favoritism to the great,(C) but judge your neighbor fairly.(D)

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“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice(A) by siding with the crowd,(B) and do not show favoritism(C) to a poor person in a lawsuit.

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Jerusalem

Woe to the city of oppressors,(A)
    rebellious(B) and defiled!(C)
She obeys(D) no one,
    she accepts no correction.(E)
She does not trust(F) in the Lord,
    she does not draw near(G) to her God.
Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;(H)
her rulers are evening wolves,(I)
    who leave nothing for the morning.(J)
Her prophets are unprincipled;
    they are treacherous people.(K)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
    and do violence to the law.(L)

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Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

Then I said,

“Listen, you leaders(A) of Jacob,
    you rulers of Israel.
Should you not embrace justice,
    you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
    and the flesh from their bones;(B)
who eat my people’s flesh,(C)
    strip off their skin
    and break their bones in pieces;(D)
who chop(E) them up like meat for the pan,
    like flesh for the pot?(F)

Then they will cry out to the Lord,
    but he will not answer them.(G)
At that time he will hide his face(H) from them
    because of the evil they have done.(I)

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11 You levy a straw tax on the poor(A)
    and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,(B)
    you will not live in them;(C)
though you have planted lush vineyards,
    you will not drink their wine.(D)
12 For I know how many are your offenses
    and how great your sins.(E)

There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes(F)
    and deprive the poor(G) of justice in the courts.(H)

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if you do not oppress(A) the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood(B) in this place, and if you do not follow other gods(C) to your own harm,

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28 They are all hardened rebels,(A)
    going about to slander.(B)
They are bronze and iron;(C)
    they all act corruptly.

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Defend the weak and the fatherless;(A)
    uphold the cause of the poor(B) and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

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21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(A)
    knowing that I had influence in court,(B)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.(C)

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13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,(A)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,(B)

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Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice(A) or partiality(B) or bribery.”

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