James 1:27
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27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.(A)
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Isaiah 1:16-17
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16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove your evil deeds
from before my eyes;
cease to do evil;(A)
17 learn to do good;
seek justice;
rescue the oppressed;
defend the orphan;
plead for the widow.(B)
1 John 3:17-19
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17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?(A)
18 Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.(B) 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him(C)
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Galatians 6:9-10
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9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.(A) 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.(B)
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Romans 12:2
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2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.[a](A)
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- 12.2 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God
Matthew 25:34-46
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34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,(A) 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,(B) 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’(C) 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’(D) 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,(E) 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’(F) 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”(G)
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1 John 2:15-17
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15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world,(A) 16 for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 And the world and its desire[a] are passing away, but those who do the will of God abide forever.(B)
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- 2.17 Or the desire for it
Isaiah 58:6-7
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6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?(A)
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?(B)
James 4:4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
4 Adulterers![a] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.(A)
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- 4.4 Gk Adulterous women; other ancient authorities read Adulterous men and women
Job 29:12-13
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12 because I delivered the poor who cried
and the orphan who had no helper.(A)
13 The blessing of the wretched came upon me,
and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.(B)
1 Timothy 5:4
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4 If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents, for this is pleasing in God’s sight.(A)
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Psalm 119:1
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Psalm 119
The Glories of God’s Law
1 Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.(A)
Job 31:15-20
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?(A)
16 “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail(B)
17 or have eaten my morsel alone
and the orphan has not eaten from it—(C)
18 for from my youth I reared the orphan[a] like a father,
and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow[b]—
19 if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing
or a poor person without covering,
20 whose loins have not blessed me,
and who was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;(D)
Colossians 3:1-3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The New Life in Christ
3 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.(A) 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.(B)
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Luke 1:6
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6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.(A)
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Psalm 68:5
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5 Father of orphans and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.(A)
James 3:17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.(A)
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1 Timothy 1:5
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5 But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.(A)
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Matthew 5:8
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8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.(A)
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1 John 5:18
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18 We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them.[a](A)
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- 5.18 Other ancient authorities read protects himself, and the evil one does not touch him
1 John 5:4-5
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4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.(A) 5 Who is it who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?(B)
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Isaiah 1:23
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not defend the orphan,
and the widow’s cause does not come before them.(A)
John 17:14-15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.(A) 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.[a](B)
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- 17.15 Or from evil
Galatians 6:14
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14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which[a] the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.(A)
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- 6.14 Or through whom
Galatians 5:6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working[a] through love.(A)
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- 5.6 Or made effective
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.