¹⁴ “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.

John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

¹⁶ “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

⁵ Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

⁶ So we can say with confidence,

¹¹ Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.

¹¹ “Do not steal.

“Do not deceive or cheat one another.

A Call for Justice

23 “You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.

⁸ So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

⁹ But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

⁹ For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.”^[a] These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^{[b] 10} Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

⁸ Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,