He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(A) and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a](B) with your God.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:8 Or prudently

Fear the Lord

12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you(A) but to fear(B) the Lord your God, to walk(C) in obedience to him, to love him,(D) to serve the Lord(E) your God with all your heart(F) and with all your soul,(G) 13 and to observe the Lord’s commands(H) and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?(I)

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To do what is right and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.(A)

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This is what the Lord says: Do what is just(A) and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor(B) the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow,(C) and do not shed innocent blood(D) in this place.

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12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves(A) with compassion, kindness, humility,(B) gentleness and patience.(C)

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22 But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,(A)
    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

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For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,(A)
    and acknowledgment(B) of God rather than burnt offerings.(C)

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Has not my hand made all these things,(A)
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,(B)
    and who tremble at my word.(C)

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Suffering for Doing Good

Finally, all of you, be like-minded,(A) be sympathetic, love one another,(B) be compassionate and humble.(C)

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24 But let justice(A) roll on like a river,
    righteousness(B) like a never-failing stream!(C)

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In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves(A) to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility(B) toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”[a](C)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 5:5 Prov. 3:34

42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth(A) of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God.(B) You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.(C)

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Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.(A)

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“Is not this the kind of fasting(A) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(B)
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(C) free
    and break every yoke?(D)
Is it not to share your food with the hungry(E)
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(F)
when you see the naked, to clothe(G) them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(H)
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(I)
    and your healing(J) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a](K) will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(L)
Then you will call,(M) and the Lord will answer;(N)
    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(O) and malicious talk,(P)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(Q)
then your light(R) will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.(S)
11 The Lord will guide(T) you always;
    he will satisfy your needs(U) in a sun-scorched land(V)
    and will strengthen(W) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(X)
    like a spring(Y) whose waters never fail.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One

16 Wash(A) and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;(B)
    stop doing wrong.(C)
17 Learn to do right;(D) seek justice.(E)
    Defend the oppressed.[a](F)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(G)
    plead the case of the widow.(H)

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”(I)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;(J)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.(K)
19 If you are willing and obedient,(L)
    you will eat the good things of the land;(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:17 Or justice. / Correct the oppressor

19 For I have chosen him(A), so that he will direct his children(B) and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord(C) by doing what is right and just,(D) so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”(E)

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13 Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God(A) and keep his commandments,(B)
    for this is the duty of all mankind.(C)

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13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast(A) and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’(B)

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”(C)

The Little Children and Jesus(D)

15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child(E) will never enter it.”

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“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(A)

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32 Be kind and compassionate to one another,(A) forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.(B)

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But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”[a](A)

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,(B) and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.(C) Wash your hands,(D) you sinners, and purify your hearts,(E) you double-minded.(F) Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.(G) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. James 4:6 Prov. 3:34

But you must return(A) to your God;
    maintain love and justice,(B)
    and wait for your God always.(C)

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37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt(A) and glorify(B) the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just.(C) And those who walk in pride(D) he is able to humble.(E)

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15 For this is what the high and exalted(A) One says—
    he who lives forever,(B) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(C) and holy place,
    but also with the one who is contrite(D) and lowly in spirit,(E)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.(F)

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