16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

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16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
    and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

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22 Do not rob the (A)poor because he is poor,
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
23 (B)For the Lord will plead their cause,
And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

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Saying 2

22 Do not exploit the poor(A) because they are poor
    and do not crush the needy in court,(B)
23 for the Lord will take up their case(C)
    and will exact life for life.(D)

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13 For (A)judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown (B)no (C)mercy. (D)Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.(A) Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged

Come now, you (A)rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your (B)riches [a]are corrupted, and (C)your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. (D)You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed (E)the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and (F)the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of [b]Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and [c]luxury; you have [d]fattened your hearts [e]as in a day of slaughter.

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Footnotes

  1. James 5:2 have rotted
  2. James 5:4 Lit., in Heb., Hosts
  3. James 5:5 indulgence
  4. James 5:5 Lit. nourished
  5. James 5:5 NU omits as

Warning to Rich Oppressors

Now listen,(A) you rich people,(B) weep and wail(C) because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.(D) Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.(E) Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers(F) who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries(G) of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.(H) You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves(I) in the day of slaughter.[a](J)

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Footnotes

  1. James 5:5 Or yourselves as in a day of feasting

“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the Lord;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

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“Because the poor are plundered(A) and the needy groan,(B)
    I will now arise,(C)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them(D) from those who malign them.”

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12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite (A)the poor, the [a]maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be (B)blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:13 crippled

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,(A) 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”(B)

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33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 (A)And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But (B)love your enemies, (C)do good, and (D)lend, [a]hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and (E)you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 6:35 expecting

33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?(A) Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them,(B) and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children(C) of the Most High,(D) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

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31 (A)He who oppresses the poor reproaches (B)his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

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31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,(A)
    but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.(B)

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24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and (A)cool my tongue; for I (B)am tormented in this flame.’

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24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,(A) have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’(B)

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“Thus says the Lord of hosts:

(A)‘Execute true justice,
Show [a]mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
10 (B)Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
(C)Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’

11 “But they refused to heed, (D)shrugged[b] their shoulders, and (E)stopped[c] their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their (F)hearts like flint, (G)refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. (H)Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so (I)they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. 14 “But (J)I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 7:9 Or lovingkindness
  2. Zechariah 7:11 Lit. gave a stubborn or rebellious shoulder
  3. Zechariah 7:11 Lit. made their ears heavy

“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice;(A) show mercy and compassion to one another.(B) 10 Do not oppress the widow(C) or the fatherless, the foreigner(D) or the poor.(E) Do not plot evil against each other.’(F)

11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly(G) they turned their backs(H) and covered their ears.(I) 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint(J) and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets.(K) So the Lord Almighty was very angry.(L)

13 “‘When I called, they did not listen;(M) so when they called, I would not listen,’(N) says the Lord Almighty.(O) 14 ‘I scattered(P) them with a whirlwind(Q) among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it.(R) This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.(S)’”

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They (A)covet fields and take them by violence,
Also houses, and seize them.
So they oppress a man and his house,
A man and his inheritance.

Therefore thus says the Lord:

“Behold, against this (B)family I am devising (C)disaster,
From which you cannot remove your necks;
Nor shall you walk haughtily,
For this is an evil time.

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They covet fields(A) and seize them,(B)
    and houses, and take them.
They defraud(C) people of their homes,
    they rob them of their inheritance.(D)

Therefore, the Lord says:

“I am planning disaster(E) against this people,
    from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,(F)
    for it will be a time of calamity.

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22 A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that (A)poverty will come upon him.

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22 The stingy are eager to get rich
    and are unaware that poverty awaits them.(A)

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(A)A poor man who oppresses the poor
Is like a driving rain [a]which leaves no food.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:3 Lit. and there is no bread

A ruler[a] who oppresses the poor
    is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:3 Or A poor person