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16 Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,
    and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

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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 poor because they are poor
    or crush the afflicted at the gate,(A)
23 for the Lord pleads their cause
    and despoils of life those who despoil them.(B)

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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 judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.(A)

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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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“Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,
    I will now rise up,” says the Lord;
    “I will place them in the safety for which they long.”(A)

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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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Warning to Rich Oppressors

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten.(A) Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure[a] during the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.(B) You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.3 Or will eat your flesh, since you have stored up fire

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

12 He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers and sisters or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.(A) 14 And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

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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 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive payment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.[a] Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 6.35 Other ancient authorities read despairing of no one

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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A poor person who oppresses the poor
    is a beating rain that leaves no food.(A)

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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

31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
    but those who are kind to the needy honor him.(A)

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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 He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’(A)

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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: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another;(A) 10 do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.(B) 11 But they refused to listen and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears in order not to hear.(C) 12 They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.(D) 13 Just as, when I[a] called, they would not hear, so, when they called, I would not hear, says the Lord of hosts,(E) 14 and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and a pleasant land was made desolate.”(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 7.13 Heb he

“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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22 The miser is in a hurry to get rich
    and does not know that loss is sure to come.

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

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19 For they have crushed and abandoned the poor;
    they have seized a house that they did not build.(A)

20 “For they knew no quiet in their bellies;
    in their greed they let nothing escape.(B)
21 There was nothing left after they had eaten;
    therefore their prosperity will not endure.(C)
22 In full sufficiency they will be in distress;
    all the force of misery will come upon them.
23 To fill their belly to the full,
    God[a] will send his fierce anger into them
    and rain it upon them as their food.(D)
24 They will flee from an iron weapon;
    a bronze arrow will strike them through.(E)
25 It is drawn forth and comes out of their body,
    and the glittering point comes out of their gall;
    terrors come upon them.(F)
26 Utter darkness is laid up for their treasures;
    a fire fanned by no one will devour them;
    what is left in their tent will be consumed.(G)
27 The heavens will reveal their iniquity,
    and the earth will rise up against them.(H)
28 The possessions of their house will be carried away,
    dragged off in the day of God’s[b] wrath.(I)
29 This is the portion of the wicked from God,
    the heritage decreed for them by God.”(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 20.23 Heb he
  2. 20.28 Heb his

19 For he has oppressed the poor(A) and left them destitute;(B)
    he has seized houses(C) he did not build.

20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;(D)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.(E)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.(F)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;(G)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.(H)
23 When he has filled his belly,(I)
    God will vent his burning anger(J) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.(K)
24 Though he flees(L) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.(M)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors(N) will come over him;(O)
26     total darkness(P) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire(Q) unfanned will consume him(R)
    and devour what is left in his tent.(S)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.(T)
28 A flood will carry off his house,(U)
    rushing waters[a] on the day of God’s wrath.(V)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”(W)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 20:28 Or The possessions in his house will be carried off, / washed away