17 (A)The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

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Blessed are the merciful,
(A)For they shall obtain mercy.

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34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, (A)inherit the kingdom (B)prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 (C)for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; (D)I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was (E)naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; (F)I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, (G)inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

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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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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

17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek (A)the fruit that abounds to your account.

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The Cheerful Giver

(A)But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [a]bountifully will also reap [b]bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, (B)not grudgingly or of [c]necessity; for (C)God loves a cheerful giver. (D)And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written:

(E)“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”

10 Now [d]may He who (F)supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, [e]supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your (G)righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, (H)which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only (I)supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they (J)glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal (K)sharing with them and all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding (L)grace of God in you.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
  2. 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
  3. 2 Corinthians 9:7 compulsion
  4. 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU omits may
  5. 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU will supply

14 (A)“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But (B)if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

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27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; (A)break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. (B)Perhaps there may be (C)a [a]lengthening of your prosperity.”

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 4:27 prolonging

Israel’s Futile Idolatry

57 The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
(A)Merciful men are taken away,
(B)While no one considers
That the righteous is taken away from [a]evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:1 Lit. the face of evil

The Blessing and Suffering of the Godly

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

41 Blessed is he who considers the [a]poor;
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive,
And he will be blessed on the earth;
(A)You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will [b]sustain him on his sickbed.

I said, “Lord, be merciful to me;
(B)Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:1 helpless or powerless
  2. Psalm 41:3 restore

Is it not (A)to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are [a]cast out;
(B)When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from (C)your own flesh?
(D)Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
(E)The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.

“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The [b]pointing of the finger, and (F)speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your [c]darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you
(G)Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of [d]Streets to Dwell In.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:7 wandering
  2. Isaiah 58:9 Lit. sending out of
  3. Isaiah 58:10 Or gloom
  4. Isaiah 58:12 Lit. Paths

There is one alone, without [a]companion:
He has neither son nor brother.
Yet there is no end to all his labors,
Nor is his (A)eye satisfied with riches.
But (B)he never asks,
“For whom do I toil and deprive myself of (C)good?”
This also is vanity and a [b]grave misfortune.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 4:8 Lit. a second
  2. Ecclesiastes 4:8 Lit. evil task

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