Psalm 82:4
English Standard Version
Proverbs 24:11-12
English Standard Version
11 (A)Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
(B)does not he who (C)weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who (D)keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man (E)according to his work?
Job 5:15-16
English Standard Version
15 But he (A)saves the needy from the sword of their mouth
and from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor have hope,
and (B)injustice shuts her mouth.
Psalm 140:12
English Standard Version
12 I know that the Lord will (A)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and (B)will execute justice for the needy.
Job 29:12
English Standard Version
12 because I (A)delivered the poor who cried for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him.
Psalm 72:12-14
English Standard Version
12 For he delivers (A)the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and (B)precious is their blood in his sight.
Job 29:16-17
English Standard Version
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out (A)the cause of him whom I did not know.
17 I (B)broke (C)the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
Nehemiah 5:1-13
English Standard Version
Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor
5 Now there arose (A)a great outcry of the people and of their wives (B)against their Jewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for (C)the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 Now (D)our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet (E)we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
6 I was very angry when I heard (F)their outcry and these words. 7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, (G)“You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, (H)have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk (I)in the fear of our God (J)to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12 Then they said, “We will restore these and (K)require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and (L)made them swear (M)to do as they had promised. 13 (N)I also shook out the fold[a] of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” (O)And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 5:13 Hebrew bosom
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.