“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice;(A) show mercy and compassion to one another.(B)

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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

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

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“How long will you[a] defend the unjust
    and show partiality(A) to the wicked?[b](B)
Defend the weak and the fatherless;(C)
    uphold the cause of the poor(D) and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

If you really change(A) your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,(B)

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23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth(A) of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.(B) You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

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“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have gone far enough, princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression(A) and do what is just and right.(B) Stop dispossessing my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.

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12 This is what the Lord says to you, house of David:

“‘Administer justice(A) every morning;
    rescue from the hand of the oppressor(B)
    the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire(C)
    because of the evil(D) you have done—
    burn with no one to quench(E) it.

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18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,(A) and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.(B) 19 And you are to love(C) those who are foreigners,(D) for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.(E)

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

Faith and Deeds

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?(B) Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.(C) 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?(D) 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.(E)

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51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

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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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Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets(A) when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest(B) and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills(C) were settled?’”(D)

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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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12 Sow(A) righteousness(B) for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;(C)
    for it is time to seek(D) the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness(E) on you.
13 But you have planted wickedness,
    you have reaped evil,(F)
    you have eaten the fruit of deception.(G)
Because you have depended on your own strength
    and on your many warriors,(H)

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23 but I gave them this command:(A) Obey(B) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.(C) Walk in obedience to all(D) I command you, that it may go well(E) with you.

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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)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One

35 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.(A) 36 Use honest scales(B) and honest weights, an honest ephah[a](C) and an honest hin.[b](D) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.(E)

37 “‘Keep all my decrees(F) and all my laws(G) and follow them. I am the Lord.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 19:36 An ephah was a dry measure having the capacity of about 3/5 of a bushel or about 22 liters.
  2. Leviticus 19:36 A hin was a liquid measure having the capacity of about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters.

16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth(A) to each other, and render true and sound judgment(B) in your courts;(C) 17 do not plot evil(D) against each other, and do not love to swear falsely.(E) I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

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Judges

18 Appoint judges(A) and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.(B) 19 Do not pervert justice(C) or show partiality.(D) Do not accept a bribe,(E) for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. 20 Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.

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15 “‘Do not pervert justice;(A) do not show partiality(B) to the poor or favoritism to the great,(C) but judge your neighbor fairly.(D)

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If anyone is poor(A) among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted(B) toward them. Rather, be openhanded(C) and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,(D) is near,” so that you do not show ill will(E) toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.(F) 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;(G) then because of this the Lord your God will bless(H) you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people(I) in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.(J)

Freeing Servants(K)(L)

12 If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free.(M) 13 And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. 14 Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor(N) and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you.

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