Exodus 22 Cross References - NSB

¹ »A man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it. He must pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. ² »If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guiltiness on his account. ³ »But if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of murder. A thief must make up for what he has stolen. If he is unable to do so, he should be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. ⁴ »If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether it is a bull, donkey, or a sheep, he must make up for the loss with double the amount. ⁵ »Someone lets his livestock graze in a field or a vineyard. They stray and graze in another person’s field. He must make up for what the damaged field was expected to produce. If he lets them ruin the whole field with their grazing, he must make up from his own field for the loss with the best from his field and vineyard. ⁶ »A fire starts and spreads into the underbrush so that it burns up stacked or standing grain or ruins a field. The person who started the fire must make up for the loss. ⁷ »Someone gives his neighbor silver or other valuables to keep for him. They are stolen from that person’s house. If the thief is caught, he must make up for the loss with double the amount. ⁸ »If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must be brought to God to find out whether or not he took his neighbor’s valuables. ⁹ »There is a dispute over the ownership of a bull, a donkey, a sheep, an article of clothing, and any other lost property which two people claim as their own. Both people must bring their case to God. The one whom God declares guilty must make up for his neighbor’s loss with double the amount. ¹⁰ »Someone gives his neighbor a donkey, a bull, a sheep, or any other kind of animal to keep for him, and it dies, is injured, or is captured in war, and there are no witnesses. ¹¹ »The case between them must be settled by swearing an oath to Jehovah that the neighbor did not take the other person’s animal. The owner must accept the oath. The neighbor does not have to make up for the loss. ¹² »However, if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, he must make up for the owner’s loss. ¹³ »If a wild animal killed the neighbor’s animal he must bring in the dead body of the wild animal as evidence. He does not have to make up for an animal that has been killed. ¹⁴ »Whenever someone borrows an animal from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, the borrower must make up for the loss. ¹⁵ »If the owner is with the animal, the borrower does not have to make up for the loss. If it is rented, the rental fee covers the loss. ¹⁶ »When a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to anyone and has sexual intercourse with her, he must pay the bride price and marry her. ¹⁷ »If her father refuses to give her to him, he must pay an amount of money equal to the bride price for virgins. ¹⁸ »Never allow a witch to live. ¹⁹ »The person who has sexual intercourse with an animal must be put to death. ²⁰ »The person who sacrifices to any god except Jehovah must be condemned and destroyed. ²¹ »Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner. Remember that you were foreigners in Egypt. ²² »Do not mistreat any widow or orphan. ²³ »If you do, I, Jehovah, will answer them when they cry out to me for help, ²⁴ and I will become angry and kill you in war. Your wives will become widows, and your children will be fatherless. ²⁵ »When you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest. ²⁶ »If you take someone’s cloak as a pledge that he will pay you, you must give it back to him before the sunsets, ²⁷ for it is the only covering he has to keep him warm. What else can he sleep in? When he cries out to me for help, I will answer him because I am merciful. ²⁸ »Do not curse God. Do not curse a ruler of your people. ²⁹ »Do not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. Give the firstborn of your sons to me. ³⁰ »Do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. Its mother may keep it for seven days. On the eighth day give it to me. ³¹ »You are to be my holy people. Do not eat any flesh torn to bits in the field. Throw it to the dogs.

¹ Jehovah gave the following regulations to Moses: ² »If any of you sin against Jehovah by failing to do your duty, if you lie to your neighbor about something you were supposed to take care of or if you lie about something stolen or seized from your neighbor, you are sinning and will be guilty. ³ »If you find something that someone lost and lie about it under oath, or commit any other sin like this, ⁴ you have sinned and are guilty. Return what you stole or seized, what you were supposed to take care of, the lost item you found, ⁵ or whatever it was that you swore falsely about. Pay it back in full plus one-fifth more. Give it back to its owner on the day you bring your guilt offering. ⁶ »Then bring your guilt offering to Jehovah. Bring a ram that has no defects or its value in money. Bring it to the priest.

⁷ you must confess your sin, pay in full for what you did wrong, add one-fifth to it, and give it to the person who was wronged.

⁶ »For doing such a cruel thing he should pay back four times for the lamb he took, for he had no compassion.«

³¹ But if he is caught, he must repay sevenfold. He must give everything in his house.

⁴ Where there are no cattle the crib is clean. The crop is abundant because of the strength of the bull.

⁸ Zacchaeus stood before Jesus and said: »Lord, I now give half of all my possessions to the poor. If I have defrauded any one I will give back four times the amount taken.«

²⁷ »If the relative who can avenge the death finds you outside the city of refuge and kills you, the relative is not guilty of murder.

¹⁴ »The murderer rises at dusk to kill the poor and needy, and in the night is like a thief.

⁵ »They are driven from the community. People shout at them in the same way they shout at thieves.

¹ »When I want to heal my people Israel and make them prosperous again, all I can see is their wickedness and the evil deeds of Samaria. They cheat one another. They break into houses and steal. They actually rob people in the streets.

⁹ »They rush to the city. They run on the wall. They climb into the houses. They enter in at the windows like a thief.

¹⁹ »Do not accumulate large amounts of wealth on earth. This is where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ »Accumulate wealth in heaven where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

⁴³ »Know this, if the master of the house had known what time the thief was coming, he would have watched and his house would not have been vandalized.

² For you know perfectly that the »Day of Jehovah« will come like a thief in the night. (Zephaniah 1:14)

² »When you buy a Hebrew slave he will be your slave for six years. In the seventh year he may leave as a free man without paying for his freedom.

¹⁴ The anger of Jehovah was hot against Israel. He delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

⁷ The anger of Jehovah burned against Israel. So he allowed the Philistines and the Ammonites to conquer them.

¹ This is what Jehovah says: »Where are your mother's divorce papers? Did I give her any to get rid of her? To which of my creditors did I sell you? You were sold because of your sins. I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion.

²⁵ »He was not able to make payment. So his lord gave orders for him to be sold. His wife, sons, and daughters were all to be sold along with every possession. The money would be used for payment of what he owed.

¹⁶ »Whoever kidnaps another person must be put to death regardless of whether he has sold the kidnapped person or still has him.

¹ »A man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it. He must pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

⁷ »Someone gives his neighbor silver or other valuables to keep for him. They are stolen from that person’s house. If the thief is caught, he must make up for the loss with double the amount.

⁹ »There is a dispute over the ownership of a bull, a donkey, a sheep, an article of clothing, and any other lost property which two people claim as their own. Both people must bring their case to God. The one whom God declares guilty must make up for his neighbor’s loss with double the amount.

² »Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed. Her sin has been paid for and she has received double for all her sins from Jehovah’s hand.«

¹⁸ »First, I will have them pay twice as much for their wickedness and their sin, because they have polluted my land. They have filled my property with the lifeless statues of their detestable and disgusting idols.

⁶ »Render to her even as she rendered to you. Pay back double to her, double according to her works: in the cup that she has filled, fill double for her!

³⁴ the owner of the pit shall make restitution. He will give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.

³ »But if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of murder. A thief must make up for what he has stolen. If he is unable to do so, he should be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole.

¹² »However, if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, he must make up for the owner’s loss.

¹⁸ »What he toiled for he must give back uneaten. He will not enjoy the profit from his trading.

³³ »If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, ³⁴ the owner of the pit shall make restitution. He will give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.

⁴ He caught three hundred foxes. Two at a time, he tied their tails together and put torches in the knots. ⁵ Then he set fire to the torches and turned the foxes loose in the Philistine wheat fields. In this way he burned up both the shocks and the standing grain still in the fields. The olive orchards were also burned.

³⁰ Finally, Absalom told his servants: »Joab’s barley field is next to mine. Set it on fire!« So they set it on fire. ³¹ Joab went to Absalom’s house and demanded: »Why have your servants set my field on fire?«

⁴ »If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether it is a bull, donkey, or a sheep, he must make up for the loss with double the amount.

³⁰ Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. ³¹ But if he is caught, he must repay sevenfold. He must give everything in his house.

²⁶ »As a thief feels ashamed when he is caught, so the nation of Israel will feel ashamed. Their kings, princes, priests, and prophets will also feel ashamed.

⁶ He did not say this because he cared for the poor. He was a thief. He had the moneybox and took away what was put in it.

¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous (greedy), nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists, will inherit the kingdom of God.

⁶ »He must stand beside either the door or the doorpost at the place of worship. His owner will punch a small hole through one of his ears with a sharp metal rod. This makes him a slave for life.

²⁸ »Do not curse God. Do not curse a ruler of your people.

¹⁸ »Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every city Jehovah your God gives you. They are to judge the people fairly.

⁸ »If any case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, being cases of dispute in your courts, then you should go to the place Jehovah your God chooses. ⁹ »Approach the Levitical priest or the judge who is in office in those days. Inquire of them and they will declare to you the verdict in the case.

¹⁷ »The two people involved must stand in Jehovah’s presence, in front of the priests and judges who are serving at that time. ¹⁸ »The judges must make a thorough investigation. If it is found that the witness lied when he testified against the other Israelite,

⁴ David said: Of these, twenty-four thousand are to supervise the work of Jehovah’s Temple and six thousand are to be officials and judges.

¹ ([Psalm of Asaph]) God stands in the congregation of the mighty. He pronounces judgment among the god-like ones: (John 10:35)

²¹ »You should choose capable men from all the people. Find men who respect God. These must be men you can trust who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²² »They must be the ones who usually settle disagreements among the people. They should bring all-important cases to you. But they should settle all minor cases themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them help you.

⁷ »Someone gives his neighbor silver or other valuables to keep for him. They are stolen from that person’s house. If the thief is caught, he must make up for the loss with double the amount. ⁸ »If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must be brought to God to find out whether or not he took his neighbor’s valuables.

⁶ »Do not deny justice to a poor person at his trial. ⁷ »Do not make false accusations. Do not put an innocent person to death. I will condemn anyone who does this evil thing. ⁸ »Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe makes the discerning blind to what is right and perverts the words of the righteous.

⁶ »Tell the Israelites: ‘If you do something wrong to another person, you have been unfaithful to Jehovah. When you realize your guilt, ⁷ you must confess your sin, pay in full for what you did wrong, add one-fifth to it, and give it to the person who was wronged.

¹⁸ »Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every city Jehovah your God gives you. They are to judge the people fairly. ¹⁹ »Never pervert justice. Always be impartial. Never take a bribe, because bribes blind wise people and deny justice to those who are in the right.

¹ »When there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case. They justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.

³¹ »When a person is accused of wronging another and is brought to your altar in this Temple to take an oath that he is innocent,

¹⁰ »Warn your relatives living in other cities about every case they bring to you, even if the case involves bloodshed or commandments, rules, or regulations derived from the law. Then your relatives will not become guilty in front of Jehovah. Otherwise, he will become angry with you and your relatives. Do this and you will not be guilty of anything.

¹⁴ »If you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ »If you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

¹⁵ »If your brother does wrong to you, go to him in private. Clearly explain his error between you and him. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother back.

³⁵ »My heavenly Father will treat you like that if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.«

³ »So watch how you behave. Admonish your brother to repent when he sins. Forgive him when he repents. ⁴ »If he sins against you seven times in one day and repents each time, you must forgive him.«

⁸ He refused, and said to her: »My master does not have to concern himself with anything in the house, because I am here. He has put me in charge of everything he has.

⁴⁸ »He who did not know and did things unacceptable will receive a lesser punishment. To whom much is given, much will be required and to whom they commit much they will demand even more.

¹¹ »If you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth?

¹² It is for this reason that I suffer these things. But I am still full of confidence, because I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to keep safe until that day what he has entrusted to me.

⁸ »If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must be brought to God to find out whether or not he took his neighbor’s valuables.

¹ »Do not spread false rumors. Do not help a guilty person by offering false testimony.

¹ Jehovah continued: »If you are a witness under oath who refuses to tell what you saw or what you know, you are sinning and will be punished.

³ »If you find something that someone lost and lie about it under oath, or commit any other sin like this,

⁴² he sent for him and said: »I made you promise in Jehovah’s name not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you that if you ever did, you would die. Did you not agree to it and say that you would obey me? ⁴³ »Why did you break your promise and disobey my command?

⁹ If I am full I could deny you and say, »Who is Jehovah?« Or if I am poor and steal, I could take God’s name in vain.

¹⁶ Men swear by someone greater then themselves: and an oath for confirmation to them puts an end to the problem.

³⁹ »I always absorbed the loss when wild animals killed a sheep. I did not take it to you to show that it was not my fault. You demanded that I make good anything that was stolen during the day or during the night.

¹⁴ But I replied: »No, O Lord Jehovah! I have never defiled myself. From childhood on I have never eaten meat from any animal that died a natural death or was killed by wild animals. I have never eaten any food considered unclean.«

¹² Jehovah said: »As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so the children of Israel will be rescued. They sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed.

⁸ »The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples. It will be like a lion among the beasts of the forest. Should he go through he will be like a young lion among the flocks of sheep. He treads down and tears to pieces. There is none to rescue.

¹² The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses. He filled his caves and dens with prey.

¹¹ »The case between them must be settled by swearing an oath to Jehovah that the neighbor did not take the other person’s animal. The owner must accept the oath. The neighbor does not have to make up for the loss.

¹⁸ »‘Whoever kills an animal must replace it, life for life.

² »This is how you should release. Every man who has a loan to his neighbor shall release it. He shall not require it from his neighbor, or from his brother, because it is called Jehovah's release.

¹⁹ »Do not charge interest to your brothers, interest on money, food, anything that may be loaned at interest. ²⁰ »You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your brother (countrymen) you shall not charge interest. That way Jehovah your God will bless you in all that you undertake in the land you are about to possess.

⁴ Yet others said: »We have given up our fields and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes.

²¹ The wicked borrows and does not pay back. But the righteous is gracious and gives.

⁴² »Give to those who ask. Lend to those who borrow.

³⁵ »Love your enemies and do good to them. Lend expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great. You will be sons of the Most High for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

¹⁰ »Before those days, there was no wage for man or beast. The enemy set everyone against his neighbor and going or coming there was no peace.«

² Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, who was chief of that region, saw her. He grabbed her and raped (sexually defiled) her. ³ He found the young woman so attractive that he fell in love with her. So he tried to win her affection. ⁴ He told his father: »I want you to get Dinah for me as my wife.«

²⁸ »Suppose a man finds a woman who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered. ²⁹ The man who has sex with her must give to the girl's father fifty shekels of silver, and she will become his wife because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.

¹⁶ Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard.

¹² »Ask anything as the bride price, no matter how expensive. I will do anything. Just let me marry Dinah.«

³ »Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. ⁴ »They will lead your young people away from me to serve other gods. So the anger of Jehovah will be kindled against you and will destroy you suddenly.

²⁹ The man who has sex with her must give to the girl's father fifty shekels of silver, and she will become his wife because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.

²⁵ When the officers told Saul what David had said,

²⁶ »‘Do not eat any meat with blood still in it. Never cast evil spells, and never consult fortunetellers.

³¹ »‘Do not turn to psychics or mediums to get help. That will make you unclean. I am Jehovah your God.

⁶ »‘If any of you go for advice to people who consult the spirits of the dead, I will turn against you and will no longer consider you one of my people.

²⁷ »‘If you claim to receive messages from the dead, you will be put to death by stoning, just as you deserve.

¹⁰ »Do not sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars. Do not let your people practice divination or look for omens or use spells or charms. ¹¹ »Do not allow them to consult the spirits of the dead.

³ After Samuel died all the Israelites mourned for him. They buried him in his hometown of Ramah. Saul forced all the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel.

⁹ The woman answered: »You know what King Saul has done? He forced the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel. Are you trying to trap me and get me killed?«

³ »The Egyptians will become discouraged. I will bring their plans to nothing. They will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.

⁹ A certain man called Simon was in the same city. He used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, telling everyone that he was great. ¹⁰ They all listened to him, from the least to the greatest, saying: This man has great power from God. ¹¹ They followed him because for a long time he astonished them with sorceries.

¹⁶ A young woman who had a spirit of divination met us as we were going to the place of prayer. She brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and cried out: »These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.« ¹⁸ She did this for many days. This troubled Paul. So he turned and said to the spirit, »I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!« And it came out that very hour. ¹⁹ When her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

¹⁹ Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books and burned them in the sight of everyone. When they totaled the value of them it came to about fifty thousand pieces of silver.

²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, wrath, contentions, divisions, sects,

¹⁵ »'Outside are the dogs (impure men) and those who practice spiritism, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who tells lies.'

²³ »‘Do not have sexual intercourse with any animal and become unclean with it. A woman must never offer herself to an animal for sexual intercourse. It is unnatural.

²⁵ »‘The land has become unclean. I will punish it for its sins. The land will vomit out those who live in it.

¹⁵ »‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he and the animal must be put to death. ¹⁶ »‘If a woman tries to have sexual relations with an animal, she and the animal must be put to death. They are responsible for their own death.

²¹ »‘Cursed is he who has sex with any animal. All the people will say: Amen.

³ Jehovah heard them and helped them conquer the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their cities, and named the place Hormah.

² The Moabites invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods. ³ So Israel joined itself to Baal of Peor. Jehovah was angry against Israel. ⁴ Jehovah said to Moses: »Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before Jehovah so that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel.«

⁷ Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, saw this. He left the assembly and grabbed a spear in his hand. ⁸ He went into the tent after the Israelite man. He drove the spear through the man and into the woman’s body. Because of this, the plague that the Israelites were experiencing stopped.

¹ »If a prophet or an interpreter of dreams appears among you and gives you a sign or a wonder (portent) (omen) (forecast of the future), ² in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshiped before, and even if what they promise comes true, ³ do not listen to them. Jehovah your God is allowing them to test you. He will then know that you love Jehovah with all your heart. ⁴ »Follow Jehovah and respect him. Obey him and keep his commandments. Worship him and be faithful to him (stick to him) (stay close to him) (cleave, cling to him). ⁵ »Put to death any interpreters of dreams or prophets that tell you to rebel against Jehovah. For he (Jehovah) rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Such people are evil and are trying to lead you away from the life that Jehovah has commanded you to live. They must be put to death, in order to get rid of this evil. ⁶ »If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your very best friend tries to secretly entice you, saying: ‘Let us go and serve other gods, gods neither you nor your fathers have known, ⁷ »‘the gods of the people who are around you from one end of the earth to the other end.’ ⁸ »Do not yield to him or listen to him. Your eye should not have pity on him. You should not spare or conceal him. ⁹ »You must kill him! Your hand should be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. ¹⁰ »Stone him to death because he has sought to draw you away from Jehovah your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ¹¹ »All Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you. ¹² »If you hear in one of the cities Jehovah has given you, anyone saying that ¹³ some worthless men have gone out from among you and have mislead the inhabitants of their city, saying: Let us go and serve other gods you have not known. ¹⁴ »Investigate and search out and inquire thoroughly. If it is true and the matter established that this abomination has been done among you, ¹⁵ strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword.

² »In one of the cities Jehovah your God is giving you, there may be a man or woman among you who is doing what Jehovah considers evil. This person may be disregarding the conditions of Jehovah’s covenant. ³ »Some worship and bow down to other gods, the sun, the moon, or the whole army of heaven. I have forbidden this. ⁴ »If it is told you and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire thoroughly. If it is true and the thing certain that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, ⁵ »Bring that man or woman who has done this evil deed out to your gates. Stone the man or the woman to death.

²⁰ »‘Any prophet who dares to say something in my name that I did not command him to say or who speaks in the name of other gods must die.

¹⁵ »Just as he kept every promise that he made to you, so he will carry out every threat. ¹⁶ »If you do not obey the covenant Jehovah your God commanded you to obey and if you serve and worship other gods, then in his anger he will punish you. Soon none of you will be left in this good land that he gave you.«

² »I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.

⁹ »Do not mistreat a foreigner. You know how it feels to be a foreigner. After all you were foreigners in Egypt.

³³ »‘Never mistreat a foreigner living in your land.

³⁵ »‘If an Israelite becomes poor and cannot support himself, you should help him. He must live with you as a stranger without a permanent home.

¹⁹ »Love those who are aliens. For you were also aliens in the land of Egypt.

¹⁵ »Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this today!

⁷ »Do not detest an Edomite for he is your brother. Do not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien (strangers) (guests) in his land.

⁶ if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin,

³ This is what Jehovah says: »Judge fairly, and do what is right. Rescue those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, or widows, and do not oppress them. Do not kill innocent people in this place.

¹⁰ »Do not oppress the widow. Do not oppress the fatherless. Do not oppress the stranger and do not oppress the poor. And you should not devise evil in your heart against your brother.

⁵ »I will approach you people for judgment! I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers and those acting fraudulently with the wages of the worker, the widow and the fatherless. I will be a speedy witness against those who swear falsely and take advantage of the stranger, and do not show me reverence,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

¹⁸ »He executes justice for the orphan and the widow. He shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.

¹⁷ »Do not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan. Do not take a widow's garment in pledge.

¹⁹ »‘Cursed is he who withholds justice due an alien, orphan, and widow. The people all say: Amen.

⁶ They kill widows and foreigners, and they murder orphans. ⁷ They say: Jehovah does not see it. The God of Jacob does not even pay attention to it.

¹⁷ »Learn to do good (well) (right). Seek justice. Correct oppressors. Defend orphans. Plead the case of widows.«

²³ Your rulers are rebels, friends with thieves. They all love bribes and run after gifts. They never defend orphans. They do not listen to the widows' pleas.

² They deprive the poor of justice. They take away the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and rob orphans.

⁷ »‘»People in you hate their fathers and mothers. They oppress foreigners in you. They oppress orphans and widows in you.«’«

²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for the fatherless persons and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.

⁹ »When the seventh year, the year when payments on debts are canceled, is near, you might be stingy toward poor Israelites and give them nothing. Be careful not to think these worthless thoughts. The poor will complain to Jehovah about you, and you will be condemned for your sin.

¹⁵ »Pay him his wages on the workday day before the sunsets. He is poor and sets his heart on it. He will not complain against you to Jehovah and it becomes your sin.

³⁸ »If my land has cried out against me, and its furrows have wept together. ³⁹ If I have eaten its yield without payment, and caused the death of its owners;

²⁸ »They forced the poor to cry out to him, and he hears the cry of those who suffer.

⁹ »Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out. They call for help because of the arm of the mighty.

¹⁷ You have heard the desire of humble people, O Jehovah. You encourage them. You incline your ear (pay close attention) to them. ¹⁸ You provide justice for orphans and oppressed people so that no man will terrify them again.

⁶ I called on Jehovah in my distress. I cried to my God for help. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help reached his ears.

¹² I know that Jehovah will defend the rights of those who are oppressed and the cause of those who are needy.

¹⁹ He will fulfill the desire of those who reverence him. He will also hear their cry and will save them.

⁷ He executes justice for the oppressed. He gives food to the hungry. Jehovah sets the prisoners free. ⁸ Jehovah opens the eyes of the blind. Jehovah raises up those who are bowed down. Jehovah loves the righteous. ⁹ Jehovah protects the strangers. He supports the fatherless and the widow, but he overthrows the way of the wicked.

²² Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate. ²³ Jehovah will plead their cause and take the life of those who rob them.

¹⁰ Do not remove the old landmark (boundry). And do not enter the field of the fatherless. ¹¹ Their redeemer is mighty. He will plead their cause with you.

⁷ »Should God avenge his chosen that cry to him day and night, and yet he is longsuffering over them?

⁴ Behold, the wages of the laborers who harvested your fields, which are held back by you, cry out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of Jehovah of Hosts.

¹³ »Here is the fate God accords the wicked. This is the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty: ¹⁴ »No mater how many his children, their fate is the sword. His offspring will never have enough to eat. ¹⁵ »The plague will bury those who survive him. Their widows will not weep for them.

²³ »I was in terror of destruction from God and I could not face his majesty.

²⁴ Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.

⁷ You, even you, are to be respected. Who may stand in your presence when once you are angry?

⁶³ Fire consumed his best young men, so his virgins were not given in marriage. ⁶⁴ His priests were cut down with swords. The widows of his priests could not even weep for them.

¹¹ Who understands the power of your anger, and your fury according to the reverence that is due you?

⁹ Let his children become fatherless and his wife a widow.

⁸ »Their widows will be more numerous than the grains of sand on the seashore. At noontime I will send a destroyer against the mothers of young men. I will suddenly bring anguish and terror to them.

²¹ Therefore, give their children over to famine and deliver them up to the power of the sword. Let their wives become childless and widowed. Let their men also be smitten to death and their young men struck down by the sword in battle.

³ We are children without fathers. Our mothers are like widows.

⁶ Who can stand before his indignation (displeasure)? Who can resist (withstand) (endure) the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken to pieces by him.

³⁸ »Give and it shall be given to you. You will receive a good measure. It will be pressed down, shaken together, running over and they will give it to you. For with the measure that you measure out it will be measured to you also.«

⁵ Thanks to your stubborn and unrepentant heart, you store up wrath for yourself, in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. ⁶ He will render to each according to his works. ⁷ [He offers] everlasting life for those who search for incorruptible glory and honor by enduring in good works. ⁸ Those who are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will receive wrath and indignation. ⁹ [There will be] tribulation and distress on every person who works evil, for the Jew first and for the Greek.

³¹ It is a dreadful (terrible) thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³⁵ »‘If an Israelite becomes poor and cannot support himself, you should help him. He must live with you as a stranger without a permanent home. ³⁶ »‘Do not collect interest or make any profit from him. Respect your God by respecting other Israelites' lives. ³⁷ »‘Do not collect any interest on your money or on the food you give them.

¹ The widow of a member of a group of prophets said to Elisha: »My husband has died! As you know, he was a man who respected God. A man to whom he owed money came to take away my two sons as slaves in payment for my husband's debt.«

⁷ She returned to Elisha, the prophet. He said: »Sell the olive oil and pay all your debts. There will be enough money left over for you and your sons to pay your living expenses.«

² Some said: »We with our sons and our daughters are a great number. Let us get grain, so that we may have food for our needs.« ³ There were some who said: »We are giving our fields and our vine-gardens and our houses for debt. Let us get grain because we are in need.« ⁴ Yet others said: »We have given up our fields and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes. ⁵ »But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen, and our children as their children. Now we give our sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their servants. Some of our daughters are servants even now. We have no power to stop this. For other men have our fields and our vine-gardens.«

⁷ After giving it much thought, I made a protest to the chiefs and the rulers, and said to them: »Everyone of you is collecting interest from his brothers.« I organized a big meeting of protest.

¹⁰ »Even I and my servants have been collecting interest (Usury) for the money and the grain we have let them have. So now, let us give this up. ¹¹ »Give back to them this very day their fields, their vine-gardens, their olive-gardens, and their houses, as well as a hundredth part of the money and the grain and the wine and the oil that you have taken from them.«

⁵ The one who does not collect interest on a loan or take a bribe against an innocent person. Whoever does these things will never fall or be upset.

⁸ He who becomes wealthy through unfair loans and interest collects them for the one who pitys the poor.

¹⁰ Sadness is mine! Why did my mother bring me into the world? I have to quarrel and argue with everyone in the whole earth. I have not lent any money or borrowed any; yet everyone curses me.

⁸ ‘»If he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man,

¹³ ‘»He lends money for interest and makes excessive profits. Will this person live? He will not live. He has done all these disgusting things. So he must die, and he will be responsible for his own death.

¹⁷ ‘»He keeps his hand from the poor and does not take interest or increase, but executes my ordinances, and walks in my statutes. He will not die for his father's iniquity. He will surely live.

¹² »Some of your people murder for pay. Some charge interest on the loans they make to other Israelites and get rich by taking advantage of them. They have forgotten me. The Lord Jehovah has spoken.

²⁷ »‘You should have put my money in the bank. I should have received my money back plus interest.

²³ »Why did you not put my money in the bank? That way I could collect interest when I returned.

⁶ »Do not take a hand mill or an upper millstone as security for a debt. That would be taking away a man’s livelihood.

¹⁰ »When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort do not go into his house and repossess the security. ¹¹ »Remain outside, and the man to whom you make the loan must bring the pledged security out to you. ¹² »If he is a poor man, do not keep the pledged security over night. ¹³ »Return the pledge to him before the sun goes down. He will have his pledged item and he may sleep. He will bless you. And it will be righteousness for you before Jehovah your God.

⁶ »You have indeed exacted pledges from your family for no reason, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

³ »They drive away the donkey of the orphan. They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

⁹ »There are those who snatch the orphan child from the breast. They take as a pledge the infant of the poor.

¹⁶ Take his garment that is surety for a stranger and hold it as a pledge for a seductress.

²⁷ If you have nothing to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?

⁷ ‘»if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.

¹⁶ ‘»He does not oppress anyone. He does not keep the security for a loan. He does not rob anyone. He gives food to people who are hungry, and he gives clothes to those who are naked.

¹⁵ and if he returns the security he took for a loan or gives back what he stole, if he stops sinning and follows the laws that give life, he will not die, but he will live.

⁸ »They lie down beside every altar on clothes taken from indebtedness. In the house of their God they drink the wine they have confiscated.

²³ Time went by and the king of Egypt died. The Israelites still groaned because they were slaves. So they cried out, and their cries for help went up to God. ²⁴ God heard their groaning. He remembered his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

²³ »If you do, I, Jehovah, will answer them when they cry out to me for help,

⁶ Jehovah then passed in front of him and called out: »I, Jehovah, am a God who is full of compassion and pity. I am not easily angered and show great love and faithfulness.

⁹ »If you return to Jehovah, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. Jehovah your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.«

⁶ The poor man called out. Jehovah heard him and saved him from all his troubles.

¹² When he cries he will deliver the needy and the poor who have no helper.

¹⁵ But you, O Jehovah, are a compassionate and merciful God. You are patient, always faithful and ready to forgive.

¹⁰ To him who destroyed the Egyptians in their firstborn. His loving kindness is everlasting. ¹¹ And brought Israel out from their midst, for his loving kindness is everlasting.

²⁰ They will be a sign of the presence of Jehovah of Hosts in Egypt. When the people there are oppressed and call out to Jehovah for help, he will send someone to rescue them.

¹⁷ »Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.

⁸ »If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must be brought to God to find out whether or not he took his neighbor’s valuables. ⁹ »There is a dispute over the ownership of a bull, a donkey, a sheep, an article of clothing, and any other lost property which two people claim as their own. Both people must bring their case to God. The one whom God declares guilty must make up for his neighbor’s loss with double the amount.

¹⁶ »‘However those who curse Jehovah’s name must be put to death. The whole congregation must stone them to death. It makes no difference whether they are Israelites or foreigners. Whoever curses (abuses) Jehovah’s name must die.

⁶ He told his men: »Stop talking foolishly. We are not going to attack Saul. He is my king. I pray that Jehovah will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king.«

¹⁰ »Today you saw how Jehovah handed you over to me in the cave. Although I was told to kill you I spared you. I said: ‘I will not raise my hand against my lord because you are Jehovah’s anointed.’«

⁹ But David said: »Do not harm him! Jehovah will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king.«

⁶ For this reason let all godly people pray to you when you may be found. Then raging floodwater will not reach them.

¹ ([Psalm of Asaph]) God stands in the congregation of the mighty. He pronounces judgment among the god-like ones: (John 10:35) ² »How long are you going to judge unjustly? How long are you going to show partiality to the wicked? ³ »Defend the weak and fatherless. Protect the rights of the oppressed and the poor. ⁴ »Rescue the weak and needy. Help them escape the power of the wicked.« ⁵ Wicked people do not know or understand anything. As they walk around in the dark, all the foundations of the earth shake. ⁶ I said: »You are god-like ones. You are all sons of the Most High. (John 1:1) ⁷ »But you will certainly die like humans and fall like any prince.«

¹ ([Psalm of David]) I will adore you with all my heart. I will make music to praise you in front of the false gods.

²⁰ Do not curse the king, no not even in thought. Do not curse the rich in your bedchamber for a bird of the air will carry the voice, and that which has wings will tell the matter.

³⁴ Jesus said: »Is it not written in your law, I said, you are ‘god-like ones’? ³⁵ »So if he called them ‘god-like ones,’ those to whom the word of God came, and the Scriptures may not be annulled,

³ Paul said to him: »God will strike you, white washed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the Law, and against law command me to be struck?«

⁵ Then Paul said, »I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest. It is written: You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.«

² Whoever opposes the authority resists the ordinance of God. Those who resist will receive judgment. ³ For rulers are objects of fear, not to good works, but to the evil. Will you not have respect for the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from it. ⁴ He is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain. He is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. ⁵ You must be in subjection, not only because of that wrath, but also for the sake of your conscience. ⁶ That is why you pay taxes. They are God’s ministers continually serving this very purpose. ⁷ Render therefore to all their due. Provide tribute to whom tribute is due. Give custom to whom custom is owed. Render fear to whom fear is owed and offer honor to whom honor is deserved.

¹ Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, and to be ready to do every good work, ² to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men.

¹⁷ Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Reverence and respect God. Honor the king.

¹⁰ This is primarily for those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble at glorious ones but speak abusively.

⁸ In like manner these men also in their dreams defile the flesh, reject authority and speak evil of glorious ones.

² »Consecrate (appoint) (sanctify) all the first-born males to me. Every first-born male Israelite and every first-born male animal belongs to me!«

¹² sacrifice every firstborn male offspring to Jehovah. The firstborn male offspring of each of your animals belongs to Jehovah.

¹⁶ »Celebrate the Harvest Festival when you begin to harvest your crops. Celebrate the Festival of Shelters in the autumn, when you gather the fruit from your vineyards and orchards.

¹⁹ »Bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of Jehovah your God. Do not boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.

¹⁹ »Every first male offspring is mine. The firstborn males of all your livestock, whether cattle, sheep, or goats are mine.

² »Take some of the first of all the produce of the ground that you bring in from your land that Jehovah your God gives you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where Jehovah your God chooses to establish His name. ³ »Go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him: I declare this day to Jehovah my God! I have entered the land Jehovah swore to our fathers to give us. ⁴ »The priest will take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of Jehovah your God. ⁵ »Answer before Jehovah your God: ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and traveled there. They were few in number but he became a great, mighty and populous nation. ⁶ »‘The Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us. They imposed hard labor on us. ⁷ »‘We cried out to Jehovah, the God of our fathers, and Jehovah heard our voice. He saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression. ⁸ »‘Jehovah brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders. ⁹ »‘He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. ¹⁰ »‘Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground that You, O Jehovah have given me. Set it down before Jehovah your God, and worship before Jehovah your God.’

⁴² A man came from Baal Shalishah. He brought Elisha twenty loaves of bread made from the first barley harvested that year and some freshly cut heads of grain. Elisha told his servant to feed the group of prophets with this.

⁵ As soon as the order was given, the people of Israel brought gifts of their finest grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other farm produce, and they also brought the tithes of everything they had.

⁹ Honor Jehovah with your wealth and give him the best of all you have. ¹⁰ Your barns will be filled with plenty. Your vats will overflow with new wine.

⁴⁰ »There in the land, on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, all you people of Israel will worship me. I will be pleased with you and will expect you to bring me your sacrifices, your best offerings, and your holy gifts.

¹ Too bad for me! For I am like the gathered summer fruit, as the grape gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat. I desire the first ripe fig.

³³ »Seek (desire) (require) (serve) first the kingdom of God and his righteousness [continuously] and all these things will be added to you.

²³ We also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption and the release from our bodies by ransom.

¹⁸ Using his own will, he gave us birth through the word of truth. This way we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

³ »‘The boy must be circumcised when he is eight days old.

²⁷ He said: »When a calf, a lamb, or a goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days. It may be accepted as a sacrifice by fire to Jehovah from the eighth day on.

¹⁹ »To Jehovah your God you shall consecrate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

⁵ ‘If you will obey me and are faithful to the terms of my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my own special possession, for all the earth is mine. ⁶ ‘You will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation. These are the words you must speak to the children of Israel.’«

⁴⁴ »‘The reason is because I am Jehovah your God. You must live holy lives. Consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy. Never become unclean by touching anything that swarms or crawls on the ground. ⁴⁵ »‘I am Jehovah! I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Be holy because I am holy.

¹⁵ »Native Israelites or foreigners who eat the body of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by another animal must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening. Then they will be clean. ¹⁶ »If they do not wash their clothes and their bodies, they will be guilty of sin.«

² »Tell the entire congregation of Israel: ‘Be holy because I, Jehovah your God, am holy.

²⁵ »‘That is why you must make a difference between animals and birds that I have said are clean and unclean. This will keep you from becoming disgusting to me.

⁸ »‘He must not eat the meat of any animal that has died a natural death or has been killed by wild animals. It will make him unclean. I am Jehovah.

²¹ »Do not eat anything that dies by itself. You may give it to the alien who is in your town, so that he may eat it. You may sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Do not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

³¹ »‘The priests must never eat any bird or animal that has died naturally or was killed by other wild animals.’

¹⁴ But Peter said: »No Lord for I have never eaten any thing that is defiled or unclean.«

²⁰ »We should write to them that they should abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from things strangled and from blood.

¹⁵ Be holy in all your conduct, just as the one who called you is holy. ¹⁶ Because it is written: »You shall be holy for I am holy.«