2 Samuel 14:8

So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

“Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?”

The righteous care about justice for the poor. The wicked aren’t concerned about knowledge.

then you shall inquire, investigate, and ask diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such abomination was done among you,

Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face, and showed respect. David said, “Mephibosheth.” He answered, “Behold, your servant!”

Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.”

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s son.

He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);

A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.’ ”

Esau said, “Let me now leave with you some of the people who are with me.” He said, “Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” his wrath was kindled.

So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

“You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel,

Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, a suit of clothing, and your food.” So the Levite went in.

When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”

Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”

Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” Ziba said, “I bow down. Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, O king.”

The king said to him, “Why do you speak any more of your matters? I say, you and Ziba divide the land.”

But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

Then Darius the king made a decree, and the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon, was searched.

The children of the captivity did so. Ezra the priest, with certain heads of fathers’ households, after their fathers’ houses, and all of them by their names, were set apart; and they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

“How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.

They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.

I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him who I didn’t know.

Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were elder than he.

He who answers before he hears, that is folly and shame to him.

He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.

It isn’t good to have zeal without knowledge, nor being hasty with one’s feet and missing the way.

It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.

who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who hasn’t received interest or increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father. He shall surely live.

I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction before the accused has met the accusers face to face and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him.”

Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.

Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.

Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.