Ezekiel 45:9

“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest.

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”

Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.

Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,

Take no interest from him or profit; but fear your God, that your brother may live among you.

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart;

House of David, Yahweh says, ‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

he who hasn’t lent to them with interest, hasn’t taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,

You who hate the good, and love the evil; who tear off their skin, and their flesh from off their bones;

He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead.

The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,

You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led.

envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit,

and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control perseverance; and in perseverance godliness;

“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.

They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

He devours the barren who don’t bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.

“By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out. They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They don’t defend the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.

Yahweh says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place.

He judged the cause of the poor and needy; so it was well, then. Wasn’t this to know me?” says Yahweh.

But your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, for oppression, and for doing violence.”

I have made your forehead as a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

You shall say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “A city that sheds blood within herself, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her!

“ ‘ “Behold, therefore I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at your blood which has been within you.

You shall tell the rebellious, even the house of Israel, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “You house of Israel, let that be enough of all your abominations,

In the land it shall be to him for a possession in Israel. My princes shall no more oppress my people; but they shall give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.”

He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh’s anger.

These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates,

“A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.”

Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.

not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God,

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

“You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child.

“ ‘You shall not steal. “ ‘You shall not lie. “ ‘You shall not deceive one another.

when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.

the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,

he who doesn’t lend out his money for usury, nor take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be shaken.

“Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

He who is truthful testifies honestly, but a false witness lies.

Truth’s lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only momentary.

He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.

to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you don’t see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and you don’t notice?’ “Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and oppress all your laborers.

Therefore a lion out of the forest will kill them. A wolf of the evenings will destroy them. A leopard will watch against their cities. Everyone who goes out there will be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many and their backsliding has increased.

The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,” says Yahweh.

“ ‘ “Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood.

In you have they treated father and mother with contempt. Among you they have oppressed the foreigner. In you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow.

In you have they taken bribes to shed blood. You have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me,” says the Lord Yahweh.

“ ‘Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “Woe to the bloody city, to the cauldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust hasn’t gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece. No lot is fallen on it.

Therefore tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. So should you possess the land?

“I will set my glory among the nations. Then all the nations will see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.

Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance, to thrust them out of their possession. He shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession, that my people not each be scattered from his possession.” ’ ”

Therefore turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, and wait continually for your God.

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory, as the waters cover the sea.

Her princes within her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until the next day.

“Thus has Yahweh of Armies spoken, saying, ‘Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.

Yahweh of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’

Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” They answered, “Caesar’s.”

As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, “Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you.”

nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.

but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ,

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear,

Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.

For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he will not build it up.

You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”

Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain.

You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my blessing forever.

“But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

Soldiers also asked him, saying, “What about us? What must we do?” He said to them, “Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages.”

For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.