Their poison is like the poison of a serpent, like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,

But they refused to heed, and gave a stubborn shoulder, and they made their ears heavy that they might not hear.

Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;

He who gives to the poor shall not lack, but he who hides his eyes shall have many a curse.

If there is among you, of your brethren within any of the gates in your land which Jehovah your God is giving you, a man who is in need, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your needy brother,

Beware that there not be a thought in your wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, approaches; and your eye be evil against your needy brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to Jehovah against you, and it become sin unto you.

For the needy will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, You shall open, to open your hand unto your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.

And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their brothers the Jews.

There were also some who said, We have mortgaged our fields and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our fields and vineyards.

And when you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you. Even though you multiply prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.

Learn to do good, seek justice, set straight the oppressor, judge for the orphan, plead for the widow.

Is not this the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?

Then shall your light break forth as the dawn, and your health shall spring forth speedily; and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of Jehovah shall bring up the rear.

But you turned and violated My name, and each man caused his slave, and each man his slave woman, whom you had set free to do as they pleased, to return. And you brought them back into bondage to be slaves and slave women to you.

Therefore thus says Jehovah: You have not heeded Me to proclaim liberty each man to his brother, and each man to his neighbor! Behold, I proclaim liberty for you, says Jehovah, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine. And I will cause you to be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, saying, Judge true justice, and show goodness and compassion, everyone to his brother.

But they refused to heed, and gave a stubborn shoulder, and they made their ears heavy that they might not hear.

Therefore it has come to pass that, just as He called, and they would not hear; so they called, and I did not hear, says Jehovah of Hosts.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.

For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever gauge you measure, it will be measured back to you.

And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay every bit that was due to him.

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire having been prepared for the devil and his angels:

I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.

Then He will answer them, saying, Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.

For judgment will be without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Indeed, mercy rejoices over judgment.

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

Then they shall call upon me, and I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.

They cried out for help, but there was no one to deliver; even to Jehovah, but He did not answer them.

When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, and He will answer and say to you, I do not know you, where you are from,