Then the  Lord said to him, ‘Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and ill-treated there.

Then the  Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.

‘Your slave is in your hands,’ Abram said. ‘Do with her whatever you think best.’ Then Sarai ill-treated Hagar; so she fled from her.

But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

Then the angel of the  Lord told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’

The angel of the  Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”

The angel of the  Lord also said to her:

‘You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the  Lord has heard of your misery.

And the angel of the  Lord said to her,

“Behold, you are pregnant
and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the  Lord has listened to your affliction.

Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, ‘It is because the  Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.’

And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the  Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.”

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.’

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

If you ill-treat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.’

If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see God is witness between you and me.”

When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.

And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her.

The second son he named Ephraim and said, ‘It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.’

The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labour, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.

The  Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.

Then the  Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,

And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites – a land flowing with milk and honey.”

and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’

and they believed. And when they heard that the  Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped.

And the people believed; and when they heard that the  Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, ‘This is what the  Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the  Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

‘Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.

You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.

If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.

If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,

‘If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.

“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.

‘This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: on the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work – whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you –

“And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.

It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.

It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever.

Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the  Lord your God.

And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the  Lord your God.

‘“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the  Lord your God.”’

“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the  Lord your God.”

‘The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to the  Lord.

“Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the  Lord.

Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people.

For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people.

It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.’

It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.

Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;
they will subdue Ashur and Eber,
but they too will come to ruin.’

But ships shall come from Kittim
and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;
and he too shall come to utter destruction.”

‘“On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work.

“On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work,

Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself.

Any vow and any binding oath to afflict herself her husband may establish or her husband may make void.

Remember how the  Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

And you shall remember the whole way that the  Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the  Lord.

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the  Lord.

He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.

who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed towards your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste – so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.

You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.

If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonoured her.

But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.

you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death – the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.

then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.

then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.

If the neighbour is poor, do not go to sleep with their pledge in your possession.

And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge.

Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.

“You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns.

Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the  Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the  Lord, and you be guilty of sin.

But the Egyptians ill-treated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labour.

And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor.

Then we cried out to the  Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the  Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression.

Then we cried to the  Lord, the God of our fathers, and the  Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.

The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, ‘See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so that we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.’

And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”

So Delilah said to Samson, ‘Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.’

So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.”

After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.

She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.

Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.’

Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against this man do not do this outrageous thing.”

During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died.

And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead.

And she made a vow, saying, ‘ Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the  Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’

And she vowed a vow and said, “O  Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the  Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people shall not oppress them any more, as they did at the beginning

And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,

‘No, my brother!’ she said to him. ‘Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing.

She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing.

But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.

But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.

But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.

But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, ‘My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s express intention ever since the day that Amnon raped his sister Tamar.

But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar.

It may be that the  Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.’

It may be that the  Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the  Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.”

You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

You save a humble people,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.

You make your saving help my shield;
your help has made me great.

You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your gentleness made me great.

To Abiathar the priest the king said, ‘Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign  Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.’

And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord  God before David my father, and because you shared in all my father’s affliction.”

‘When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray towards this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,

“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not for ever.”’

And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.’”

The  Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them.

For the  Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel.