Nehemiah 5:2-13

2For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for athe king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5Now bour flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet cwe are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

6I was very angry when I heard dtheir outcry and these words. 7I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, e“You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, fhave bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk gin the fear of our God hto prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12Then they said, “We will restore these and irequire nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and jmade them swear kto do as they had promised. 13 lI also shook out the fold
Hebrew bosom
of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” nAnd all the assembly saidAmen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

Job 22:5-9

5Is not your evil abundant?
There is no end to your iniquities.
6For you have oexacted pledges of your brothers for nothing
pand stripped the naked of their clothing.
7You have given no water to the weary to drink,
and you have qwithheld bread from the hungry.
8 rThe man with power possessed the land,
and sthe favored man lived in it.
9You have tsent widows away empty,
and uthe arms of vthe fatherless were crushed.

Psalms 72:12

12 For he delivers wthe needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.

Psalms 82:2-4

2How long will you judge unjustly
and xshow partiality to ythe wicked?  Selah
3 zGive justice to aathe weak and the fatherless;
abmaintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 acRescue the weak and the needy;
addeliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

Proverbs 21:13

13 aeWhoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.

Proverbs 24:11-12

11 afRescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
agdoes not he who ahweighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who aikeeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man ajaccording to his work?

Jeremiah 22:16

16 akHe judged the cause of the poor and needy;
althen it was well.
Is not this amto know me?
declares the Lord.
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