As the immigration debate continues, as we see more and more people calling for the blood of immigrants, spewing forth mean-spirited vitriol and diatribes, calling for local, state and the federal government to enact laws to extricate immigrants from the United States, we provide scripture that those actions against immigrants go contrary to the word of God. Many citizens who are sensitive to the immigrant's plight, offer various political suggestions as to how governments should handle the problem. This is greatly appreciated!
However, there are many of us disciples of Christ who believe that God's word reigns supreme over government actions, and hereby declare that no government has the right to enact any laws that go contrary to God's will and the laws and precepts He has established from the beginning. We suggest that you read these verses and hopefully gain a greater understanding about the deep inner motivation that has inspired the hateful dialogue being conducted by faithless and misguided citizens who are being manipulated by media, elected officials and hate groups to attack God's other children, specifically the alien, the poor, widows, orphans, homeless and infirm.
Some people may counter that these verses were meant solely for the nation of Israel during Old Testament days; however, throughout the word of God we find many verses that prove
that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) and that He does not waver, reconsider nor apply His laws and edicts to one group over another, proving that He (Christ) is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever, (Hebrews 13:8); and most of all, while all things in life inevitably change, God remains the same:
In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end!
(Psalms 102:24-27)
and your years will never end!
(Psalms 102:24-27)
Each and every verses specifically shows God's support for the poor, aliens, downtrodden, infirm and oppressed. While, some of these verses are highlighted in red, it is done solely for emphasis and they are not cited as being more important, other than they deeply resonate. We hope these will help you understand that this country is experiencing spiritual warfare, that most of its problems have never been solved through political expediency, and realizing that God is greater than any government administration ever installed, in any country, throughout history.
Pray for this country to reach out to God, to provide solutions His way, rather than fanning the flames of this important debate, which could lead us into another war against our own neighbors, brothers and sisters. The pain from that war still lingers, and there was nothing civil about it!
Exodus 22:21
"Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.
Exodus 23:9
"Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.
Exodus 23:12
"Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.
Leviticus 19:10
Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:33
" 'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.
Leviticus 19:34
The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 24:22
You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God.' "
Leviticus 25:23
" 'The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.
Leviticus 25:35
" 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.
Leviticus 25:47
" 'If an alien or a temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells himself to the alien living among you or to a member of the alien's clan,
Numbers 9:14
" 'An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for the alien and the native-born.' "
Numbers 15:14
For the generations to come, whenever an alien or anyone else living among you presents an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, he must do exactly as you do.
Numbers 15:15
The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD :
Numbers 15:16
The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.' "
Numbers 15:26
The whole Israelite community and the aliens living among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.
Numbers 15:30
" 'But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people.
Numbers 19:10
The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the aliens living among them.
Numbers 35:15
These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.
Deuteronomy 1:16
And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an
alien.
Deuteronomy 5:14
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work; neither you nor your son or daughter nor, your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey, or any of your animals nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do.
Deuteronomy 10:18
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.
Deuteronomy 10:19
And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.
Deuteronomy 14:29
so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy 16:11
And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living among you.
Deuteronomy 16:14
Be joyful at your Feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns.
Deuteronomy 24:14
Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns.
Deuteronomy 24:17
Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.
Deuteronomy 24:19
When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy 24:20
When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow.
Deuteronomy 24:21
When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow.
Deuteronomy 26:11
And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.
Deuteronomy 26:12
When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.
Deuteronomy 26:13
Then say to the LORD your God: "I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.
Deuteronomy 27:19
"Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
Deuteronomy 29:11
together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water.
Deuteronomy 31:12
Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.
Psalm 146:9
The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
Isaiah 14:1
The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.
Isaiah 61:5
Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
Jeremiah 7:6
if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm,
Jeremiah 22:3
This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the
alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
Ezekiel 22:7
In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.
Ezekiel 22:29
The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.
Ezekiel 47:22
You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.- Ezekiel 47:23
In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign LORD.
Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alienor the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.' - Malachi 3:5
"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty
Exodus 23:11
but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.
Exodus 30:15
The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives.
Leviticus 19:10
Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:15
" 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
Leviticus 23:22
" '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 the alien. I am the LORD your God.' "
Leviticus 25:35
" 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.
Leviticus 25:39
" 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave.
Deuteronomy 15:4
However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you,
Deuteronomy 15:7
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.
Deuteronomy 15:11
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.
Deuteronomy 24:12
If the man is poor, do not go to sleep with his pledge in your possession.
Deuteronomy 24:14
Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns.
Deuteronomy 24:15
Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
1 Samuel 2:8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world.
2 Kings 24:14
He carried into exile all Jerusalem: all the officers and fighting men, and all the craftsmen and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left.
2 Kings 25:12
But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
Nehemiah 5:1
[ Nehemiah Helps the Poor] Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers.
Esther 9:22
as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
Job 5:16
So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
Job 20:10
His children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth.
Job 20:19
For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build.
Job 24:4
They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
Job 24:5
Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor
go about their labor of foraging food; the wasteland provides food for their children.
Job 24:9
The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.
Job 24:14
When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night he steals forth like a thief.
Job 29:12
because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him.
Job 30:25
Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
Job 31:16
"If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,
Job 34:19
who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the
poor, for they are all the work of his hands?
Job 34:28
They caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he heard the cry of the needy.
Psalm 14:6
You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.
Psalm 22:26
The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever!
Psalm 34:6
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
Psalm 35:10
My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O LORD ? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."
Psalm 37:14
The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
Psalm 68:10
Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.
Psalm 69:32
The poor will see and be glad— you who seek God, may your hearts live!
Psalm 70:5
Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.
Psalm 74:21
Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.
Psalm 82:3
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Psalm 109:16
For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted.
Psalm 109:22
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
Psalm 112:9
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.
Psalm 113:7
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
Psalm 132:15
I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food.
Psalm 140:12
I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
Proverbs 10:15
The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.
Proverbs 13:7
One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
Proverbs 13:8
A man's riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat.
Proverbs 13:23
A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.
Proverbs 14:20
The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.
Proverbs 14:31
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Proverbs 17:5
He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 18:23
A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly.
Proverbs 19:1
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
Proverbs 19:4
Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him.
Proverbs 19:7
A poor man is shunned by all his relatives— how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.
Proverbs 19:17
He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.
Proverbs 19:22
What a man desires is unfailing love ; better to be poor than a liar.
Proverbs 20:13
Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.
Proverbs 21:13
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.
Proverbs 21:17
He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.
Proverbs 22:2
Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.
Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Proverbs 22:9
A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
Proverbs 22:16
He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
Proverbs 22:22
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,
Proverbs 23:21
for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Proverbs 28:3
A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
Proverbs 28:6
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.
Proverbs 28:8
He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.
Proverbs 28:11
A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.
Proverbs 28:27
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
Proverbs 29:7
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
Proverbs 29:13
The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.
Proverbs 29:14
If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure.
Proverbs 30:9
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:14
those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.
Proverbs 31:9
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
Proverbs 31:20
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Ecclesiastes 4:13
[Advancement Is Meaningless ] Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.
Ecclesiastes 5:8
[ Riches Are Meaningless ] If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
Ecclesiastes 6:8
What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others?
Ecclesiastes 9:15
Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.
Ecclesiastes 9:16
So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
Isaiah 3:14
The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses.
Isaiah 3:15
What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
Isaiah 10:2
to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.
Isaiah 11:4
but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Isaiah 14:30
The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.
Isaiah 25:4
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall
Isaiah 26:6
Feet trample it down— the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor.
Isaiah 32:7
The scoundrel's methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.
Isaiah 40:20
A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.
Isaiah 41:17
"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
Isaiah 58:7
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Isaiah 61:1
[ The Year of the LORD's Favor ] The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
Jeremiah 2:34
On your clothes men find the life blood of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in spite of all this (this verse is interesting and can apply to either INS personnel and other law enforcement agencies who hunt down aliens)
Jeremiah 5:28
and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor.
Jeremiah 22:16
He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 39:10
But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
Jeremiah 40:7
[ Gedaliah Assassinated ] When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon,
Jeremiah 52:15
Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon.
Jeremiah 52:16
But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
Ezekiel 16:49
" 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
Ezekiel 18:12
He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things.
Ezekiel 22:29
The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.
Amos 2:7
They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.
Amos 4:1
[Israel Has Not Returned to God ] Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!"
Amos 5:11
You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
Amos 5:12
For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Amos 8:4
Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land,
Amos 8:6
buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.
Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'
Matthew 5:3
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 11:5
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
Matthew 19:21
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Matthew 26:9
"This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
Matthew 26:11
The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
Mark 10:21
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Mark 12:42
But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Mark 12:43
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
Mark 14:5
It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
Mark 14:7
The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.
Luke 4:18
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
Luke 6:20
Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 7:22
So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
Luke 11:41
But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
Luke 12:33
Sell your possessions and give to the
poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
Luke 14:13
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
Luke 14:21
"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
Luke 18:22
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Luke 19:8
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
Luke 21:2
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
Luke 21:3
"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
John 12:5
"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages. "
John 12:6
He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
John 12:8
You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
John 13:29
Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor.
Acts 9:36
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas ), who was always doing good and helping the poor.
Acts 10:5
The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.
Acts 10:31
and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.
Acts 24:17
"After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings.
Romans 15:26
For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
1 Corinthians 13:3
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
2 Corinthians 9:9
As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
Galatians 2:10
All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
James 2:3
If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet,"
James 2:5
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
James 2:6
But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
Jeremiah 49:11
Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives. Your widows too can trust in me."
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Deuteronomy 14:29
so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy 16:11
And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living among you.
Deuteronomy 16:14
Be joyful at your Feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns.
Job 22:9
And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless.
Job 24:3
They drive away the orphan's donkey and take the widow's ox in pledge.
Job 27:15
The plague will bury those who survive him, and their widows will not weep for them.
Job 29:13
The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing.
Psalm 68:5
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
Proverbs 15:25
The LORD tears down the proud man's house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact.
Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them.
Isaiah 9:17
Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks vileness. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
Isaiah 10:2
to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.
Jeremiah 49:11
Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives. Your widows too can trust in me."
Lamentations 5:3
We have become orphans and fatherless, our mothers like widows.
Ezekiel 22:25
There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her.
Malachi 3:5
"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty.
Mark 12:40
They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
Mark 12:41
[ The Widow's Offering ] Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.
Luke 4:25
I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.
Luke 20:47
They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
Luke 21:1
[ The Widow's Offering ] As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.
Acts 6:1
[ The Choosing of the Seven ] In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
Acts 9:39
Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
Acts 9:41
He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive.
1 Timothy 5:3
Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.
1 Timothy 5:16
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Exodus 22:24
My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.
Deuteronomy 10:18
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.
Deuteronomy 14:29
so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy 16:11
And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living among you.
Deuteronomy 16:14
Be joyful at your Feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns.
Deuteronomy 24:17
Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.
Deuteronomy 24:19
When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy 24:20
When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow.
Deuteronomy 24:21
When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow.
Deuteronomy 26:12
When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.
Deuteronomy 26:13
Then say to the LORD your God: "I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.
Deuteronomy 27:19
"Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
Job 6:27
You would even cast lots for the fatherless and barter away your friend.
Job 24:9
The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.
Job 29:12
because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him.
Job 31:21
if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court,
Psalm 10:14
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.
Psalm 10:18
defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
Psalm 68:5
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
Psalm 82:3
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Psalm 94:6
They slay the widow and the
alien; they murder the fatherless.
Psalm 109:9
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
Psalm 109:12
May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
Psalm 146:9
The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
Proverbs 23:10
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the
fatherless,
Isaiah 1:17
learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them.
Isaiah 9:17
Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks vileness. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
Isaiah 10:2
to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.
Jeremiah 5:28
and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor.
Jeremiah 7:6
if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm,
Jeremiah 22:3
This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
Lamentations 5:3
We have become orphans and fatherless, our mothers like widows.
Ezekiel 22:7
In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.
Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'
Malachi 3:5
"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty.
Job 20:19
For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build.
Psalm 9:9
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Psalm 10:18
defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
Psalm 74:21
Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.
Psalm 82:3
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Psalm 103:6
The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
Psalm 106:42
Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power.
Psalm 146:7
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free,
Proverbs 31:5
lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Ecclesiastes 4:1
[ Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness ] Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter.
Ecclesiastes 5:8
[ Riches Are Meaningless ] If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
Isaiah 1:17
learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
Isaiah 10:2
to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.
Isaiah 58:6
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Isaiah 58:10
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
Ezekiel 22:7
In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed
the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.
Daniel 4:27
Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue."
Amos 2:7
They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the
oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.
Zephaniah 3:19
At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame.
Zechariah 10:2
The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
Zechariah 11:7
So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.
Luke 4:18
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed!
I don't know when I've ever seen so many Bible passages backing up what you have been saying in regard to helping the poor, the oppressed etc. I agree that God's eternal law will stand forever, long after man's feeble laws have been forgotten. Keep exalting the Word of God, my dear brother! Alex
ReplyDeleteExcellent material! And the Bible, of course, has to be and always has been the final authority. It's possible that there may be riots - or even a civil war - unless all Americans begin to understand that the One who made us all believes in true freedom and justice for all - and that means ALL! God bless you as you stand up for the poor and oppressed - which reminds me of the words at the site of the Statue of Liberty! Rosa
ReplyDeleteJoe - I think your argument is pretty weak. I mean, don't you have any Scriptural support to back up your biased claims?
ReplyDelete:)
I've just written something similar over on my blog, but thank you for overwhelming the topic with such an enormous wealth of Biblical evidence, my friend.
lol lol
ReplyDelete