Being Poor

Hearken, my brethren beloved, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He promised to those loving Him?

This poor <FI>one<Fi> called, and Jehovah heard, And from all his distresses saved him.

They cried, and Jehovah heard, And from all their distresses delivered them.

For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who hath no helper.

He is oppressing the poor to multiply to him, He is giving to the rich--only to want.

`None is able to serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye are not able to serve God and Mammon.

Whoso is shutting his ear from the cry of the poor, He also doth cry, and is not answered.

`Happy the poor in spirit--because theirs is the reign of the heavens.

and as ye wish that men may do to you, do ye also to them in like manner;

Whoso is lending <FI>to<Fi> Jehovah is favouring the poor, And his deed He repayeth to him.

And Jesus having looked upon him, did love him, and said to him, `One thing thou dost lack; go away, whatever thou hast--sell, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me, having taken up the cross.'

`When there is with thee any needy one of one of thy brethren, in one of thy cities, in thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, thou dost not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy needy brother; — read the full passage →

An oppressor of the poor reproacheth his Maker, And whoso is honouring Him Is favouring the needy.

Lo, this hath been the iniquity of Sodom thy sister, Arrogancy, fulness of bread, and quiet ease, Have been to her and to her daughters, And the hand of the afflicted and needy She hath not strengthened. — read the full passage →

for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that because of you he became poor--being rich, that ye by that poverty may become rich.

`All things, therefore, whatever ye may will that men may be doing to you, so also do to them, for this is the law and the prophets.

Jesus said to him, `If thou dost will to be perfect, go away, sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.'

For to a man who <FI>is<Fi> good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this <FI>is<Fi> vanity and vexation of spirit.

A good man causeth sons' sons to inherit, And laid up for the righteous <FI>is<Fi> the sinner's wealth.

for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling <FI>them<Fi> , were bringing the prices of the thing sold, — read the full passage →

If he heap up as dust silver, And as clay prepare clothing, — read the full passage →

and having heard these things, Jesus said to him, `Yet one thing to thee is lacking; all things--as many as thou hast--sell, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me;'

`No domestic is able to serve two lords, for either the one he will hate, and the other he will love; or one he will hold to, and of the other he will be heedless; ye are not able to serve God and mammon.'

A Song of the Ascents. Remember, Jehovah, for David, all his afflictions. — read the full passage →

`The Spirit of the Lord <FI>is<Fi> upon me, Because He did anoint me; To proclaim good news to the poor, Sent me to heal the broken of heart, To proclaim to captives deliverance, And to blind receiving of sight, To send away the bruised with deliverance,

these things I have spoken to you, that in me ye may have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, but take courage--I have overcome the world.'

religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation--unspotted to keep himself from the world.

but what have ye gone forth to see? a man in soft garments clothed? lo, they in splendid apparellings, and living in luxury, are in the houses of kings! — read the full passage →

And he, having lifted up his eyes to his disciples, said: `Happy the poor--because yours is the reign of God. — read the full passage →

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, turned back from the Jordan, and was brought in the Spirit to the wilderness, — read the full passage →

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, saith unto Ahab, `Jehovah, God of Israel, liveth, before whom I have stood, there is not these years dew and rain, except according to my word.' — read the full passage →

And there is a certain man of Ramathaim-Zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name <FI>is<Fi> Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, and Ephrathite, — read the full passage →

I have known both to be abased, and I have known to abound; in everything and in all things I have been initiated, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want.

Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Israel, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of their selling for silver the righteous, And the needy for a pair of sandals. — read the full passage →

I have known thy works, and tribulation, and poverty--yet thou art rich--and the evil-speaking of those saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but <FI>are<Fi> a synagogue of the Adversary.

I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift <FI>is<Fi> the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.

Better <FI>is<Fi> the little of the righteous, Than the store of many wicked.

And two of the messengers come towards Sodom at even, and Lot is sitting at the gate of Sodom, and Lot seeth, and riseth to meet them, and boweth himself--face to the earth, — read the full passage →

All the brethren of the poor have hated him, Surely also his friends have been far from him, He is pursuing words--they are not!