Pledges

But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”; so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

“Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ — read the full passage →

A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.

When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

If you take your neighbor’s garment as collateral, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down,

Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, — read the full passage →

But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,

For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

neither has wronged any, has not taken anything to pledge, neither has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own,

Don’t you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.

You shall not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, nor take a widow’s clothing in pledge;

When you lend your neighbor any kind of loan, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge.

No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone as a pledge; for he takes a life in pledge.

if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.

He who is collateral for a stranger will suffer for it, but he who refuses pledges of collateral is secure.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

and they lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,

and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news.”

Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t find her.

But let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches.

For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.

In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!

This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John,

Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

“But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”

Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways. — read the full passage →

When you lend your neighbor any kind of loan, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. — read the full passage →

Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;

All who believed were together, and had all things in common. — read the full passage →

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. — read the full passage →

for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the nations,” says Yahweh of Armies.

Now therefore, please make a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.

There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty. — read the full passage →

If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. — read the full passage →

When you lend your neighbor any kind of loan, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. — read the full passage →

But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.

Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. — read the full passage →

Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

“You looked for much, and, behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says Yahweh of Armies, “Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house. — read the full passage →

One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger; — read the full passage →

Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase: — read the full passage →

Now therefore, please give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.

But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; — read the full passage →

seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all;

how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality. — read the full passage →

contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality.

As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying “Your child lives!”

Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much.

“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’

See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?

“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; — read the full passage →

I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,” says Yahweh of Armies. — read the full passage →

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough for.

When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn’t that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn’t that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?” says Yahweh of Armies. — read the full passage →

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? Says Yahweh of Armies to you, priests, who despise my name. You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ — read the full passage →

Won’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?’

But the noble devises noble things; and he will continue in noble things.

It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.

One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.

My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

For every animal of the forest is mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills.

Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place. — read the full passage →

This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you; — read the full passage →

But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.

having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge.

you being enriched in everything to all liberality, which works through us thanksgiving to God.

I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you, and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.

We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us. — read the full passage →

I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing. — read the full passage →

This was not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

On the first day of the week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. — read the full passage →

Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,

For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, — read the full passage →

When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me.” — read the full passage →

“Which of you, by being anxious, can add one momentto his lifespan?

“Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’

A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.

He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor.

I will not break my covenant, nor alter what my lips have uttered.

All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, as every day required: and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.