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Biblically Serving Others
What does the Bible have to say about helping needy people --
the poor, the orphans, and the widows? Are there Bible passages which say we are
supposed to have compassion and to be giving to the less fortunate? What
biblical foundations are there for service to others?
How to care for the poor? How are we to provide for the
hungry? Here are instructions from the Bible. Looking for slogan for a promotion
about helping the needy or feeding the poor? Use a phrase from one of these
Scripture verses as a slogan.
Old Testament passages
- "Do not take advantage of a widow or an
orphan." Exodus 22:22
- "Do not deny justice to your poor
people in their lawsuits." Exodus 23:6
- "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 23:11
- "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 19:10
- "Do not pervert justice; do not show
partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor
fairly." Leviticus 19:15
- "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 23:22
- "If one of your countrymen becomes poor
and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem
what his countryman has sold. . . . 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. . . . If one
of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not
make him work as a slave." Leviticus 25:25, 35, 39
- "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, he
retains the right of redemption." Leviticus 25:47-48
- "He defends the cause of the fatherless
and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing."
Deuteronomy 10:18
- "At the end of every three years, bring
all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, 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." Deuteronomy 14:28-29
- "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 15:4
- "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 15:7
- "Be careful not to harbor this wicked
thought: The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near, so that
you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He
may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of
sin." Deuteronomy 15:9
- "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 15:11
- "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 24:14
- "Do not deprive the alien or the
fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge."
Deuteronomy 24:17
- "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. 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. 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 24:19-21
- "'Cursed is the man who withholds
justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.' Then all the people
shall say, Amen!'" Deuteronomy 27:19
- "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." 1 Samuel 2:8
- "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." Esther 9:22
- "When daylight is gone, the murderer
rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night he steals forth like a
thief." Job 24:14
- "because I rescued the poor who cried
for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him." Job 29:12
- "Have I not wept for those in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?" Job 30:25
- "If I have denied the desires of the
poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary." Job 31:16
- "The LORD is a refuge for the
oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9
- "But the needy will not always be
forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish." Psalm 9:18
- " Because of the oppression of the weak
and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says the LORD, I will
protect them from those who malign them. " Psalm 12:5
- "You evildoers frustrate the plans of
the poor, but the LORD is their refuge." Psalm 14:6
- "This poor man called, and the LORD
heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles." Psalm 34:6
- "My whole being will exclaim, Who is
like you, 0 LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the
poor and needy from those who rob them.'" Psalm 35:10
- "The wicked draw the sword and bend the
bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright."
Psalm 37:14
- "Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord
think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay."
Psalm 40:17
- "A father to the fatherless, a defender
of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." Psalm 68:5
- "Your people settled in it, and from
your bounty, 0 God, you provided for the poor." Psalm 68:10
- "The poor will see and be glad-- you
who seek God, may your hearts live! The LORD hears the needy and does not
despise his captive people." Psalm 69:32-33
- "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 70:5
- "He will defend the afflicted among the
people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor."
Psalm 72:4
- "For he will deliver the needy who cry
out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak
and the needy and save the needy from death." Psalm 72:12-13
- "Do not let the oppressed retreat in
disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name." Psalm 74:21
- "Defend the cause of the weak and
fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak
and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4
- "But he lifted the needy out of their
affliction and increased their families like flocks." Psalm 107:41
- "For he stands at the right hand of the
needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him." Psalm 109:31
- "He has scattered abroad his gifts to
the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in
honor." Psalm 112:9
- "He raises the poor from the dust and
lifts the needy from the ash heap;" Psalm 113:7
- "I will bless her with abundant
provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food." Psalm 132:15
- "I know that the LORD secures justice
for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy." Psalm 140:12
- "He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free" Psalm 146:7
- "The LORD watches over the alien and
sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the
wicked." Psalm 146:9
- "I know that the LORD secures justice
for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy." Proverbs 13:23
- "He who despises his neighbor sins, but
blessed is he who is kind to the needy." Proverbs 14:21
- "He who oppresses the poor shows
contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."
Proverbs 14:31
- "The LORD tears down the proud man's
house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact." Proverbs 15:25
- "Better to be lowly in spirit and among
the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud." Proverbs 16:19
- "He who mocks the poor shows contempt
for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished."
Proverbs 17:5
- "He who is kind to the poor lends to
the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:17
- "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of
the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Proverbs 21:13
- "A generous man will himself be
blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Proverbs 22:9
- "He who oppresses the poor to increase
his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich -- both come to poverty."
Proverbs 22:16
- "Do not exploit the poor because they
are poor and do not crush the needy in court." Proverbs 22:22
- "A ruler who oppresses the poor is like
a driving rain that leaves no crops." Proverbs 28:3
- "He who gives to the poor will lack
nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses." Proverbs
28:27
- "The righteous care about justice for
the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." Proverbs 29:7
- "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 30:14
- "Speak up and judge fairly; defend the
rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:9
- "She opens her arms to the poor and
extends her hands to the needy." Proverbs 31:20
- "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 5:8
- "Learn to do right! Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case
of the widow." Isaiah 1:17
- "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. What do you mean by crushing my
people and grinding the faces of the poor?' declares the Lord, the LORD
Almighty." Isaiah 3:14-15
- "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 10:2
- "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 11:4
- "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 14:30
- "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 25:4
- "Once more the humble will rejoice in
the LORD ; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 29:19
- "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 32:7
- "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 41:17
- "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? 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 58:6-7
- "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." Isaiah 58:10
- "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." Isaiah 61:1
- "On your clothes men find the lifeblood
of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in
spite of all this you say I am innocent.'" Jeremiah 2:34
- "I thought, These are only the poor;
they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements
of their God.'" Jeremiah 5:4
- "(They) 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 5:28
- "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 7:6
- "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." Jeremiah 22:3
- "'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 22:16
- "Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the
LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked."
Jeremiah 20:13
- "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 16:49
- "He does not oppress anyone, but
returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but
gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked." Ezekiel
18:7
- "The people of the land practice
extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat
the alien, denying them justice." Ezekiel 22:29
- "This is what the LORD says: For three
sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. They sell
the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. 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 2:6-7
- "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 4:1
- "Hear this, you who trample the needy
and do away with the poor of the land." Amos 8:4
- "Buying the poor with silver and the
needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat."
Amos 8:6
- "Do not oppress the widow or the
fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each
other." Zechariah 7:10
- " 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." Malachi 3:5
New Testament passages
- "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 19:21
- "For I was hungry and you gave me
something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35
- "They devour widows' houses and for a
show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." Mark
12:40
- "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 4:18
- "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 7:22 [
E-book: The Kingdom strikes back ]
- "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 12:33
- "But when you give a banquet, invite
the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." Luke 14:13
- "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 18:22
- "Beware of the teachers of the law . .
. They devour your widows' houses . . . Such men will be punished severely."
Luke 20:46-47
- "'Why wasn't this perfume sold and the
money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.' 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 12:5
- "In Joppa there was a disciple named
Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and
helping the poor." Acts 9:36
- "Cornelius stared at him in fear. What
is it, Lord?' he asked. The angel answered, Your prayers and gifts to the
poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.'" Acts 10:4
- "After an absence of several years, I
came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present
offerings." Acts 24:17
- "On the contrary: If your enemy is
hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing
this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'" Romans 12:20
- "For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased
to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem." Romans
15:26
- "All they asked was that we should
continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." Galatians
2:10
- "Give proper recognition to those
widows who are really in need." 1 Timothy 5:3
- "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." James 1:27
- "Suppose a man comes into your meeting
wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also
comes in. 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,' have you not discriminated among
yourselves and becomes judges with evil thoughts? 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? 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?" James 2:2-6
- "If anyone has material possessions and
sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be
in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions
and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18
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