"You shall not seeyour countryman'soxorhis sheepstrayingaway,and paynoattentionto them; you shall certainlybringthem backto your countryman.
Deliverthose who are being takenaway to death,And those who are staggeringto slaughter,Ohhold[them] back.
Do not forsakeyour own friendor your father'sfriend,And do not goto your brother'shousein the dayof your calamity;Betteris a neighborwho is nearthana brotherfaraway.
He who givesto the poorwill neverwant,But he who shutshis eyeswill have manycurses.
"Is it not to divideyour breadwith the hungryAnd bringthe homelesspoorinto the house;Whenyou seethe naked,to coverhim; And not to hideyourself from your own flesh?
And I will waitfor the LORDwho is hidingHis facefrom the houseof Jacob;I will even lookeagerlyfor Him.
"I will seekthe lost,bringbackthe scattered,bindup the brokenand strengthenthe sick;but the fatand the strongI will destroy.I will feedthem with judgment.
"Those who are sicklyyou have not strengthened,the diseasedyou have not healed,the brokenyou have not boundup, the scatteredyou have not broughtback,norhave you soughtfor the lost;but with forceand with severityyou have dominatedthem.
Ifthe peopleof the land,however, should everdisregardthat manwhen he givesanyof his offspringto Molech,so as not to puthim to death,
orhas foundwhatwas lostand liedabout it and swornfalsely,so that he sinsin regardto anyoneof the things a manmay do;
"Thushas the LORDof hostssaid,Dispensetrue~justiceand practicekindnessand compassioneachto his brother;
but rathergoto the lostsheepof the houseof Israel.
But He answeredand said,"I was sentonlyto the lostsheepof the houseof Israel."
For it is writtenin the Lawof Moses,"YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLETHE OXWHILE HE IS THRESHING."Godis not concernedabout oxen,is He?
"Ifyour countrymanis not nearyou, or if you do not knowhim, then you shall bringit hometo your house,and it shall remainwith you untilyour countrymanlooksfor it; then you shall restoreit to him.
For you were continually strayinglikesheep,but nowyou have returnedto the Shepherdand Guardianof your souls.
