"You shall saybeforethe LORDyour God,'I have removedthe sacred[portion] from [my] house,and alsohave givenit to the Leviteand the alien,the orphanand the widow,according to allYour commandmentswhichYou have commandedme; I have not transgressedor forgottenanyof Your commandments.
My zealhas consumedme, Becausemy adversarieshave forgottenYour words.
I am smalland despised,[Yet] I do not forgetYour precepts.
Lookupon my afflictionand rescueme, For I do not forgetYour law.
I have goneastraylike a lostsheep;seekYour servant,For I do not forgetYour commandments.
I will neverforgetYour precepts,For by them You have revivedme.
I shall washmy handsin innocence,And I will goaboutYour altar,O LORD,
My son,do not forgetmy teaching,But let your heartkeepmy commandments;
"In view of this,I alsodo my bestto maintainalwaysa blamelessconscience[both] beforeGodand before men.
For our proud confidenceis this:the testimonyof our conscience,that in holinessand godlysincerity,not in fleshlywisdombut in the graceof God,we have conductedourselves in the world,and especiallytowardyou.
The Godand Fatherof the LordJesus,He who is blessedforever,knowsthat I am not lying.
"The Levite,becausehe hasnoportionor inheritanceamongyou, and the alien,the orphanand the widowwhoare in your town,shall comeand eatand be satisfied,in orderthat the LORDyour Godmay blessyou in allthe workof your handwhichyou do.
"Whenyou have finishedpayingallthe titheof your increasein the thirdyear,the yearof tithing,then you shall giveit to the Levite,to the stranger,to the orphanand to the widow,that they may eatin your townsand be satisfied.
I have not eatenof it while mourning,norhave I removedanyof it while I was unclean,norofferedanyof it to the dead.I have listenedto the voiceof the LORDmy God;I have doneaccording to allthat You have commandedme.
You are witnesses,and [so is] God,howdevoutlyand uprightlyand blamelesslywe behavedtoward you believers;
