"Thushas the LORDof hostssaid,Dispensetrue~justiceand practicekindnessand compassioneachto his brother;
Davidsaidto him, "Do not fear,for I will surelyshowkindnessto you for the sakeof your fatherJonathan,and will restoreto you allthe landof your grandfatherSaul;and you shall eatat my tableregularly."
Ifhis loinshave not thankedme, And if he has not been warmedwith the fleeceof my sheep,
"For the despairingman[there should be] kindnessfrom his friend;So that he does not forsakethe fearof the Almighty.
To dorighteousnessand justiceIs desiredby the LORDmorethansacrifice.
O houseof David,thussaysthe LORD:"Administerjusticeevery morning;And deliverthe [person] who has been robbedfrom the powerof [his] oppressor,That My wrathmay not goforthlike fireAnd burnwith noneto extinguish[it], Becauseof the evilof their deeds.
Thussaysthe LORD,"Dojusticeand righteousness,and deliverthe one who has been robbedfrom the powerof [his] oppressor.Also do not mistreat[or] doviolenceto the stranger,the orphan,or the widow;and do not shedinnocentbloodin thisplace.
"But thisis whatI commandedthem, saying,ObeyMy voice,and I will be your God,and you will be My people;and you will walkin allthe waywhichI commandyou, that it may be wellwith you.'
"For ifyou trulyamendyour waysand your deeds,ifyou trulypracticejusticebetweena manand his neighbor,
if he does not lend[money] on interestor takeincrease,[if] he keepshis handfrom iniquity[and] executestrue~justicebetweenmanand man,
Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Enough,you princesof Israel;putawayviolenceand destruction,and practicejusticeand righteousness.Stopyour expropriationsfrom My people,"declaresthe LordGOD.
A merchant,in whose handsare false balances,He lovesto oppress.
You shall donoinjusticein judgment;you shall not be partialto the poornordeferto the great,but you are to judgeyour neighborfairly.
"But let justicerolldownlike watersAnd righteousnesslike an ever-flowingstream.
He has toldyou, O man,whatis good;And whatdoes the LORDrequireof you But to dojustice,to lovekindness,And to walkhumblywith your God?
Are not [these] the wordswhichthe LORDproclaimedby the formerprophets,when Jerusalemwas inhabitedand prosperousalong with its citiesaroundit, and the Negevand the foothillswere inhabited?'"
Then the wordof the LORDcameto Zechariahsaying,
"Woeto you, scribesand Pharisees,hypocrites!For you tithemintand dilland cummin,and have neglectedthe weightier provisionsof the law:justiceand mercyand faithfulness;but theseare the things you shouldhave donewithoutneglectingthe others.
"But woeto you Pharisees!For you pay titheof mintand rueand every[kind of] garden herb,and [yet] disregardjusticeand the loveof God;but these are the thingsyou shouldhave donewithoutneglectingthe others.
"Do not judgeaccordingto appearance,but judgewith righteousjudgment."
"Our Lawdoes not judgea manunlessit firsthearsfrom him and knowswhathe is doing,does it?"
"You shall not seeyour countryman'soxorhis sheepstrayingaway,and paynoattentionto them; you shall certainlybringthem backto your countryman.
