Statements On and About Hunger, Helping, and Charity
For anyone who may not be familiar with the Tanakh, it is the larger work which includes The Torah, the Prophets [Nevi’im] and The Writings [Kethuvim]. Download as PDF

————————————————

You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. – Exodus 22:20

You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, I will heed their outcry as soon as they cry out to Me, and My anger shall blaze forth and I will put you to the sword, and your own wives shall become widows and your children orphans. – Exodus 22:21-23

You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt. – Exodus 23:9

Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but in the seventh you shall let it rest and lie fallow. Let the needy among your people eat of it, and what they leave let the wild beasts eat. You shall do the same with your vineyards and your olive groves. – Exodus 23:10-11

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the LORD am your God. – Leviticus 19:9-10

And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the LORD am your God. – Leviticus 23:22

If your kinsman, being in straits, comes under your authority, and you hold him as though a resident alien, let him live by your side: do not exact from him advance or accrued interest, but fear your God. Let him live by your side as your kinsman. Do not lend him money at advance interest, or give him your food at accrued interest. I the LORD am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God. – Leviticus 25:35-38

For the LORD your God is God supreme and LORD supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing. You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. – Deuteronomy 10:17-19

But do not neglect the Levite in your community, for he has no hereditary portion as you have. Every third year you shall bring out the full tithe of your yield of that year, but leave it within your settlements. Then the Levite, who has no hereditary portion as you have, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your settlements shall come and eat their fill, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the enterprises you undertake. – Deuteronomy 14:27-29

1There shall be no needy among you—since the LORD your God will bless you in the land that the LORD your God … – Deuteronomy 15:4

If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsman in any of your settlements in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs. Beware lest you harbor the base thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,” so that you are mean to your needy kinsman and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will incur guilt. Give to him readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return the LORD your God will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings. For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land. – Deuteronomy 15:7-11

You shall rejoice before the LORD your God with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite in your communities, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your midst, at the place where the LORD your God will choose to establish His name. – Deuteronomy 16:11

You shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities. – Deuteronomy 16:14

No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted into the congregation of the LORD; none of their descendants, even in the tenth generation, shall ever be admitted into the congregation of the LORD, because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt… – Deuteronomy 23:4-5

You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a stranger in one of the communities of your land. – Deuteronomy 24:14

You shall not subvert the rights of the stranger or the fatherless; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pawn. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and that the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore do I enjoin you to observe this commandment. – Deuteronomy 24:17-18

When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, do not turn back to get it; it shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow—in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all your undertakings. – Deuteronomy 24:19

When you beat down the fruit of your olive trees, do not go over them again; that shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not pick it over again; that shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. Always remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore do I enjoin you to observe this commandment. – Deuteronomy 24:20-22

When you have set aside in full the tenth part of your yield – in the third year, the year of the tithe – and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat their fill in your settlements, you shall declare before the LORD your God: “I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house; and I have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, just as You commanded me; I have neither transgressed nor neglected any of Your commandments: I have not eaten of it while in mourning; I have not cleared out any of it while I was unclean, and I have not deposited any of it with the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done just as You commanded me. Look down from Your holy abode, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the soil You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers.” – Deuteronomy 26:12-15

Cursed be he who subverts the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, – And all the people shall say, Amen. – Deuteronomy 27:19

A man came from Baal-shalishah and he brought the man of God some bread of the first reaping— twenty loaves of barley bread, and some fresh grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” His attendant replied, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give it to the people and let them eat. For thus said the LORD: They shall eat and have some left over.” So he set it before them: and when they had eaten, they had some left over, as the LORD had said. – I Kings 4:42-44

…When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “Father, shall I strike them down?” “No, do not,” he replied, “Did you take them captive with your sword and bow that you would strike them down? Rather, set food and drink before them, and let them eat and drink and return to their master.” So he prepared a lavish feast for them and, after they had eaten and drunk, he let them go, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean bands stopped invading the land of Israel. – II Kings 6:21- 23

Learn to do good. Devote yourselves to justice; Aid the wronged. Uphold the rights of the orphan; Defend the cause of the widow. – Isaiah 1:17

Hail the just man, for he shall fare well; He shall eat the fruit of his works. Woe to the wicked man, for he shall fare ill; As his hands have dealt, so shall it be done to him. – Isaiah 3:10-11

The LORD stands up to plead a cause, He rises to champion peoples, The LORD will bring this charge Against the elders and officers of His people: “It is you who have ravaged the vineyard; That which was robbed from the poor is in your houses. How dare you crush My people And grind the faces of the poor?” – Isaiah 3:13-15

Ha! Those who write out evil writs And compose iniquitous documents, To subvert the cause of the poor, To rob of their rights the needy of My people; That widows may be their spoil, And fatherless children their booty! What will you do on the day of punishment, When the calamity comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help, And how will you save your carcasses From collapsing under {fellow} prisoners, From falling beneath the slain? – Isaiah 10:1-4

Thus he shall judge the poor with equity– And decide with justice for the lowly of the land. He shall strike down a land with the rod of his mouth. And slay the wicked with the breath of his lips. – Isaiah 11:4

The first-born of the poor shall graze And the destitute lie down secure… – Isaiah 14:30

No more shall a villain be called noble, Nor shall “gentleman” be said of a knave. For the villain speaks villainy And plots treachery; To act impiously And to preach disloyalty against the LORD; To leave the hungry unsatisfied And deprive the thirsty of drink. As for the knave, his tools are knavish. He forges plots To destroy the poor with falsehoods And the needy when they plead their cause. But the noble has noble intentions And is constant in noble acts. – Isaiah 32:5-8

For the work of the righteous shall be peace, And the effect of righteousness, calm and confidence forever. – Isaiah 32:17

The poor and the needy Seek water, and there is none; Their tongue is parched with thirst. I the LORD will respond to them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up streams on the bare hills And fountains amid the valleys; I will turn the desert into ponds, The arid land into springs of water. I will plant cedars in the wilderness, Acacias and myrtles and oleasters; I will set cypresses in the desert, Box trees and elms as well – Isaiah 41:17-19

No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock fetters of wickedness, And untie the cords of the yoke To let the oppressed go free; To break off every yoke. It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe him, And not to ignore your own kin. – Isaiah 58:6-7

Then shall your light burst through like the dawn And your healing spring up quickly; Your Vindicator shall march before you, The Presence of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then, when you call, the LORD will answer,

When you cry, He will say; Here I am. If you banish the yoke from your midst, The menacing hand, and evil speech, And you offer your compassion to the hungry And satisfy the famished creature– Then shall your light shine in darkness, And your gloom shall be like noonday. – Isaiah 58: 8-10

As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of guile; That is why they have grown so wealthy. They have become fat and sleek; They pass beyond the bounds of wickedness, And they prosper. They will not judge the case of the orphan, Nor give a hearing to the plea of the needy. Shall I not punish such deeds – says the LORD – Shall I not bring retribution On a nation such as this? – Jeremiah 5:27-29

Don’t put your trust in illusions and say, “The Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD are these [buildings].” No, if you really mend your ways and your actions; if you execute justice between one man and another; if you do not oppress the stranger, the orphan, and the widow; if you do not shed the blood of the innocent in this place, if you do not follow other gods, to your own hurt—then only will I let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers for all time. – Jeremiah 7:4 -7

Thus said the LORD Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; Let not the strong man glory in his strength; Let not the rich man glory in his riches. But only in this should one glory: In his earnest devotion to Me. For I the LORD act with kindness, Justice, and equity in the world; For in these I delight declares the LORD. – Jeremiah 9:22-23

Thus saith the LORD: Do what is just and right; rescue from the defrauder him who is robbed; do not wrong the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow; commit no lawless act, and do not shed the blood of the innocent in this place. – Jeremiah 22:3

He upheld the rights of the poor and needy – Then all was well. – Jeremiah 22:16

“Leave your orphans with me, I will rear them; Let your widows rely on me!” – Jeremiah 49:11

Only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquility; yet she did not support the poor and the needy. – Ezekiel 16:49

If he has not wronged anyone; if he has returned debtor’s pledge to him and has taken nothing by robbery; if he has given bread to the hungry and clothed the naked; if he has not lent at advance interest or exacted accrued interest, if he has abstained from wrongdoing and executed true justice between man and man; if he has followed My laws and kept My rules and acted honestly – he is righteous. Such a man shall live—declares the LORD God. – Ezekiel 18:7-9

He has not wronged anyone; he has not seized a pledge or taken anything by robbery; he has given his bread to the hungry and clothed the naked; he has refrained from oppressing the poor; he has not exacted advance or accrued interest; he has obeyed My rules and followed My laws – he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but shall live. – Ezekiel 18:16-17

Listen, O House of Israel: Is My way unfair? It is your ways that are unfair! When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does wrong, he shall die for it; he shall die for the wrong he has done. And if a wicked person turns back from the wickedness that he practiced and does what is just and right, such a person shall save his life.- Ezekiel 18:25-27

And the people of the land have practiced fraud and committed robbery; they have wronged the poor and needy, have defrauded the stranger without redress. And I sought a man among them to repair the wall or to stand in the breach before Me in behalf of this land, that I might not destroy it; but I found none. I have therefore poured out My indignation upon them; I will consume them with the fire of My fury. I will repay them for their conduct—declares the LORD God. – Ezekiel 22:29-31

When a righteous man turns away from his righteous deeds and commits iniquity, he shall die for it. And when a wicked man turns back from his wickedness and does what is just and right, it is he who shall live by virtue of these things. And will you say, “The way of the LORD is unfair”? I will judge each one of you according to his ways, O House of Israel! – Ezekiel 33:18-20

Practice goodness and justice. And constantly trust in your God. – Hosea 12:7

Seek good and not evil, That you may live, And that the LORD, the God of Hosts, May truly be with you, As you think. Hate evil and love good, And establish justice in the gate; Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts, Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. – Amos 5:14-15

Spare Me the sound of your hymns, And let Me not hear the music of your lutes. But let justice well up like water, Righteousness like an unfailing stream. – Amos 5:23-24

Listen to this, you who devour the needy, annihilating the poor of the land, saying, “If only the new moon were over, so that we could sell grain; the Sabbath, so that we could offer wheat for sale, using an ephah that is too small, and a shekel that is too big, tilting a dishonest scale, and selling grain refuse as grain! We will buy the poor for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals.” The LORD swears by the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget any of their doings.” Shall not the earth shake for this; and all that dwell on it mourn? – Amos 8:4-8

He has told you, O man, what is good, And what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice And to love goodness, And to walk modestly with your God; Then will your name achieve wisdom. – Micah 6:8-9

Thus said the LORD of Hosts: Execute true justice; deal loyally and compassionately with one another. Do not defraud the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and the poor; and do not plot evil against one another. – Zechariah 7: 9-10

But [first] I will step forward to contend against you, and I will act as a relentless accuser against those who have no fear of Me: Who practice sorcery, who commit adultery, who swear falsely, who cheat laborers of their hire, and who subvert [the cause of] the widow, orphan, and stranger, said the LORD of Hosts. – Malachi 3:5

The LORD seeks out the righteous man, but loathes the wicked one who loves injustice. He will rain down upon the wicked blazing coals and sulfur; a scorching wind shall be their lot. For the LORD is righteous; He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face. — Psalms 11:5-7

“Because of the groans of the plundered poor and needy, I will now act,” says the LORD. “I will give help,” He affirms to him. – Psalms 12:6

Trust in the LORD and do good, abide in the land and remain loyal. – Psalms 37:3

The wicked draw their swords, bend their bows, to bring down the lowly and the needy, to slaughter upright men. Their swords shall pierce their own hearts, and their bows shall be broken. – Psalms 37:14-15

The wicked man borrows and does not repay; the righteous is generous and keeps giving. – Psalms 37:21

Shun evil and do good, and you shall abide forever. For the LORD loves what is right, He does not abandon His faithful ones. They are preserved forever, while the children of the wicked will be cut off. – Psalms 37:27-28

Happy is he who is thoughtful of the wretched; in bad times may the LORD keep him from harm. – Psalms 41:2

Sing to God, chant hymns to His name; extol Him who rides the clouds; the LORD is His name. Exult in His presence –

the father of orphans, the champion of widows, God, in His holy habitation. God restores the lonely to their homes, sets free the imprisoned, safe and sound, while the rebellious must live in a parched land. – Psalms 68:5-7

Your tribe dwells there; O, God, in Your goodness You provide for the needy. – Psalms 68:11

But I am poor and needy O,God, hasten to me! You are my help and my rescuer; O, LORD, do not delay. – Psalms 70:6

O God, endow the king with Your judgments, the king’s son with Your righteousness; that he may judge Your people rightly, Your lowly ones, justly.

Let the mountains produce well-being for the people, the hills, the reward of justice. Let him champion the lowly among the people, deliver the needy folk,

and crush those who wrong them. Let them fear You as long as the sun shines, while the moon lasts, generations on end. – Psalms 72:1-5

For he saves the needy who cry out, the lowly who have no helper. He cares about the poor and the needy; He brings the needy deliverance. – Psalms 72:12-13

Let not the downtrodden turn away disappointed; let the poor and needy praise Your name. – Psalms 74:21

Judge the wretched and the orphan, vindicate the lowly and the poor, rescue the wretched and the needy; save them from the hand of the wicked. – Psalms 82:3-4

For the LORD has built Zion; He has appeared in all His glory. He has turned to the prayer of the destitute and has not spurned their prayer. – Psalms 102:17-18

Let them praise the LORD for His steadfast love, His wondrous deeds for mankind; for He has satisfied the thirsty, filled the hungry with all good things. – Psalms 107:8-9

He pours contempt on great men and makes them lose their way in trackless deserts; but the needy He secures from suffering, and increases their families like flocks. The upright see it and rejoice; the mouth of all wrongdoers is stopped. The wise man will take note of these things; he will consider the steadfast love of the LORD.- Psalms 107:40-43

May God be ever mindful of his father’s iniquity, and may the sin of his mother not be blotted out. May the LORD be aware of them always and cause their names to be cut off from the earth, because he was not minded to act kindly,

and hounded to death the poor and needy man, one crushed in spirit. – Psalms 109:14-16

Now You, O God, my Lord, act on my behalf as befits Your name. Good and faithful as You are, save me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is pierced within me. – Psalms 109:21-22

My mouth shall sing much praise to the LORD; I will acclaim Him in the midst of a throng, because He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who would condemn him. – Psalms 109:30-31

All goes well with the man who lends generously, who conducts his affairs with equity. He shall never be shaken; the beneficent man will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is resolute, he is unafraid; in the end he will see the fall of his foes.

He gives freely to the poor; his beneficence lasts forever, his horn is exalted in honor. – Psalms 112:5-9

Who is like the LORD our God, who, enthroned on high, sees what is below, in heaven and on earth?

He raises the poor from the dust, lifts up the needy from the refuse heap to set them with the great, with the great men of His people. – Psalms 113:5-8

For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His seat. This is my resting-place for all time; here I will dwell, for I desire it. I will amply bless its store of food, give its needy their fill of bread. – Psalms 132:13-15

I know that the LORD will champion the cause of the poor, the right of the needy. – Psalms 140:13

The LORD supports all who stumble, and makes all who are bent stand straight. The eyes of all look to You expectantly, and You give them their food when it is due. You give it openhandedly, feeding every creature to its heart’s content. — Psalms 145:14-16

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God, maker of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them;

who keeps faith forever; who secures justice for those who are wronged, gives food to the hungry. – Psalms 146:5-7

The LORD watches over the stranger; He gives courage to the orphan and widow, But makes the path of the wicked tortuous. – Psalms 146:9

So follow the way of the good And keep to the paths of the just. For the upright will inhabit the earth, The blameless will remain in it. While the wicked will vanish from the land And the treacherous will be rooted out of it. – Proverbs 2:20-22

Do not withhold good from one who deserves it When you have the power to do it [for him]. Do not say to your fellow, “Come back again; I’ll give it to you tomorrow,” when you have it with you. – Proverbs 3:27-28

The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the abode of the righteous. – Proverbs 3:33

The path of the righteous is like radiant sunlight, Ever brightening until noon. The way of the wicked is all darkness; They do not know what will make them stumble. – Proverbs 4:18-19

Wealth is of no avail on the day of wrath, But righteousness saves from death, The righteousness of the blameless man smoothes his way, But the wicked man is felled by his wickedness. The righteousness of the upright saves them, But the treacherous are trapped by their malice. At death the hopes of a wicked man are doomed, And the ambition of evil men comes to nothing. The righteous man is rescued from trouble. And the wicked man takes his place. – Proverbs 11:4-8

A kindly man benefits himself; A cruel man makes trouble for himself. The wicked man earns illusory wages, But he who sows righteousness has a true reward. Righteousness is a prop of life, But to pursue evil leads to death. Men of crooked mind are an abomination to the LORD, But those whose way is blameless please Him. Assuredly, the evil man will not escape, But the offspring of the righteous will be safe. – Proverbs 11:17-21

What the righteous desire can only be good; What the wicked hope for [stirs] wrath. One man gives generously and ends with more; Another stints on doing the right thing and incurs a loss. A generous person enjoys prosperity;

He who satisfies others shall himself be sated. He who withholds grain earns the curses of the people, But blessings are on the head of the one who dispenses it. He who earnestly seeks what is good pursues what is pleasing; He who is bent on evil, upon him it shall come. He who trusts in his wealth shall fall, But the righteous shall flourish like foliage. – Proverbs 11:23-28

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; A wise man captivates people. If the righteous on earth get their deserts How much more the wicked man and the sinner. – Proverbs 11:30-31

The purposes of the righteous are justice, The schemes of the wicked are deceit. – Proverbs 12:5

A man gets his fill of good from the fruit of his speech; One is repaid in kind for one’s deeds. – Proverbs 12:14

He who despises his fellow is wrong; He who shows pity for the lowly is happy. – Proverbs 14:21

He who withholds what is due to the poor affronts his Maker; He who shows pity for the needy honors Him. – Proverbs 14:31

Righteousness exalts a nation; Sin is a reproach to any people. – Proverbs 14:34

The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves him who pursues righteousness. – Proverbs 15:9

Better a meal of vegetables where there is love Than a fattened ox where there is hate. – Proverbs 15:17

The LORD will tear down the house of the proud, But He will establish the homestead of the widow. – Proverbs 15:25

He who mocks the poor affronts his Maker; He who rejoices over another’s misfortune will not go unpunished. – Proverbs 17:5

A joyful heart makes for good health; – Proverbs 17:22

He who is generous to the poor makes a loan to the LORD; He will repay him his due. – Proverbs 19:17

Bread gained by fraud may be tasty to a man, But later his mouth will be filled with gravel. – Proverbs 20:17

Put your hope in the LORD and He will deliver you. – Proverbs 20:22

Who stops his ears at the cry of the wretched, He too will call and not be answered. – Proverbs 21:13

He who strives to do good and kind deeds Attains life, success, and honor. – Proverbs 21:21

He who sows injustice shall reap misfortune; His rod of wrath shall fail. The generous man is blessed. For he gives of his bread to the poor. – Proverbs 22:8-9

To profit by withholding what is due to the poor Is like making gifts to the rich – pure loss. – Proverbs 22:16

Do not rob the wretched because he is wretched; Do not crush the poor man in the gate; For the LORD will take up their cause And despoil those who despoil them of life. – Proverbs 22:22-23

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. You will be heaping live coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you. – Proverbs 25:21-22

A poor man who withholds what is due to the wretched Is like a destructive rain that leaves no food. – Proverbs 28:3

He who gives to the poor will not be in want, But he who shuts his eyes will be roundly cursed. – Proverbs 28:27

A righteous man is concerned with the cause of the wretched; A wicked man cannot understand such concern. – Proverbs 29:7

Give me neither poverty nor riches, But provide me with my daily bread, Lest, being sated, I renounce, saying, “Who is the LORD?”

Or, being impoverished, I take to theft And profane the name of my God. – Proverbs 30:8-9

Wine is not for kings, O Lemuel; Not for kings to drink, Nor any strong drink for princes, Lest they drink and forget what has been ordained, And infringe on the rights of the poor,

Give strong drink to the hapless And wine to the embittered. Let them drink and forget their poverty, And put their troubles out of mind. Speak up for the dumb, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Speak up, judge righteously, Champion the poor and the needy. – Proverbs 31:4-9

She gives generously to the poor; Her hands are stretched out to the needy. – Proverbs 31:20

Then Job arose, tore his robe, cut off his hair, and threw himself on the ground and worshipped. He said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD has given, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” – Job 1:20-21

You know that your wickedness is great, And that your iniquities have no limit. You exact pledges from your fellows without reason, And leave them naked, stripped of their clothes; You do not give the thirsty water to drink; You deny bread to the hungry. The land belongs to the strong; The privileged occupy it. You have sent away widows empty-handed; The strength of the fatherless is broken. Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terrors frighten you, Or darkness, so you cannot see; A flood of waters covers you. – Job 22:8-11

For I saved the poor man who cried out, The orphan who had none to help him. I received the blessing of the lost; I gladdened the heart of the widow.

I clothed myself in righteousness and it robed me; Justice was my cloak and turban. I was eyes to the blind And feet to the lame.

I was a father to the needy, And I looked into the case of the stranger. I broke the jaws of the wrongdoer, And I wrested prey from his teeth. – Job 29:12-17

Did I not weep for the unfortunate? Did I not grieve for the needy? – Job 30:25

Did I deny the poor their needs, Or let a widow pine away, By eating my food alone, The fatherless not eating of it also? – Job 31:16-17

I never saw an unclad wretch, A needy man without clothing, Whose loins did not bless me As he warmed himself with the shearing of my sheep. If I raised my hand against the fatherless,

Looking to my supporters in the gate, May my arm drop off my shoulder; My forearm break off at the elbow. – Job 31:19-22

When (Ruth) got up again to glean, Boaz gave orders to his workers, “You are not only to let her glean among the sheaves, without interference, but you must also pull some [stalks] out of the heaps and leave them for her to glean, and not scold her.” – Ruth 2:15-16

Send your bread forth upon the waters; for after many days you will find it. Distribute portions to seven or even to eight, for you cannot know what misfortune may occur on earth. – Ecclesiastics 11:1

“Redeem your sins by beneficence and your iniquities by generosity to the poor; then your serenity may be extended.” – Daniel 4:24

He further said to them, “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord.” – Nehemiah 8:10

The chief priest Azariah, of the house of Zadok, replied to him, saying, “Ever since the gifts began to be brought to the House of the LORD, people have been eating to satiety and leaving over in great amounts, for the LORD has blessed His people; this huge amount is left over!” – II Chronicles 31:10