Bible Verses About Beneficence: General references

"'If a member of your people has become poor, so that he can't support himself among you, you are to assist him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident, so that he can continue living with you.

Do not charge him interest or otherwise profit from him, but fear your God, so that your brother can continue living with you.

Do not take interest when you loan him money or take a profit when you sell him food.

I am ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt in order to give you the land of Kena'an and be your God.

"'If a member of your people has become poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him do the work of a slave.

Rather, you are to treat him like an employee or a tenant; he will work for you until the year of yovel.

Then he will leave you, he and his children with him, and return to his own family and regain possession of his ancestral land.

For they are my slaves, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; therefore they are not to be sold as slaves.

Do not treat him harshly, but fear your God.

"If someone among you is needy, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which ADONAI your God is giving you, you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from giving to your needy brother.

No, you must open your hand to him and lend him enough to meet his need and enable him to obtain what he wants.

Guard yourself against allowing your heart to entertain the mean-spirited thought that because the seventh year, the year of sh'mittah is at hand, you would be stingy toward your needy brother and not give him anything; for then he may cry out to ADONAI against you, and it will be your sin.

Rather, you must give to him; and you are not to be grudging when you give to him. If you do this, ADONAI your God will bless you in all your work, in everything you undertake -

for there will always be poor people in the land. That is why I am giving you this order, 'You must open your hand to your poor and needy brother in your land.'

"If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, he is to serve you for six years; but in the seventh year, you are to set him free.

Moreover, when you set him free, don't let him leave empty-handed;

but supply him generously from your flock, threshing-floor and winepress; from what ADONAI your God has blessed you with, you are to give to him.

Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and ADONAI your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this order today.

Don't withhold good from someone entitled to it when you have in hand the power to do it.

Don't tell your neighbor, "Go away! Come another time; I'll give it to you tomorrow," when you have it now.

If someone who hates you is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

For you will heap fiery coals [of shame] on his head, and ADONAI will reward you.

"Here is the sort of fast I want - releasing those unjustly bound, untying the thongs of the yoke, letting the oppressed go free, breaking every yoke,

sharing your food with the hungry, taking the homeless poor into your house, clothing the naked when you see them, fulfilling your duty to your kinsmen!"

generously offer food to the hungry and meet the needs of the person in trouble; then your light will rise in the darkness, and your gloom become like noon.