-
Ephesians 6:8-20
knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord.And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest,and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit— which is the word of God.Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.
-
Luke 16:1-13
Now he said to the disciples,“ There was a rich man who received an accusation that his manager was squandering his possessions.So he called the manager in and asked,‘ What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be my manager.’“ Then the manager said to himself,‘ What will I do since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg.I know what I’ll do so that when I’m removed from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’“ So he summoned each one of his master’s debtors.‘ How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first one.“‘ A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he said.“‘ Take your invoice,’ he told him,‘ sit down quickly, and write fifty.’“ Next he asked another,‘ How much do you owe?’“‘ A hundred measures of wheat,’ he said.“‘ Take your invoice,’ he told him,‘ and write eighty.’“ The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the children of this age are more shrewd than the children of light in dealing with their own people.And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings.Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much.So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with what is genuine?And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
-
Leviticus 25:39-43
“ If your brother among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, you must not force him to do slave labor.Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he may work for you until the Year of Jubilee.Then he and his children are to be released from you, and he may return to his clan and his ancestral property.They are not to be sold as slaves, because they are my servants that I brought out of the land of Egypt.You are not to rule over them harshly but fear your God.
-
Revelation 17:14
These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
-
Ecclesiastes 5:8
If you see oppression of the poor and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation, because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them.
-
Deuteronomy 24:14-15
“ Do not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether one of your Israelite brothers or one of the resident aliens in a town in your land.You are to pay him his wages each day before the sun sets, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be held guilty.
-
Matthew 24:48-51
But if that wicked servant says in his heart,‘ My master is delayed,’and starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards,that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know.He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
-
James 5:4
Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Armies.
-
Revelation 19:16
And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
-
James 2:13
For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
-
Leviticus 19:13
“ Do not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages due a hired worker must not remain with you until morning.
-
Deuteronomy 15:12-15
“ If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year.When you set him free, do not send him away empty-handed.Give generously to him from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You are to give him whatever the LORD your God has blessed you with.Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.
-
Job 31:13-15
If I have dismissed the case of my male or female servants when they made a complaint against me,what could I do when God stands up to judge? How should I answer him when he calls me to account?Did not the one who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same God form us both in the womb?
-
Jeremiah 34:9-17
As a result, each was to let his male and female Hebrew slaves go free, and no one was to enslave his fellow Judean.All the officials and people who entered into covenant to let their male and female slaves go free— in order not to enslave them any longer— obeyed and let them go free.Afterward, however, they changed their minds and took back their male and female slaves they had let go free and forced them to become slaves again.Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD:“ This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying,‘ At the end of seven years, each of you must let his fellow Hebrew who sold himself to you go. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free from your service.’ But your ancestors did not obey me or pay any attention.Today you repented and did what pleased me, each of you proclaiming freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before me at the house that bears my name.But you have changed your minds and profaned my name. Each has taken back his male and female slaves who had been let go free to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.“ Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming freedom, each for his fellow Hebrew and for his neighbor. I hereby proclaim freedom for you— this is the LORD’s declaration— to the sword, to plague, and to famine! I will make you a horror to all the earth’s kingdoms.
-
Nehemiah 5:5-13
We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”I became extremely angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them,“ Each of you is charging his countrymen interest.” So I called a large assembly against themand said,“ We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back.” They remained silent and could not say a word.Then I said,“ What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies?Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let’s stop charging this interest.Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and fresh oil that you have been assessing them.”They responded,“ We will return these things and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this.I also shook the folds of my robe and said,“ May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said,“ Amen,” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.
-
Malachi 3:5
“ I will come to you in judgment, and I will be ready to witness against sorcerers and adulterers; against those who swear falsely; against those who oppress the hired worker, the widow, and the fatherless; and against those who deny justice to the resident alien. They do not fear me,” says the LORD of Armies.
-
Isaiah 58:5-9
Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the LORD?Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood?Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the LORD’s glory will be your rear guard.At that time, when you call, the LORD will answer; when you cry out, he will say,‘ Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,
-
Job 24:11-12
They crush olives in their presses; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.From the city, men groan; the mortally wounded cry for help, yet God pays no attention to this crime.
-
Luke 19:15
“ At his return, having received the authority to be king, he summoned those servants he had given the money to, so that he could find out how much they had made in business.
-
Isaiah 58:3
“ Why have we fasted, but you have not seen? We have denied ourselves, but you haven’t noticed!”“ Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.
-
Matthew 23:8-9
“ But you are not to be called‘ Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.