“‘See here – this was the iniquity ¹  of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had majesty, abundance of food, and enjoyed carefree ease, but they did not help ²  the poor and needy.

The one who is lazy ¹  becomes poor, ²  but the one who works diligently ³  becomes wealthy. ⁴ 

For the kingdom of God is demonstrated not in idle talk but with power.

Will your idle talk ¹  reduce people to silence, ²  and will no one rebuke ³  you when you mock? ⁴ 

We have heard about Moab’s pride, their great arrogance, their boasting, pride, and excess. ¹  But their boastful claims are empty! ² 

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, ¹  admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all.

For if ¹  these things are really yours ²  and are continually increasing, ³  they will keep you from becoming ⁴  ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of ⁵  knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately. ⁶ 

People lie to one another; ¹  they flatter and deceive. ² 

The one who works ¹  his field will have plenty ²  of food, but whoever chases daydreams ³  lacks wisdom. ⁴ 

Those who make cloth ¹  will be demoralized; ²  all the hired workers will be depressed. ³ 

You must ¹  observe the Sabbath ²  rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. ³  You must look forward to the Sabbath ⁴  and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. ⁵  You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. ⁶ 

Some have strayed from these and turned away to empty discussion.

You are too just ¹  to tolerate ²  evil; you are unable to condone ³  wrongdoing. So why do you put up with such treacherous people? ⁴  Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour ⁵  those more righteous than they are? ⁶ 

You must not go about as a slanderer among your people. ¹  You must not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake. ²  I am the Lord.

In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, ¹  and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage, ²  we are sending the king this information ³ 

A song, a psalm of Asaph. O God, do not be silent! Do not ignore us! ²  Do not be inactive, O God!

Banish ¹  emotional stress ²  from your mind. ³  and put away pain ⁴  from your body; ⁵  for youth ⁶  and the prime of life ⁷  are fleeting. ⁸ 

when those who keep watch over the house ¹  begin to tremble, ²  and the virile men begin to stoop over, ³  and the grinders ⁴  begin to cease because they grow few, and those who look through the windows grow dim, ⁵ 

I, the Lord, affirm that ¹  I know how arrogant they are. But their pride is ill-founded. Their boastings will prove to be false. ² 

Why do you force me to witness injustice? ¹  Why do you put up with wrongdoing? ²  Destruction and violence confront ³  me; conflict is present and one must endure strife. ⁴