Rescue the poor and needy! Deliver them from the power ¹  of the wicked!

He will take pity ¹  on the poor and needy; the lives of the needy he will save.

Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame! Let the oppressed and poor praise your name! ¹ 

For I am oppressed and needy, and my heart beats violently within me. ¹ 

Open your mouth, judge in righteousness, ¹  and plead the cause ²  of the poor and needy.

You must not oppress a lowly and poor servant, whether one from among your fellow Israelites ¹  or from the resident foreigners who are living in your land and villages. ² 

Before daybreak ¹  the murderer rises up; he kills the poor and the needy; in the night he is ²  like a thief. ³ 

Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows, to bring down ¹  the oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those who are godly. ² 

Pay attention, all you people, ¹  both rich and poor!

A prayer of David. Listen ²  O Lord! Answer me! For I am oppressed and needy.

He upheld the cause of the poor and needy. So things went well for Judah.’ ¹  The Lord says, ‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.’ ² 

We’re eager to trade silver for the poor, ¹  a pair of sandals ²  for the needy! We want to mix in some chaff with the grain!” ³ 

With all my strength I will say, ¹  “O Lord, who can compare to you? You rescue ²  the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; ³  the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.” ⁴ 

I am oppressed and needy! ¹  May the Lord pay attention to me! ²  You are my helper and my deliverer! O my God, do not delay!

I am oppressed and needy! ¹  O God, hurry to me! ²  You are my helper and my deliverer! O Lord, ³  do not delay!

For he never bothered to show kindness; ¹  he harassed the oppressed and needy, and killed the disheartened. ² 

oppresses the poor and the needy, ¹  commits robbery, does not give back what was given in pledge, prays to ²  idols, performs abominable acts,

The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have wronged the poor and needy; they have oppressed the foreigner who lives among them and denied them justice. ¹ 

This is what the Lord says: “Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions ¹  – make that four! ²  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ³  They sold the innocent ⁴  for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals. ⁵ 

“‘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.