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14 The curse of the Lordshall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely.

15 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression, the same is the companion of a destroyer.

16 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue, is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

17 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgement.

18 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

19 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

20 A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.

21 Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.

22 A just weight and balance are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are his work.

23 Divers weights and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.

24 Remove not the ancient land-mark which thy fathers have set.

25 Remove not the old landmark and enter not into the fields of the fatherless.

26 For their Redeemer is mighty: he shall plead their cause with thee.

SECTION V.-Justice.

LESSON LIII.

WHEN the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

2 It is joy to the just to do judgement: but destruction

shall be to the workers of iniquity.

14 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear, so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

15 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

16 An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that

3 To crush under his feet all is upright in the way, is abomination to the wicked.

the prisoners of the earth,

4 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

5 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.

6 To punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.

7 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgement scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

8 The king by judgement stablisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts, overthroweth it.

9 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

10 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.

11 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

12 If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.

13 The poor and the deceit ful man meet together; the Lord lighteneth both their eyes.

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Ye shall judge in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

2 Ye shall have one manner of law; as well for the stranger as for one of your own country.

3 Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

4 If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgement, the judges shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.

5 Ye shall not respect persons in judgement, but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgement is God's.

and execute justice and judgement: take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord.

7 The prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of possession.

8 He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God:

9 And he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun ariseth, even as a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

10 Therefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do justice; for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

11 Take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for men, but for God, who is with you in judgement.

12 Samuel said unto all

Israel:

13 I am old and gray-headed, and my sons are before you; and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

14 Behold, here I am; witness against me before the Lord and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? or whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it unto you.

15 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, nor taken aught of any man's

6 Remove violence and spoil, hand.

SECTION VI.-Humanity.

LESSON LV.

BEHOLD, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

¶2 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

3 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.

4 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

5 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

6 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

7 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him.

8. If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

9 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.

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10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

11 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

12 He that giveth unto the poor, shall not lack; but he that hideth his eyes, shall have many a curse.

13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

14 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

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15 He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

16 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.

17 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

18 The poor useth entreaties; but the rich answereth roughly. .19 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.

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20 A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

21 Wealth maketh many friends but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

22 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is ser vant to the lender.

23 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy

is he.

24 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker : but he that honoureth Him hath mercy on the poor.

25 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

26 Rob not the poor, because he is poor; neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

27 For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

28 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of the strangers that are in thy land;

29 At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it.

30 If thy brother be waxen poor and fallen in decay with thee, then thou shalt relieve him; yea, though he be a stranger or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.

¶31 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh

closer than a brother: thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not.

32 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend.

33 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

34 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

¶35 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

36 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

37 Wo unto him that causeth the blind to wander out of his way; that perverteth the judgement of the stranger, the fatherless and widow; that smiteth his neighbour secretly; or that taketh reward to slay an inno cent person,

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