“‘If your brother becomes impoverished and is indebted to you, you must support him; he must live with you like a foreign resident.

He must be with you as a hired worker, as a resident foreigner; he must serve with you until the year of jubilee,

If it does not accept terms of peace but makes war with you, then you are to lay siege to it.

Is it because of your piety that he rebukes you and goes to judgment with you?

I will reply to you, and to your friends with you.

Then he will judge your people fairly, and your oppressed ones equitably.

But I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.

O Lord, they crush your people; they oppress the nation that belongs to you.

Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people! Pay attention to me, when you deliver,

But you are willing to forgive, so that you might be honored.

If I tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. Even if I finished counting them, I would still have to contend with you.

They replied, “We could plainly see that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be a pact between us – between us and you. Allow us to make a treaty with you

“‘If a resident foreigner who is with you prospers and your brother becomes impoverished with regard to him so that he sells himself to a resident foreigner who is with you or to a member of a foreigner’s family,

Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”

“But these things you have concealed in your heart; I know that this is with you:

But if only God would speak, if only he would open his lips against you,

Are God’s consolations too trivial for you; or a word spoken in gentleness to you?

Make then my pledge with you. Who else will put up security for me?

For in truth, my words are not false; it is one complete in knowledge who is with you.

Will it make a pact with you, so you could take it as your slave for life?