²⁵ Have I not been weeping for the crushed? and was not my soul sad for him who was in need?

¹⁵ Take part in the joy of those who are glad, and in the grief of those who are sorrowing.

¹³ But as for me, when they were ill I put on the clothing of sorrow: I went without food and was sad, and my prayer came back again to my heart.

¹⁴ My behaviour was as if it had been my friend or my brother: I was bent low in grief like one whose mother is dead.

¹⁷ But if you do not give ear to it, my soul will be weeping in secret for your pride; my eye will be weeping bitterly, streaming with water, because the Lord's flock has been taken away as prisoners.

⁹ As it is said in the Writings, He has sent out far and wide, he has given to the poor; his righteousness is for ever.

³⁵ And Jesus himself was weeping.

⁴¹ And when he got near and saw the town, he was overcome with weeping for it,

²⁷ For this cause, O King, let my suggestion be pleasing to you, and let your sins be covered by righteousness and your evil-doing by mercy to the poor, so that the time of your well-being may be longer.

²⁰ Is evil to be the reward of good? for they have made a deep hole for my soul. Keep in mind how I took my place before you, to say a good word for them so that your wrath might be turned away from them.

⁷ Is it not to give your bread to those in need, and to let the poor who have no resting-place come into your house? to put a robe on the unclothed one when you see him, and not to keep your eyes shut for fear of seeing his flesh?

⁸ Then will light be shining on you like the morning, and your wounds will quickly be well: and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will come after you.

⁸ He who makes his wealth greater by taking interest, only gets it together for him who has pity on the poor.

¹⁷ He who has pity on the poor gives to the Lord, and the Lord will give him his reward.

⁵ Whoever makes sport of the poor puts shame on his Maker; and he who is glad because of trouble will not go free from punishment.

³¹ He who is hard on the poor puts shame on his Maker; but he who has mercy on those who are in need gives him honour.

²¹ He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy.

¹ <For the chief music-maker on the Sheminith. A Psalm. Of David.> Send help, Lord, for mercy has come to an end; there is no more faith among the children of men.

¹⁶ If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;

¹⁷ If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;

¹⁸ (For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;)

¹⁹ If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;

²⁰ If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;

²¹ If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges;

⁴ The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.