Luke 18:3–4

¹⁷Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

¹⁷Learne to doe well, seeke iudgement, ^‖relieue the oppressed, iudge the fatherlesse, plead for the widow.

²⁸They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

^28**They are waxen fat, they shine: yea they ouerpasse the deedes of the wicked: they iudge not the cause, the cause of the fatherlesse, yet they prosper: and the right of the needy doe they not iudge.

⁹Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

⁹Thou hast sent widowes away emptie, and the armes of the fatherlesse haue bene broken.

¹⁹Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

¹⁹Cursed be hee that peruerteth the iudgement of the stranger, fatherlesse, and widow: and all the people shall say, Amen.

¹³The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

¹³The blessing of him that was readie to perish, came vpon me: and I caused the widowes heart to sing for ioy.

⁷And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

⁸I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

⁷And shall not God auenge his owne elect, which crie day and night vnto him, thogh he beare long with them?

⁸I tell you that he wil auenge them speedily. Neuerthelesse, when the Son of man commeth, shall hee find faith on the earth?

³For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

⁴For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

³For rulers are not a terrour to good works, but to the euill. Wilt thou then not bee afraide of the power? doe that which is good, and thou shalt haue praise of the same.

⁴For hee is the minister of God to thee for good: but if thou do that which is euill, be afraid: for he beareth not the sword in vaine: for he is the minister of God, a reuenger to execute wrath vpon him that doeth euill.

⁵And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

⁶And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.

⁷And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.

⁸And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

⁹And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.

¹⁰And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

¹¹Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

¹²Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

¹³And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.

¹⁴For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

¹⁵Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.

¹⁶For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

¹⁷Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the Lord thy God will be with thee.

¹⁸Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.

¹⁹And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:

²⁰To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

²¹¶ And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.

²²And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.

²³So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

²⁴And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

⁵And the king said vnto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

⁶And thy handmayd had two sonnes, and they two stroue together in the field, and there was ^†none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.

⁷And behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmayd, and they said, Deliuer him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew, and we will destroy the heire also: and so they shall quench my cole which is left, and shall not leaue to my husband neither name nor remainder ^†vpon the earth.

⁸And the king saide vnto the woman, Goe to thine house, and I will giue charge concerning thee.

⁹And the woman of Tekoah said vnto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquitie bee on mee, and on my fathers house: and the king and his throne bee guiltlesse.

¹⁰And the king said, Whosoeuer saith ought vnto thee, bring him to mee, and he shall not touch thee any more.

¹¹Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, ^†that thou wouldest not suffer the reuengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my sonne. And he said, As the LORD liueth, there shall not one haire of thy sonne fall to the earth.

¹²Then the woman said, Let thine handmayd, I pray thee, speake one word vnto my lord the king. And hee said, Say on.

¹³And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? For the king doeth speake this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doeth not fetch home againe his banished.

¹⁴For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot bee gathered vp againe: ^‖neither doeth God respect any person, yet doeth he deuise meanes, that his banished bee not expelled from him.

¹⁵Now therefore that I am come to speake of this thing vnto my lord the king, it is because the people haue made me afraid: and thy handmayd said, I will now speake vnto the king; it may bee that the king will performe the request of his handmayd.

¹⁶For the king wil heare, to deliuer his handmayd out of the hand of the man that would destroy mee, and my sonne together out of the inheritance of God:

¹⁷Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be ^†comfortable: for as an Angel of God, so is my lord the king ^†to discerne good and bad: therfore the LORD thy God will be with thee.

¹⁸Then the king answered and said vnto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall aske thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speake.

¹⁹And the king said, Is not the hand of Ioab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soule liueth, my lord the king, none can turne to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy seruant Ioab, hee bade me, and he put all these wordes in the mouth of thine handmaid:

²⁰To fetch about this forme of speech hath thy seruant Ioab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisedome of an Angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

²¹¶ And the king said vnto Ioab, Behold now, I haue done this thing: goe therefore, bring the yong man Absalom againe.

²²And Ioab fell to the ground on his face, & bowed himselfe, and ^†thanked the king: and Ioab said, To day thy seruant knoweth that I haue found grace in thy sight, my lord O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of ^‖his seruant.

²³So Ioab arose, and went to Geshur, & brought Absalom to Ierusalem.

²⁴And the king said, Let him turne to his owne house, & let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his owne house, and sawe not the kings face.

²¹¶ How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

²²Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

²³Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

²¹¶ Howe is the faithfull citie become an harlot? it was full of iudgement, righteousnesse lodged in it; but now murtherers.

²²Thy siluer is become drosse, thy wine mixt with water.

²³Thy princes are rebellious and companions of theeues: euery one loueth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they ^*iudge not the fatherlesse, neither doth the cause of the widowe come vnto them.

¹²For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

¹³Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

¹²For the word of God is quicke and powerfull, and sharper then any two edged sword, pearcing euen to the diuiding asunder of soule and spirit, and of the ioynts and marrowe, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

¹³Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked, and opened vnto the eyes of him with whome wee haue to doe.

¹⁷And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

¹⁷And he thought within himselfe, saying, What shall I doe, because I haue no roome where to bestow my fruits?

³Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

³Then the Steward said within himselfe, What shall I doe, for my lord taketh away from mee the Stewardship? I cannot digge, to begge I am ashamed.