1Empty and false are the hopes of a senseless man, and dreams give wings to fools.
2Like one who grasps at a shadow and pursues the wind, so is he who pays attention to dreams.
3This against that is the vision of dreams: the likeness of a face opposite a face.
4From the unclean, what can be cleansed? And from the false, what can be true?
5With a good eye, give to the poor, and do not be angry when you give to him.
6Unless it is sent from the Most High in a visitation, do not give your heart to them.
7Dreams have deceived many, and those who put their hope in them have fallen.
8Without deceit the law will be fulfilled, and wisdom is perfection in a faithful mouth.
9In all your deeds, let your face shine, and with joy dedicate the tithe.
10Give to him according to his gift to you, with a good eye and according to what your hand can afford.
11For God is a God of repayments, and he will repay you sevenfold. He who gives to the needy lends to Yahweh, and who is a master of recompense if not he?
12Do not offer a bribe, for he will not accept it, and do not trust in a sacrifice from extortion. For he is a God of justice, and with him there is no partiality.
13He will not show partiality against the poor, but he will hear the plea of the oppressed.
14He will not ignore the cry of the orphan, or the widow when she pours out her complaint.
15Does not the tear run down the cheek, and the groan over her oppressors?
16The bitterness of desire he lays to rest, and her cry pierces the clouds.
17The cry of the poor passes through the clouds, and until it reaches its goal, it will not rest. It will not cease until God visits, and the righteous judge executes justice.
18Indeed, God will not delay, and like a warrior, he will not restrain himself until he smashes the loins of the merciless and repays vengeance to the nations, until he removes the scepter of arrogance and cuts off the staff of the wicked.
19Until he repays a man for his deed, and the works of a man according to his thoughts; until he judges the case of his people, and makes them rejoice in his salvation.
20The loving-kindness of Yahweh is beautiful in a time of distress, like a cloud of rain in a time of drought.
21He who sacrifices from what is unjustly acquired—the offering is a mockery;
22and the mockeries of the lawless are not acceptable.
23The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the wicked, nor is he appeased for sins by a multitude of sacrifices.
24Like one who slays a son before his father’s eyes is he who brings a sacrifice from the possessions of the poor.
25The bread of the needy is the life of the poor; he who deprives them of it is a man of blood.
26He who takes away a livelihood slays his neighbor,
27and he who withholds the wages of a hired worker sheds blood.
28One building and one tearing down, what have they gained but toil?
29One praying and one cursing, whose voice will the Master hear?
30One who bathes after touching a corpse and then touches it again, what has he gained by his washing?
31So it is with a man who fasts for his sins and goes and does the same things again. Who will hear his prayer? And what has he gained by humbling himself?
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