44 Bible Verses about oppression

Go to now, ye rich men. Weep, and howl on your wretchedness that shall come upon you. Your riches is corrupt, your garments are motheaten. Your gold and your silver are cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness unto you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together in your last days. read more.
Behold, the hire of the laborers which have reaped down your fields - which hire is of you kept back by fraud - crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and in wantonness. Ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

Thus have I been twenty years in thy house, and served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy sheep, and thou hast changed my reward ten times.

The people in the land useth wicked extortion and robbery. They vex the poor and needy and oppress the stranger against right.

and made their lives bitter unto them with cruel labour in clay and brick, and all manner work in the fields, and in all manner of service, which they caused them to work cruelly.

Behold, the hire of the laborers which have reaped down your fields - which hire is of you kept back by fraud - crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

And there cried a certain woman of the wives of the children of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, "Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD. And the creditor is come to fetch my two sons, to be his bondmen."

So I turned me, and considered all the violent wrong that is done under the Sun, and beheld the tears of such as were oppressed; and there was no man to comfort them or that would deliver and defend them from the violence of their oppressors.

Vex not a stranger, neither oppress him, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Thou shalt not oppress a stranger, for I know the heart of a stranger, because ye were strangers in Egypt.

Thou shalt not defraud a hired servant that is needy and poor, whether he be of thy brethren or a stranger that is in thy land within thy cities.

And see that no man oppress his neighbour, but fear thy God. For I am the LORD your God.

See that thou rob not the poor because he is weak, and oppress not the simple in judgment;

I will come and punish you, and I myself will be a swift witness against the witches, against the adulterers, against false swearers: yea, and against those that wrongfully keep back the hireling's duty, which vex the widows and the fatherless, and oppress the stranger, and fear not me, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.

O hear this word, ye fat cows, that be upon the hill of Samaria; yea, that do poor men wrong, and oppress the needy; yea, that say to your lords, 'Bring hither, let us drink.'

Nevertheless, as for thine eyes and thine heart, they look upon covetousness, to shed innocent blood, and to do wrong and violence.'"

Behold, the hire of the laborers which have reaped down your fields - which hire is of you kept back by fraud - crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

When they covet to have land, they take it by violence; they rob men of their houses. Thus they oppress a man for his house, and every man for his heritage.

For thus hath the LORD said: My people went down aforetime into Egypt, there to be strangers. Afterward did the king of the Assyrians oppress them for naught.

Now therefore behold, the complaint of the children of Israel is come unto me and I have also seen the oppression, wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

And we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and looked on our adversity, labour and oppression.

Wherefore the LORD waxed angry with Israel, and delivered them unto the hands of raveners to spoil them and sold them into the hands of their enemies round about them, so that they had no power any longer to stand before their enemies.

Whoso doth a poor man wrong, to increase his own riches, and giveth unto the rich to please him, at the last cometh to poverty himself.

He that doth a poor man wrong, blasphemeth his maker; but whoso hath pity of the poor, doth honour unto God.

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, "For the same cause do my thoughts compel me to answer. And why? My mind is tossed here and there. I have sufficiently heard thy checking and reproof; therefore am I purposed to make answer after mine understanding. read more.
Knowest thou not this, namely: that from the beginning - ever since the creation of man upon earth - the praise of the ungodly hath been short, and that the joy of the hypocrites continued but the twinkling of an eye? Though he be magnified up to the heaven, so that his head reacheth into the clouds: yet he perisheth at the last, like dung. Insomuch that they which have seen him, say, 'Where is he?' He vanisheth as a dream, so that he can no more be found, and passeth away as a vision in the night. So that the eye which saw him before, getteth now no sight of him, and his place knoweth him no more. "His children shall be fain to agree with the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods. From his youth his bones are full of vice; but now shall it lie down with him in the earth. When wickedness was sweet in his mouth, he hid it under his tongue. That he favoured, that would he not forsake; but kept it close in his throat. The bread that he did eat is turned to the poison of serpents, within his body. The riches that he devoured, shall he vomit out again; for God shall draw them out of his belly. He shall suck the serpent's gall, and the adder's tongue shall slay him: so that he shall no more see the rivers, and brooks of honey and butter. But he shall labour, and yet have nothing to eat. Great travail shall he make for riches, but he shall not enjoy them. And why? He hath oppressed the poor, and not helped them: houses hath he spoiled, and not builded them.

One poor man oppressing another by violence, is like a continual rain that destroyeth the fruit.

Then chattered I like a swallow, and like a crane, and mourned as a dove. I lift up mine eyes to the height: 'O LORD,' say I, 'violence is done unto me, be thou surety for me.'

O deliver me from the wrongful dealings of men; and so shall I keep thy commandments.

from the ungodly that trouble me. Mine enemies compass me round about, to take away my soul.

Wherefore hidest thou thy face? Wilt thou clean forget our misery and oppression?

{Ayin} I deal with the thing that is lawful and right; O give me not over unto mine oppressors.

Then shall Zion say, "God hath forsaken me, and the LORD hath forgotten me." Doth a wife forget the child of her womb, and the son who she hath born? And though she do forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold, I have written thee up upon my hands, thy walls are ever in my sight. read more.
They that have broken thee down, shall make haste to build thee up again: and they that made thee waste, shall dwell in thee. Lift up thine eyes, and look about thee: all these shall gather them together, and come to thee. As truly as I live, sayeth the LORD, thou shalt put them all upon thee as an apparel, and gird them to thee, as an bride doth her jewels. As for thy land that lieth desolate, wasted and destroyed: it shall be too narrow for them, that shall dwell in it. And they that would devour thee, shall be far away. Then the child whom the barren shall bring forth unto thee, shall say in thine ear, "This place is too narrow, sit nigh together, that I may have room." Then shalt thou think by thyself, "Who hath begotten me these? Seeing I am barren and alone, a captive and an outcast? And who hath nourished them up for me? I am desolate and alone, but from whence come these?" And therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: Behold, I will stretch out mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my token to the people. They shall bring thy sons in their laps, and carry thy daughters unto thee upon their shoulders. For kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queens shall be thy nursing mothers. They shall fall before thee with their faces flat upon the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet: that thou mayest know, how that I am the LORD. And who so putteth his trust in me, shall not be confounded. Who spoileth the giant of his prey? Or, who taketh the prisoners from the mighty? And therefore thus sayeth the LORD: The prisoners shall be taken from the giant, and the spoil delivered from the violent; for I will maintain thy cause against thine adversaries, and save thy sons. And will feed thine enemies with their own flesh, and make them drink of their own blood, as of sweet wine. And all flesh shall know, O Jacob, that I am the LORD - thy Saviour and strong avenger.

And therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured, and all thine enemies shall be led into captivity. All they that make thee waste, shall be wasted themselves: and all those that rob thee, will I make also to be robbed. For I will give thee thy health again and make thy wounds whole, sayeth the LORD: because they reviled thee, as one cast away and despised, O Zion. "For thus sayeth the LORD: Behold, I will set up Jacob's tents again, and defend his dwelling place. The city shall be builded in her old estate, and their houses shall have their right foundation. read more.
And out of them shall go thanksgiving, and the voice of joy. I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish: I shall endue them with honour, and no man shall subdue them. Their children shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall continue in my sight. And all those that vex them, will I visit.

He that leadeth a godly life - say I - and speaketh the truth; He that abhorreth to do violence and deceit; he that keepeth his hand that he touch no reward; which stoppeth his ears, that he hear no counsel against the innocent; which holdeth down his eyes, that he see none evil. He it is, that shall dwell on high; whose safeguard shall be in the true rock, to him shall be given the right true meat and drink.

If a man be godly, and do the thing that is equal and right, he eateth not upon the hills; he lifteth not his eyes up to the Idols of Israel; he defileth not his neighbour's wife; he meddleth with no menstruous woman; he grieveth nobody; he giveth his debtor his pledge again; he raketh none other man's goods by violence; he parteth his meat with the hungry; he clotheth the naked; read more.
he lendeth nothing upon usury; he taketh nothing over; he withdraweth his hand from doing wrong; he handleth faithfully betwixt man and man; he walketh in my commandments, and keepeth my laws, and performeth them faithfully: This is a righteous man, he shall surly live, sayeth the LORD God.

But their avenger and redeemer is mighty, whose name is the LORD of Hosts: he shall maintain their cause, he shall make the land shake, and judge them that dwell therein, one with another.

He shall deliver their souls from extortion and wrong, and dear shall their blood be in his sight.

"Now, for the comfortless troubles' sake of the needy, and because of the deep sighing of the poor, I will arise," saith the LORD, "and will help them, and set them at rest."

He shall keep the simple folk by their right, defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrongdoer.

Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, and whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; who keepeth his promise forever; who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong; who feedeth the hungry. The LORD looseth men out of prison;

The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment, for all them that are oppressed with wrong.

The LORD also will be a defense for the oppressed, even a refuge in due time of trouble.

Who believeth our sayings? And the arm of the LORD, to whom is it opened? He came up as a spray before him, and as a root out of a dry land. There was neither fashion or beauty on him. And when we looked on him, there was no godliness that we should lust after him. He was despised and cast out of men's company; and one that had suffered sorrow, and had experience of infirmity. And we were as one that had hid his face from him. read more.
He was so despisable, that we esteemed him not. Truly, he took upon him our diseases, and bare our sorrows. And yet we counted him plagued, and beaten, and humbled of God. He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. The correction that brought us peace was on him, and with his stripes we were healed. And we went astray as sheep, and turned every man his way: and the LORD put on him the wickedness of us all. He suffered wrong and was evil entreated, and yet opened not his mouth: he was as a sheep led to be slain: and as a lamb before his shearer, he was dumb and opened not his mouth. By the reason of the affliction, he was not esteemed: and yet his generation who can number? When he is taken from the earth of living men: for my people's transgression he was plagued. He put his sepulchre with the wicked, and with the rich in his death: because he did none iniquity, neither was guile found in his mouth. And yet the LORD determined to bruise him with infirmities. His soul giving herself for trangression, he shall see seed of long continuance; and the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Because of the labour of his soul, he shall see and be satisfied. With his knowledge, he, being just, shall justify my servants: and that a great number. And he shall bear their iniquities.

For he that made thee, shall be thy LORD and husband, whose name is the LORD of Hosts: and thine avenger shall be even the holy one of Israel, the LORD of the whole world. For the LORD shall call thee, being as a desolate sorrowful woman, and as a young wife that hath broken her wedlock, sayeth thy God. A little while have I forsaken thee, but with great mercifulness shall I take thee up unto me. read more.
When I was angry, I hid my face from thee for a little season, but through everlasting goodness shall I pardon thee, sayeth the LORD thine avenger. And this must be unto me as the water of Noah. For like as I have sworn that I will not bring the water of Noah any more upon the world: so have I sworn, that I will never be angry with thee, nor reprove thee. The mountains shall remove, and the hills shall fall down: but my loving-kindness shall not move, and the bond of my peace shall not fall down from thee, sayeth the LORD thy merciful lover. Behold thou poor, vexed, and despised: I will make thy walls of precious stones, and thy foundation of Sapphires; thy windows of Crystal, thy gates of fine clear stone, and thy borders of pleasant stones. Thy children shall all be taught of God, and I will give them plenteousness of peace. In righteousness shalt thou be grounded, and be far from oppression: for the which thou needest not be afraid, neither for hindrance, for it shall not come nigh thee.

Where the prince is without understanding, there is great oppression and wrong; but if he be such one as hateth covetousness, he shall long reign.

Come on, let us play wisely with them: lest they multiply, and then - if there chance any war - they join themselves unto our enemies and fight against us, and so get them out of the land." And he set taskmasters over them, to keep them under with burdens. And they built unto Pharaoh treasure cities: Pithom and Rameses. But the more they vexed them, the more they multiplied and grew: so that they abhorred the children of Israel. read more.
And the Egyptians held the children of Israel in bondage without mercy, and made their lives bitter unto them with cruel labour in clay and brick, and all manner work in the fields, and in all manner of service, which they caused them to work cruelly. And the king of Egypt said unto the midwives of the Hebrews' women, of which the one's name was Shiphrah and the other Puah, "When ye midwife the women of the Hebrews and see in the birth time that it is a boy, kill it. But if it be a maid, let it live." Notwithstanding, the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them: but saved the men children. Then the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said unto them, "Why have ye dealt on this manner and have saved the men children?" And the midwives answered Pharaoh, that the Hebrews' women were not as the women of Egypt: but were sturdy women, and were delivered yer the midwives came at them. And God therefore dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty, and - because the midwives feared God - he made them houses. Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, "All the men children that are born, cast into the river; and save the maid children alive."

and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke grievous, but I will make it grievouser. For where my father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions."

Then said Abram to Sarai, "Behold, thy maid is in thy hand, do with her as it pleaseth thee." And because Sarai fared foul with her, she fled from her.

The LORD also will be a defense for the oppressed, even a refuge in due time of trouble.

'But the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, will I judge,' said God, 'and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.'

But ye have despised the poor. Are not the rich they which oppress you: and they which draw you before judges?