"Do not eat any animal that dies a natural death. You may let the foreigners who live among you eat it, or you may sell it to other foreigners. But you belong to the LORD your God; you are his people. "Do not cook a young sheep or goat in its mother's milk.

You may collect what a foreigner owes you, but you must not collect what any of your own people owe you.

"Do not mistreat foreigners who are living in your land.

Treat them as you would an Israelite, and love them as you love yourselves. Remember that you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Give to them freely and unselfishly, and the LORD will bless you in everything you do.

When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the LORD, and the LORD will pay you back.

If you will only obey me, you will eat the good things the land produces.

and you will be blessed, because they are not able to pay you back. God will repay you on the day the good people rise from death."

So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever useless.