Órfãos
Deus tem um cuidado especial pelos órfãos. Ele se apresenta como pai dos que não têm pai e defensor dos desamparados, e ordena a seu povo que faça o mesmo.
Deus, pai dos órfãos
O Senhor é pai dos órfãos e protetor das viúvas. Ele sustenta os que perderam amparo humano e cuida deles com ternura.
4 I traueilide criynge, my cheekis weren maad hoose; myn iyen failiden, the while Y hope in to my God.5 Thei that hatiden me with out cause; weren multiplied aboue the heeris of myn heed. Myn enemyes that pursueden me vniustli weren coumfortid; Y paiede thanne tho thingis, whiche Y rauischide not.
9 Which yyueth mete to her werk beestis; and to the briddys of crowis clepinge hym.
3 For lo! thin enemyes sowneden; and thei that haten thee reisiden the heed.
18 Y schal not leeue you fadirles, Y schal come to you.
O chamado da justiça
A religião pura é visitar órfãos e viúvas em suas aflições. Deus ordena a defesa do necessitado e o cuidado com os mais frágeis.
27 A clene religioun, and an vnwemmed anentis God and the fadir, is this, to visite fadirles and modirles children, and widewis in her tribulacioun, and to kepe hym silf vndefoulid fro this world.
17 Seke ye doom, helpe ye hym that is oppressid, deme ye to the fadirles and modirles child, defende ye a widewe.
9 Deme ye trewe dom, and do ye merci, and doyngis of merci, ech man with his brother.10 And nyle ye falsli calenge a widewe, and fadirles, ether modirles, and comelyng, and pore man; and a man thenke not in his herte yuel to his brother.
22 Ye schulen not anoye a widewe, and a fadirles ethir modirles child.23 If ye hirten hem, thei schulen crye to me, and Y schal here the cry of hem,24 and my greet veniaunce schal haue indignacioun, and Y schal smyte you with swerd, and youre wyues schulen be widewis, and youre sones schulen be fadirles.
12 for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.13 The blessyng of a man to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.