AT TIMES, yes. Consider one example. Deuteronomy 24:14, 15 states: “You must not defraud a hired worker who is in need and poor, whether one of your brothers or a foreign resident in your land . . . Otherwise, he will cry out to Jehovah against you, and you will be guilty of sin.”

The record of a plea in such a case dated to the seventh century B.C.E. It was found near Ashdod. Possibly penned for a field worker who allegedly failed to deliver a set quota of grain, this document, written on a pottery shard, says: “After your servant [the petitioner] had finished storing the harvest a few days ago, Hoshayahu son of Shobay came and took your servant’s garment. . . . All my companions who were harvesting with me in the heat of the sun will testify . . . that what I have said is true. I am innocent of any offense. . . . If the governor does not consider it his obligation to have your servant’s garment sent back, do it out of pity! You must not remain silent when your servant is without his garment.”

This plea “speaks to us of more than just the desperation of a labourer to get back [his garment],” says historian Simon Schama. “It also presupposes that the petitioner knew something about the biblical law code, especially the injunctions in Leviticus and Deuteronomy against harsh treatment of the poor.”

UGBẸNSO ẹre a ya gha ru adọlọ. Vbe igiemwi, ebe Diuteronomi 24:​14, 15 khare wẹẹ: “Ghẹ mu ọguọmwadia ne ovbiogue ne u rhie vbe iwinna ru, ọre ovbi Izrẹl nọ ra avbe orhunmwuyẹn ni rre uwa ẹvbo . . . Adeghẹ u ma ha ẹre nẹẹn, ọ gha viẹ bu e Nọyaẹnmwa gha khian, a ghi bu abe gbuẹ.”

Emwi vbenian sunu daa orhunmwu ọkpa nọ gbe ezọbu, vbe orre nogie ihinrọn, Ọ Te Sẹ Ẹghẹ Kristi. Odẹ ẹghẹ na, ẹre a ya miẹn emwi ne ọmwa gbẹn ye ebunbunmwẹhẹn ra usọnmwẹ akhe, ya rinmwian e gọvina, nọ mwẹ itohan daa irẹn rhunmwuda ẹwu ne a miọn re. Ọkpẹn ẹvbo ne a tie ẹre Ashdod ẹre a na miẹn evbagbẹn na. Ughaghe te a gu ọmwa nọ gbe ezọbu na gbẹn ọnrẹn. Ọ gha kẹ, ọmwa nọ gbe ezọbu na, ma sẹtin rhọ emwi okọ sẹ omwa nọ khẹke, vbe ẹdẹ ne a miọn ẹwu. Ọna ọre ẹmwẹ nọ ya rinmwian e gọvina: “Ikpẹdẹ eso nọ gberra, vbe imẹ ne ọguọmwadia ruẹ ghi rhọ emwi okọ fo nẹ, e Hoshayahu ne ovbi e Shobay na do miọn mwẹ ẹwu mwẹ. . . . Avbe ihua mwẹ ne ima gba miẹn ẹsọn gha sẹtin sẹ osẹ yọ wẹẹ . . . ẹmwata ẹre I tae. I ma miẹn eke ne I na rri abe vbe ẹmwẹ na. . . . Sokpan deghẹ u ghi mu ukpa mu uwerhẹn ghee ẹmwẹ na nẹ gọvina, u na bẹghe ẹre wẹẹ, ẹmwẹ ẹwu ne a miọn mwẹ re ma kaan ruẹ, lahọ ye mwẹ itohan daa mwẹ! I rẹn wẹẹ, u i khian wa hunwan ne ọguọmwadia ruẹ gha ghogho khian vbene i na mwẹ ẹwu ne I khian mu yọ.”

Ọtokha ọkpa ne a tie ẹre Simon Schama keghi kha wẹẹ: “Okha na, ya ima rẹn wẹẹ, ọmwa nọ gbe ezọbu na, khiẹ ye ẹwu ne a miọn re, ẹre ọ zẹe ne ọ na rinmwian e gọvina nọ ru iyobọ ne irẹn. Ọ ma fo ye evba. Ọ khọ wẹẹ, ọmwa nọ gbe ezọbu na rẹn ilele kevbe uhi ni rre ebe Lẹvitikus kevbe Diuteronomi ni gbikhaẹn ye obọ atosi ne a ya mu ivbiogue.”