Deuteronomy 22:3
In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself. In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.
The verse belongs to the special instructions and laws given to govern Israel.
It commands that when a brother or fellow Israelite loses an animal such as an ass, clothing or raiment, or any other lost thing, the finder must help recover it and see it returned and must not hide himself by ignoring what was lost.
The same command extends to a neighbor's lost animal or clothing or other property, requiring not ignoring or concealing the discovery but actively helping to return it.
This duty to return lost property stands in contrast to the prohibition against returning an escaped servant to his master.
The law shows that neglecting someone in distress is a breach of the duty to show mercy.
That duty was violated by the priest and Levite when they withheld aid, whose office especially obligated them to help.
The same neighborly duty applies when a neighbor's livestock is found in another person's grain field.
It requires warning the neighbor or driving the animals out.
Such practical care is an act that may win the neighbor.