Do not succumb to the love of money, but be content with what you have, for God has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.” | Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” |
Wealth hastily acquired will dwindle away, but when amassed little by little, it will increase. | Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. |
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However, those who want riches fall into temptations and are trapped into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. | Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. |
The blessing of the Lord is what brings wealth, and our toil adds nothing to it. | The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. |
Do not wear yourself out in the pursuit of wealth, and cease even to think about it. | Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. |
One who is covetous will never be satisfied with money, nor will the lover of wealth be content with gain. This too is vanity. | Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. |
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops. | Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops. |
It is better to have a little and fear the Lord than to possess immense wealth and suffer anguish. | Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. |
After this, he said to the crowd, “Take care to be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not depend upon an abundance of one’s possessions.” | Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” |
For where your treasure is, there will your heart also be. | For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. |
Pay to each person what is rightfully his—taxes to the one to whom taxes are due, tolls to the one to whom tolls are due, respect to the one to whom respect is due, honor to the one to whom honor is due. | Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. |
It is better to acquire wisdom rather than gold, and more desirable to acquire understanding rather than silver. | How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver! |
But who am I, and what are your people, that we should be able to do this? All things belong to you, and everything that we have given you is from your hand. | But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. |
Instruct those who are rich in this world’s goods that they should not be proud, nor should they trust in the uncertainty of riches but rather in God who richly provides us with everything we need for our enjoyment. | Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. |
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful in small matters, I will give you much greater responsibilities. Come and share your master’s joy.’ | His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ |
Keep falsehood and lying far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but simply provide me with the food that I need. | Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. |
The love of money is the root of all evils, and in their desire for it some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many serious wounds. | For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. |
A man’s attraction is his kindness; it is far better to be poor than to be a liar. | What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. |
Preferable is the little that the righteous possess than the great wealth of the wicked. For the power of the wicked will be overcome, but the Lord protects the righteous. | Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. |
The Lord, your God, will bless you as he promised you. You will lend to many nations, but borrow from none. You shall rule over many nations, but none shall rule over you. | For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you. |
An honorable name is more to be desired than great riches, and high esteem is preferable to silver and gold. | A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. |
When you fix your gaze upon it, it is gone before you realize it. For it suddenly sprouts wings and flies up to the sky like an eagle. | Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. |
That is why you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, and they devote themselves to this service. | This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. |
Riches will be of no avail on the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. | Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. |
The wealth of a rich man is his stronghold; he regards it as a high wall that cannot be scaled. | The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. |