| Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. | Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death. |
| I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. | I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. |
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| For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? | Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? |
| Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. | Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. |
| I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies, as much as in all riches. | I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. |
| No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. | No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. |
| Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all! In your hand is power and might! It is in your hand to make great, and to give strength to all! | Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. |
| But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him? | If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? |
| House and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from Yahweh. | Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. |
| Yahweh makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up. | The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. |
| Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice. | Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. |
| As sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things. | Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. |
| Yahweh restored Job’s prosperity when he prayed for his friends. Yahweh gave Job twice as much as he had before. | After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. |
| When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes? | As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? |
| The wicked borrow, and don’t pay back, but the righteous give generously. | The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously. |
| The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender. | The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. |
| Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. | Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. |
| What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. | The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. |
| The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, but the poor hear no threats. | A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes. |
| You shall most certainly not make gods of silver or gods of gold for yourselves to be alongside me. | Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. |
| But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land? While you kept it, didn’t it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn’t it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to men, but to God.” | Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” |
